Have you been on a Biker Down course? In fact, let me reword that question. If you have not been on a Biker Down course – Why not?
The one thing that is almost universal in the motorcycling world is our desire to help one another. We talk, swap stories, stop at the roadside, and generally try to do the right thing by each other.
I could get all philosophical and waffle on about a shared understanding of what it is to ride a motorcycle. The risks, the reward, and all that, or I can ask if you would know what to do if you encountered someone who had endured an “unscheduled dismount” and could not stand up afterwards?
I thought I’d have a pretty good handle on such a situation. Turns out I had a lot to learn.
Biker Down
The Biker Down course has its roots in 2010 when Jim Sanderson, an Operational Crew Manager with Kent Fire and Rescue, witnessed an “unscheduled dismount” while out riding. As he was trained to do, Jim evaluated the situation, used the resources available to establish the outer and inner safety bubbles, and provided first aid to the injured biker until reinforcements arrived.
It was a natural reaction for someone whose job involves facing similar situations on a regular basis. With a shopping list of things to do, the years of training, reinforced by experience, kicked in and away Jim went.
Thinking the incident through afterwards, Jim wondered what might have happened if he hadn’t been the first on the scene. Would the next person understand Incident Scene Management or how to minimise the risk to those helping the downed biker?
Years of experience can’t be taught in three or four hours, yet the key actions that anyone can learn can be demonstrated, and they might make the difference between someone having a bad day or someone having their last day.
That rather sobering thought gave birth to Biker Down.
On The Day
My Biker Down course took three hours. Three and a half, if you include the chin-wagging and tea-drinking.
There were twelve of us in the room with a broad range of backgrounds. There was the retired Traffic Copper and his wife, who wanted to keep their skills fresh. A couple of guys from the Triumph Owners Club are there because they organise ride-outs and want to know what to do if it all turns to custard.
Then there are the solo riders, like me, who have heard about Biker Down and want to be able to help if it ever becomes necessary. We all hope we never have to use what we are about to learn, but we want to know more than we currently do.
It is an informal setting, and with us all armed with a mug of tea, we got down to business.
Incident Scene Management
When looking at an incident and deciding to try and help, the typical reaction is to go to the centre and start doing something. Incident Scene Management is about learning to step back, assess the situation, and develop a plan to keep yourself safe while executing that plan.
Without the Biker Down course, I would have been the well-intentioned biker who could easily add to the problem rather than be part of the solution. My desire to help would have overpowered the need to do things in a logical sequence.
I am the guy – perhaps I should now say … was the guy – who would have been in the thick of it when he got run over by a truck or was trying to render first aid while standing in a pool of petrol.
Casualty Care
This section was brilliant and sprinkled with dark humour to help get through the sobering parts.
Biker Down isn’t going to turn you into a Doctor or a Paramedic. The repeated mantra was that our task is to keep people “Pink and Warm until the Cavalry arrives”, and for that skill, Biker Down is a massive boost.
Most people who have attended a First Aid course will be familiar with the DR-ABC mnemonic – Danger, Responsive, Airway, Breathing and Circulation.
Thanks to input from the Military – you know, those people who get shot at as part of everyday life – Biker Down has added Catastrophic Haemorrhage as a priority to the mnemonic. Danger and Response still come first, but next comes C – Checking the biker for leaks.
There is no point in clearing an airway and starting CPR if our efforts will pump their blood out of a large leak.
Having been shown what to do about leaks and practised on Resus-Annie, the CPR dummy, came the fascinating topic of helmet removal, which, as you might expect, sparked an engaging debate.
The technique is proven, developed by people who genuinely know about the subject and can back the method up with hard-nosed real-world experience.
It is simple enough to learn and needs two people, and as we worked through practising, the conversation inevitably turned to the topic of liability if we made things worse.
In the UK, unlike other countries – the USA is a typical example – we have laws around consent to medical treatment when the injured person cannot give it.
I’m not legally trained, but I understand that if your intentions are good, and the person can’t consent, you can act without fear of litigation afterwards.
There is an excellent explanation on the NHS website at Consent to Treatment – NHS (www.nhs.uk) in the section “When Consent is Not Needed”.
The Thinking Biker
After another mug of tea, we got into how the brain interprets data, why people don’t see things that are there, and what we can do to avoid the mistakes humans make.
And that is one of the great things about Bikers: everyone had something to share, a thought, a tip or a question to ask. It is always a great conversation.
For example, did you appreciate that pink is a better colour for your Hi-Viz jacket than dayglow yellow? Research strongly indicates that we see so many yellow Hi-Viz jackets that humans now ignore them. However, you don’t often see bright pink, which makes it attract more attention.
How Much?
Biker Down courses are free. It will not cost you a single penny, other than the cost of the petrol to get to the venue, usually a major fire station.
All they ask is that you promote the course and send online feedback to ensure Biker Down stays firmly wedged in the minds of the overlords who control the funding needed to run the courses.
The greater the demand and attendance on Biker Down courses, the more it is funded. If no one asks for the course, its perceived value drops, and the money needed – from the Government coffers – reduces. We then get fewer Biker Down courses to attend – demand is seen as dropping even further, and the money gets cut again.
So, if you want to see more Government money spent on motorcycling and Biker welfare, then Google Biker Down courses in your area and send an email asking when the next course is.
In fact, let me do that for you. Click Here for a list of the Biker Down email addresses. But please remember these are the people who deliver the courses, and they need your support to get the required funding. These are the good guys.
Biker Down isn’t their full-time job, so it might be a while before they can reply. The Biker Down UK Facebook page is a good place to start if you are looking for links to local courses.
Bottom Line
Back at the start, I asked if you had been on a Biker Down course and if not – why not? Let me ask you that question again another way.
If you had just suffered an unscheduled dismount, who would you want coming around the corner?
Someone who has no plan and rushes to assist but ends up heaping havoc on top of your situation, or someone who took a few hours to learn some basic skills that just might help you live to ride another day?
Biker Down – It is Free – Get on one.
