Armed citizens as first responders

In the field of medicine, the Golden Hour refers to the period of time immediately following a traumatic injury and the idea that the ultimate outcome of the injury is determined by the treatment the patient receives during that time, which can range from a few minutes to a few hours. It is often the first responders, preferably paramedics, who have the greatest impact on a victim's survival.

The clearest illustration of this principle can be seen when considering the scenario of a heart attack. If a person suffers a heart attack in a hospital, help is moments away. Treatment begins immediately, and a person stands the best chance of survival. However, if a person is hiking in a remote area and help takes three hours to make it to the scene, that person has a greatly reduced chance of a positive outcome.

Think, then, to a situation where a lunatic goes on a shooting spree in a shopping mall. Average police response time to a high priority call within city limits can range from 5-10 minutes. Add additional time to access the building, assess the situation, locate and neutralize the shooter, and you're looking at a minimum of 20 minutes. A shooter can get off several hundred rounds in that time and a lot of deaths can occur before the police can stop the attack. The scenario changes drastically if an armed citizen is already on the scene and can appropriately respond.

Before we get into that, though, let's take a brief look at the history of the individuals most people associate with the term "first responder," and that is paramedics.

The paramedic program is actually a fairly recent development in the United States, though it's roots can be traced back to ancient Rome when elderly Centurions were tasked with removing wounded soldiers from the battlefield and administering initial treatment.

In the mid 1960's, a few physicians began experimenting with programs to provide private citizens with training to enable them to provide initial care to injured victims. At the same time, the medical corpsmen in Vietnam were pioneering close combat support of medical personnel embedded with active combat troops. These corpsmen were able to greatly increase the survival rate of wounded soldiers due to immediate care being provided on the battlefield prior to evacuation to medical facilities.

After the war, these techniques were adapted for civilian use with the intent that it would be fire fighters who would provide the care. Firemen were already highly trained and available for rapid deployment, and it was thought this was a natural field for returning military paramedics to utilize their skills in a civilian environment. However, many members of the upper echelon in these departments were strongly opposed to the program for a variety of reasons ranging from liability concerns to the thought that it wasn't proper to be trying to teach a firefighter to act like a doctor.

Ironically, it was a television show, Emergency!, that helped break down the opposition to the program, highlight its effectiveness, and rally public support. This, coupled with Federal funding being made available, resulted in the rapid acceptance of the paramedic program throughout the seventies. Now, many people take it for granted that if they are severely injured, a paramedic will be on the scene within minutes to begin treatment. It seems barbaric that treatment was once withheld until an injured person made it all the way to the hospital.

So, how does this tie in with armed citizens?

In 2004, "Dimebag" Darrell Lance Abbott, former Pantera guitarist, was killed in a nightclub in Columbus, Ohio. Three others were killed and three more wounded that night before the gunman was killed by a police officer who happened to be nearby. Reportedly, this officer was able to respond within two minutes, yet was still unable to prevent those initial deaths an injuries.

While Darrell's murder was unlikely to have been prevented regardless of response time, there was one individual in the club that night who might have been able to prevent the other deaths and injuries with an even faster response time. "Roger", a concealed handgun licensee, was in the club that night and was approximately 5 feet from the shooter. Unfortunately, Ohio law prohibits even Concealed Handgun License holders from carrying their firearm into any establishment that serves alcohol (even if they are not drinking), so Roger was disarmed and unable to perform a lifesaving act.

Within days of that attack, another incident occurred in Ohio, this time in Dayton, where a 79 year old man was attacked by a mugger. Before any harm could befall him, a nearby CHL holder drew his firearm and stopped the attack, holding the criminal for police. The "golden hour" becomes the "golden minute" when it comes to self defense situations. Immediate and direct action by the victim or passersby greatly affect the outcome of a criminal attack. If there is no immediate response to an assault, the chance of severe injury or death to the victim(s) greatly increases.

I was unable to find a link to the story, but I recall that shortly before concealed carry passed in Ohio that there was an incident where a young girl was shot by a stalker as she was crossing the street on her way to school. According to onlookers, she remained alive for several minutes while the gunman paced back and forth, uncertain of what to do. As the police drew closer, he shot her again and killed her. Had an armed citizen been present and able to respond, her life would likely have been spared.

For most police, the most frustrating thing about their jobs is that they cannot be everywhere to protect everyone. The sad truth is that they are often relegated to the role of armed historians, taking statements or reports after the crime has taken place. Sometimes they do intervene and stop an active shooter, but often after there has already been multiple fatalities and injuries. There just isn't enough manpower.

With more than 140,000 concealed handgun licenses issued in Ohio, there is at least a chance that there will be a First Responder on the scene who will be in a position to stop the crime and save lives. Like the paramedic program, there was initially a lot of opposition to concealed carry in Ohio. Now that it has become more accepted and the numbers are growing, hopefully we can look forward to a time when CHL holders are seen as an essential piece of the puzzle for ensuring public safety during those crucial initial minutes following a violent criminal attack.
 

READERSHIP INTERACTION

tjeffries: I often have several grandchildren with me, so although carrying my firearm with me doesn't guarantee I'll live, should someone try to do harm to my grandchildren, it increases the chances I'll be able to live with myself should evil appear. They trust me, there's a reason.

You're absolutely right tjeffries. As I've written about before, children rely upon adults for protection from all that might cause them harm. Seatbelts, carseats, safety caps on outlets, safety latches on cabinets, childproof caps on medicine bottles, etc. are all prudent steps to keep kids safe. Carrying a firearm to protect your family from criminal attack is the responsible thing to do. We've all heard that you don't come between a mama bear and her cubs, but what can a 100 pound unarmed woman do against a 6'4" 250lb assailant? But if she's armed, she can do a lot.