KANE COUNTY MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS CONDUCTS FIRST

Jan 14, 2008 --

The first Saturday in November did not present the best weather for riding motorcycles. The temperature barely rose above 40 degrees, the wind howled and the air was filled with rain and occasional snow flurries. Nevertheless, a group of 29 Rescue Riders participated in the Emergency Preparedness Run, sponsored by the Kane County Medical Reserve Corps.

The Rescue Riders are a new component of Kane County’s Medical Reserve Corps. It is made up of motorcycle enthusiasts from around the area who are interested in giving back to the community. As members of the Kane County Medical Reserve Corps, they receive certification in first aid and CPR and participate in other trainings for emergency response.

“Working with the Medical Reserve Corps in Kane County has been a wonderful experience,” said Dean Akey, a local St. Charles business owner and founder of the Rescue Riders program and Biker4Biker, a not-for-profit group that works to coordinate fund-raising efforts for area motorcyclists and their families in need of help.

According to Patrick DeMoon, Kane County MRC Coordinator, “This run was an ideal way to test the MRC Rescue Riders on their knowledge of first aid and emergency preparedness, as well as having a good time doing it.”

DeMoon, familiar with the many charitable events in which bikers participate, approached Akey with the idea of taking advantage of the enhanced mobility of the motorcycle in a variety of ways during natural or man-made disasters.

Several of the Rescue Riders participated in the inaugural first aid/CPR training classes held in October. On the day of the event, the bikers did not know beforehand where the sites were located. Further, the riders’ maps indicated where they could not ride because of “roads closed due to disaster,” so they needed to figure out their routes throughout the County as if main roads were not passable. Bundled up against the cold, the bikers took off in pairs to begin the exercise. At the various sites, MRC volunteers provided scenarios for the riders to work through.

At one site a volunteer played the part of a seriously injured victim with fake “wounds” and realistic make-up. The second site tested the rider’s knowledge on pandemic flu preparedness. At the next stop ,psychological first aid was reviewed. The Fox River Chapter of the American Red Cross supported the event and used one of their mannequins to demonstrate the technique for stopping severe bleeding. On completion of each test they were given a map to the next site, and they selected a playing card. At the end of the day the biker with the best poker playing hand won an emergency preparedness-related prize. In total, three prizes were awarded. This event was fun for the riders, but more importantly, it demonstrated that they did indeed learn from their initial MRC training sessions.

"These folks really think out of the box," Akey said. "I think we have a perfect public/private relationship."