When you come to the end of the rope, hold it firmly in your left hand with the last three fingers, or, better, have a loop in the end that will fit down over your wrist so you don’t lose the end in throwing. Then pass back the second set of coils from your right to the first two fingers of your left hand. Now you have a coil in each hand.
It takes practice to learn to throw a life line correctly, so that you do not get yourself snarled up in it.
The right-hand coil is the one you throw first, and you follow it instantly with the left coil, not letting go the end. Thrown out like this, the line won’t tangle up, and it’s possible to throw the whole line out straight, so that it will reach the farthest. Sending it out in one coil nearly always results in the coil not opening properly, and a short reach in consequence.
Throwing can be underhand or overhand. The latter is better exercise and almost essential if the line has to be thrown from behind an obstruction, such as a bulwark or wall, or has to be thrown to people in an upper storey in case of fire.
Rescue from Runaway Horses
Accidents sometimes occur from runaway homes running down people. It is well that everybody should know how to stop a runaway horse, and thus to prevent injuries.
The way to stop a runaway horse is not to run out in front of it and wave your arms, as so many people do. Instead race alongside it, catch hold of the shaft to keep yourself from falling, seize the reins with the other hand and drag the horse’s head round toward you, turning the horse until you can bring it up against a wall or house, or otherwise compel it to stop. But, of course, for a boy, with his light weight, this is a very difficult thing to do. The share he would have in such an accident would probably be to look after the people injured by the runaway horse.
Miscellaneous Accidents
One cannot go through the whole list of accidents that might come to your notice, but the point is that a Scout should always remember to keep his head, and think what is the right thing to do at the moment, and be the man to do it, even under the most unexpected circumstances.
Scout J. C. Davel, 1st Bloemfontein Troop (South Africa), saw a little girl entangled in some electric-light wires on the roof of a house. Although he was warned not to go to her, as he might be killed too, he climbed up and got her down. Unfortunately, the child was dead.
Scout Lockley, 1st Atherstone Troop, was at a fair looking on at a roundabout (merry-go- round) which was being worked by electricity from a steam engine. The driver of the engine in leaning over got his clothes caught in the machinery, and was being dragged into it when Lockley sprang on to the engine, and, knowing something of mechanics, pulled over the lever, and stopped it just in time to save the man’s life.
There is an example of a fellow Being Prepared, knowing what to do, and doing it without a moment’s waiting.
PATROL PRACTICES IN LIFE SAVING
Practise forming a “fence” with staffs, for keeping back a crowd. This can be made a game by dividing the Troop into “crowd” and “Scouts”.
Instruct Scouts to know the position of neighborhood fire plugs and hydrants, police points, fire alarms, fire stations, ambulances, hospitals, etc.
Practise tying bowline in rope and dragging insensible person.
Do everything possible to get the Scout taught how to swim. In a town with a swimming bath this should offer no difficulty. In the country, the best chance for Scouts to learn swimming is by arranging summer camp near the sea or a lake or river where it is safe to swim.
Practise the various methods of rescue of a drowning person.
GAMES IN FIRE RESCUE
Prepare a heavy smoke fire in a neighboring room or building, while you are in the club room. Secretly arrange with two or three boys that if an alarm of fire is given they should run about frightened and try to start a panic.
Have the alarm given either by getting someone to rush in and tell you of the fire, or by having some explosive bombs fired. Then let a Patrol or two Patrols tackle the fire under direction of their Patrol Leaders. They should shut windows and doors, and send Scouts into different parts of the building to see if the fire is spreading, and to search for people in need of rescue.
These Scouts should have wet handkerchiefs over their mouths and noses. “Insensible” people (or sack dummies) should be hidden under tables, etc. Scouts rescue them by shouldering them or dragging them out and getting them down to the ground. Use jumping sheet, chute etc.
Other parties lay and connect the hose, or make lines for passing fire buckets.
Another party revive the rescued. Another party form “fence” to help the police and fire brigade by keeping the crowd back.
CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 25
HELPING OTHERS
Rendering First Aid - Shock - Bleeding
Artificial Respiration - Other First Aid
How to Carry a Patient
HINTS TO INSTRUCTOR
In teaching First Aid the usual mistake is that the boys are instructed as for passing an examination rather than for applying intelligent knowledge to an emergency. Thus the Scout who took charge of a baby in convulsions at the railway station and ran to the engine and popped it into a bucket of hot water did the right thing. He had seen mother do it. Therefore, use demonstrations and incidents rather than teach Latin names of bones, etc. It is impossible in the short space at one’s disposal to give all the details of First Aid.
If you should come upon an accident, remember this: You are not a doctor. As a first aider you should send for a doctor at once except for minor injuries. Your job is to keep the patient from getting worse until medical attention can arrive, by preventing shock, stopping bleeding, giving artificial respiration, or doing whatever else is necessary.
In an accident when you are alone with an injured person who is unconscious, lay him on his back with his head a little raised and on one side so that he does not choke, and so that any vomit can run out of his mouth. Loosen the clothing about his neck and chest. Cover him up to keep him warm. See where he is injured, and care for him according to what you are taught in first aid.
If you have found the man lying insensible, you should carefully examine the ground round him for any “signs” and take note of them and of his position in case it should afterwards appear that he had been attacked by others.
If you are out with a Patrol and an accident happens, or you find an injured man, the Patrol Leader should send one Scout for a doctor; he himself will attend to the patient with one Scout to help him. The Second will use the other Scouts in assisting by getting water or blankets, or making a stretcher or keeping the crowd back if one is forming by making a fence with their staves.