"He who lays the first hands will save a life"

How important are these words? To me, they mean everything.

Not only as a medical provider—but long before I ever entered pre-hospital medicine—I was once just another person in the crowd, standing around someone who was injured and not knowing what to do.

How many times have we seen videos or heard survivors say:

·       “If only someone had helped sooner.”

·       “EMS took a long time to arrive.”

·       Or worse, “I didn’t know what to do.”

These statements should trouble all of us.

So why, in today’s environment, are we not pushing medical training harder?

Why are facilities that have hundreds—or thousands—of people passing through their doors every day not required to have medically trained staff, accessible AEDs, and at a minimum, Stop the Bleed kits?

I’ve walked into brand-new facilities and instinctively looked for AED or first-aid signage—only to find none. When kits do exist, they’re often no more than what you’d find in a bathroom cabinet and completely inadequate for the number of people in the space. AEDs, when present, are frequently locked away, accessible only to key staff, defeating their purpose.

Unfortunately, the world is becoming more dangerous—whether due to ideology, hate, or mental health crises. While we must focus on prevention and personal safety, we also have a responsibility to be prepared to treat the injured when it is safe to do so.

I would like to see a mandate that any establishment with “X” number of occupants:

·       Maintains a minimum of 10% of staff trained in basic medical response

·       Has readily accessible medical kits placed throughout the facility—not just one

·       Installs AEDs in visible, unlocked locations

·       Conducts semi-annual drills and ensures training is maintained, especially after incidents or staffing changes

Large venues—malls, gyms, schools, colleges, and event spaces—should have multiple, strategically placed medical resources, not a single token kit.

Be safe—but let’s also be ready.

No one should die from an injury that was preventable simply because the first hands on scene didn’t know what to do.