When Tragedy Strikes

You’re out to dinner with your family and the man at the table next you to starts choking. You’re walking into the mall and you notice a woman on the ground who is unconscious. Or worse, you’re sitting in church and all of a sudden you hear what sounds like firecrackers. In each of these scenarios, would you know what to do?
If you don’t have a clue as to how you would respond, you now have the opportunity to take action. JDX (formerly Patrick’s Uniforms and Gun Range) and Liberty Firearm Training are teaming up to offer lifesaving training that could change the way you respond to an emergency situation. “Gone are the days where people’s mentality can be, ‘I’m not going to think about it’, you have to be responsible,” said Jack Tripp, chief operations officer, Liberty Firearm Training.
Responsibility comes with ensuring you’re properly trained to handle an emergency situation. One of the basic courses taught through the JDX and Liberty Firearm Training partnership is CPR and basic trauma first aid. Tom DeMaio is a trainer with Liberty Firearm and teaches students what to do if someone isn’t breathing. “You’re the most important person on the scene because you’ve had the training,” coaches DeMaio. Students receive instruction in JDX’s classroom facility, and then get hands-on with a mannequin. Some of the other course instruction includes learning the Heimlich Maneuver and how to stop bleeding.
JDX owner Jon Hartley recently had all of his employees complete the training. “I think our country needs more people who can help,” said Hartley. “Whether that’s helping in an emergency, or helping someone hold a door open. We’ve kind of lost that touch with each other.”
It’s not just about the basics, JDX and Liberty Firearm Training offer high-level training to citizens. A recent home defense course was a huge success. In this class, participants are taught how to protect themselves in their homes; what emergency supplies you need to have and where to place them; and where to safely store your guns, especially if you have children in the home.
Other high-level training offered includes gun safety and active shooter response. Courses that are sadly becoming more necessary.
In just the past three months, our country has witnessed horrific incidents. In early November, a gunman opened fire inside a Texas Baptist church killing 26 people. A month earlier, a gunman opened fire at a Las Vegas county music festival. Fifty-eight people were killed and more than 540 were injured. In September, a gunman killed a parishioner leaving a Tennessee church before going inside and indiscriminately shooting others.
“The world is becoming violent. It’s important to know what to do if there’s an active shooter, because the likelihood of dealing with a situation is pretty good,” said Tripp.
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