CHAPTER 21 MEDICAL EVACUATION AND TRIP SAFETY

SPARE NO COST

I called for a medical evacuation helicopter to fly her out from the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the fastest way to transport a student to the medical clinic at the South Rim, at the top of the Grand Canyon.

I assigned a parent volunteer, Vee Petrescu, to accompany her on the helicopter and to the medical clinic.  She was our youngest backpacker, only in the 7th grade, but her symptoms  were too serious to consider anything but the fastest medical evacuation option. One of my students asked: "Whose gonna pay for that chopper?" It's easy, they've accepted my credit card!

Turns out she didn't need an appendectomy but her parents were grateful that I spared no expense in keeping their daughter safe. She was experiencing being home sick but still, my philosophy was treat every student like your own child.

When the our Grand Canyon documentary was screened, Valerie and Vee's photographs from the helicopter were by far the most spectacular scenes in the show.

By the end of the semester her family sent me a thank you note telling me their insurance would reimburse my expenses. 

This narrative introduction to field trip safety illuminates for parents my priorities when it comes to the safety of their children. I want them to take away from our parent meeting that no cost will be spared in an emergency.  But the lengths that I go to are less obvious.

Here’s an example:

The last group message just prior to departure is this.

As the First Aid Committee passes the large first aid kit around the circle I say:

The most dangerous, possibly fatal part of the trip is not precipitous cliffs, it’s during the drive.  

“Drivers please step to the center of the circle.”

Then I walk the circle “high 5ing” each student: “You are the insurance against an accident.” Elect a leader to keep watch on the driver’s eyes in the rear view mirror. Your job is to quell any behavior that might lead to a distracted driver.  If a driver has to turn and say “Knock it off.” That moment is the most dangerous moment because the focus is on the back seat, not the road ahead. Until we arrive at basecamp, your job is the wellbeing of the driver.

 

I meet with the drivers in the center of the circle and say:  “Your priority is transport safety. If there is a disturbance, don’t turn to the back seat, instead signal a right lane change, slow and exit at the next offramp. Inform the lead driver that the entire caravan is exiting the freeway. Pull over and stop at a safe place for a circle meeting of the entire group. Kids understand that distracting the driver triggers my requirement that we exit the freeway.

The result: a 36 year near perfect safety record. Once a kid running through the campground twisted an ankle seriously enough to require an x-ray. No broken bone but he missed the next day’s celebration hike staying in camp with his crutches. Near perfect record.