Finding Low Cost or Free Medical Classes

Many shooters are safety conscious individuals who have taken up shooting as a form of self defense and preparedness.  They want to know, should anything happen, they have some know-how and tools to deal with the problem presented.  It should be no surprise that there are many ways to do this other than self defense, and these life skills are often something we don’t need until we do.  Skills that once upon a time everyone knew but slowly over modernization have become less and less universally known, we now can rely on others to fill in some of these knowledge gaps.  

Don’t know how to change a tire?  No problem, call roadside assistance.  Aren’t sure how to fix an appliance or assemble that flatpack box of furniture? Just call someone out to do it.  Can’t trim that precarious tree branch hanging over your garage?  A professional is just a call away.

That’s all well and good for tasks that have a bit of spare time to complete, but what about when you need that essential service right here, right now?  You may be the only individual around to rely on.  Then what?

One such set of skills you ought to look into adding to your toolbelt is first aid and trauma response.  If you carry a gun you should also carry some medical supplies with you.  You are far more likely to encounter the need for medical than self defense.  Not to mention the act of being on the range with hot guns increases the chance statistically of something happening compared to sitting on the couch.

As the saying goes, “If you are willing to put holes in people, you should be willing to patch holes too.”  Meaning some amount of gear and training should be in your training repertoire.

There are often EDC classes that combine shooting and medical, which are highly recommended, but there are also strictly medical classes that can be taken.  These classes are often free or low cost community outreach programs that can get you up to speed and in some cases certified in basic first aid, AED, CPR, and trauma response.

In our modern post COVID world, there are opportunities to take online classes for some of these, but the best option would be to take in-person, hands-on classes.  Knowing how to perform CPR versus actually going through the exhausting act of performing it are two very different levels of knowledge.  You don’t want the first time you perform a first aid task to be in a real life situation.

What classes should you consider taking?

When looking at adding some medical training to your toolbelt classic skills like CPR and AED come to mind first, which are worth taking.  But so are basic first aid and basic trauma.  Depending on where you live you may also want to consider learning about some conditions that can come into play due to weather like how to treat heat stroke or exhaustion and hypothermia or frostbite.

Learning to recognize the signs of conditions is also worthwhile, not everything happens in a dramatic event.  There might be a more mundane setting where knowing the signs of a heart attack or stroke could be the critical factor.  Knowing how to identify the severity of a burn and what needs to be done to treat it can get that person the right level of care at home or by a professional.  

Concussions are another one that are good to be able to give some degree of identification on, if you are out hiking or playing sports trusting the person saying “It’s OK, I’m good” may not be enough, but spotting the symptoms can allow for them to be removed from the situation and taken to get the care they need.  This goes for allergic reactions too, an epipen is useful in the immediate but that isn’t the last step they still need medical attention.

Your lifestyle, location, and chosen hobbies might also make learning about poisonous plants, bites and stings on the todo list.  While you won’t be encountering the deadly Golden Poison Frog, you may find a plant, snake or bug that can hurt you.  Knowing what the possibilities are in your area and what to do is a great bit of knowledge to have.

This might seem like an easy one, but know the Heimlich Maneuver, not just for kids and adults but for yourself, dogs and cats, and alternatives for infants.  We all eat everyday, multiple times, and often while not paying attention so choking can easily happen.  This is one you have likely been around, if you have, think about how everyone reacted.  Was someone instantly taking action or did it take everyone a minute to not only decide if the person was actually choking and then who was going to do what about it.  This is a technique that is often included in first aid classes.

If you are the type to run towards an emergency, there are likely other things that you will want to learn.  If not, having the basic knowledge is a better safe than sorry moment.  There are classes out there for a wide range of things that don’t require you to be on the track of a medical professional like an EMT, nurse, or doctor.

Where can classes be found?

There are a variety of ways classes can be taken and there are some considerations that help decide which are right for you.  While first aid and trauma can be incorporated into firearms classes, most commonly EDC based, that can narrow the offering pool and raise the price.  Treating medical as a separate item to learn outside of the gun industry can open up your opportunities.

If you want to include firearms training or classes aimed at the self defense and tactical crowd you will need to seek out high level instructors and training schools.  Those that teach to both law enforcement and civilians are more likely to offer the combined service.  There are also medical only schools that serve our industry and work closely with ranges to host their classes.  

The other part you may want to consider is if you are looking strictly for the know-how and hands on experience or if you need to have a certification issued.  The certification can often be obtained through the same class but with an additional charge.

To find low cost or even free medical classes take a look at the community outreach path of trusted associations like American Red Cross, Stop the Bleed, and American Heart Association.  Each of them offer classes around the country and can be found using their directories.

Keep in mind that each May is Stop the Bleed month and while classes are available all year long, May typically has the most free events offered.  This can be a great first step where you can do some hands-on learning, meet like minded individuals, and find out from the local instructors about other training opportunities.

Your local fire department, municipality, and hospitals may also offer community outreach classes for general first aid.   Check out local universities and colleges as well, they may offer a variety of classes and clinics and may offer different services such as Narcan training.

There will also be a host of local for and nonprofit organizations in the area that provide medical and emergency situation classes.  Some of which might be more pertinent to your lifestyle or the places you regularly visit.  Someone who is an avid outdoor enthusiast may want to take different classes than a person who spends most of their time in an urban community.

What about next level training?

What medical gear should you carry?

What you carry can be divided into comfort items and life saving items, so while it might be tempting to have access to everything, scale back where it makes sense.  There are also some default items you may want in every kit like gloves, a sharpie, trauma shears, a bit of duct tape and oral rehydration salts.  

Don’t try to have everything under the sun available, pick the right size kit for your situation with tools you know how to use.  Add speciality items only if they make sense.  This is your kit so tailor it to you.  What I need on the range, on a hike, or out at a restaurant are a bit different so carry accordingly.

Basic Life Saving Skills