You, like me, probably want to, and like to, help people. I’ve taken a lot of first aid classes and therefor am better trained than most people to help. If you don’t have first aid training, you should. Basic first aid classes are all over with the Red Cross and a lot of classes are springing up all over to teach emergency first aid. Take one.
Now that you know some basics, should you help everyone every time? No. There are times that you shouldn’t help. Let’s talk about when not to help.
First, when you are going to help, assess the situation. Are you in danger if you help? There should be a good chance that you will survive when you help. You’ll have to decide this on your own, but at least look at the risk and make a conscious decision before running in.
When considering risks, also think about the possibility of infection. Some people out there have diseases, HIV, Hepatitis, and more. I know that you can’t see these diseases from the outside, but you will have to make a decision based on a quick look. Unfortunately, a lot of street people have these types of disease. I’m not saying don’t help, but help in a smart way. Think about having a pair of gloves on you always (I use these). Another idea you might use is that you direct someone else, a family member or friend of the hurt person. Family and friends would know if there was something communicable in the blood, and family and friends will take risks for loved ones that you wouldn’t. Tell them how to give first aid.
The last category of people we don’t want to help are people we just used force against to defend ourselves. This information has changed over the years, but now the common knowledge is that you don’t want to help someone that you just used force against. First, for our own safety we can’t help. That person was already a danger to you, now with an injury they can become desperate and dangerous. Even if you are trying to help, they may think you are there to finish them off and continue to fight. Second, in the litigious society we live, helping someone can be interpreted as a sign of saying you were wrong, or if something goes wrong, it will be argued that you continued to hurt that person on purpose. It’s kind of sick, but the first reason (your safety) is the reason we don’t want to help someone we have just had to use force against.
The next time you go to help someone, just take a second to assess the situation and make sure you really should help. And if you don’t have a basic understanding of first aid, go take a class so you can be the person that helps.
Stay Safe,
Ben