DSA Mid Atlantic S. Medic Training
Donation protected
After the fascist terror attacks against the residents of Charlottesville in August, and repeated police harassment and targeting of local left activists, medic collectives in the Mid Atlantic South have been overwhelmed with requests for training and medic support. The need for their critical skills has reached the point where they have been unable to pause active medic support long enough to provide medic trainings, especially for groups with access to significant resources such as DSA.
To help meet this pressing need, Richmond DSA has invited DSA Medics to provide a training in December 2017 to help DSA chapters from the region get the skills they need to help keep their members as safe as can be in the struggles to come.
This training will be open to 20 members of DSA from chapters across the Mid Atlantic South including Metro DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Members from oppressed communities will be given top priority but anyone interested can apply. Members from other regions with significant immediate safety concerns will be considered if there are slots available.
The training will be conducted by Chicago DSA Rapid Response Working Group street medics and trainers from Chicago Action Medical.
Materials and supplies provided as part of this training will include:
• A DSA medic handbook
• A BDS compliant standard trauma kit
• A first aid medic bag
• Patches to readily identify trained DSA medics
Our trained medics will also have the benefit of the following developments:
• A DSA standard trauma kit that reduces training time for medics and preps each medic to deal with gunshot wounds and other penetrating traumas;
• A DSA medic training curricula that includes first aid but also activist support, sexual assault victim advocacy training, and training to support POC, LGBTQ, and disabled DSA members in their political work;
• A psychological mass casualty training module that will be the first in the country for protest medics, developed with input from DSA Veteran’s working group and Chicago Action Medical street medics who were present at Charlottesville to ensure victims of political terror are not vulnerable immediately in the aftermath of an attack or are left alone to deal with resulting mental health scars;
• Training in self care and medic support to provide the same kind of service that was provided to the DSA national convention this August in the form of health and wellness support for the various physical and psychological injuries sustained during DSA’s increasingly large political events.
Our Funding Goals
We have an immediate goal and a stretch goal.
Our immediate goal is $3,000. This amount will cover supplies and materials for 20 DSA medic trainees, and it will fund travel for 3 trainers from out of state.
Our stretch goal is $5,000. This amount will provide the same materials, supplies and training access to chapters across the country -- especially chapters with significant safety and security concerns such as the Appalachians, the South East, the Deep South, the South West, and the North West. (We are already in preliminary talks with Midwest, Los Angeles and Bay Area DSA chapters about conducting more trainings across the country!)
How to Apply
This training is limited to 20 spots, and it is open to DSA members from chapters across the Mid Atlantic South, including Metro DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Members from oppressed communities will be given top priority, as well as members with prior medical background, event de-escalation, or combat vet experience. We are also prioritizing training DSA POC, LGBTQ members as they have been historically targeted by police and vigilante violence. Members from other regions with significant immediate safety concerns will be considered if there are slots available.
Important: The application deadline is November 22nd.
You can apply using this form: https://goo.gl/forms/HL3leDEsz6HAjBwE3
Your training and the materials described above will be provided to you, but you’ll be responsible for making your own travel arrangements. If you’ll need a place to stay during the training, we’ll match you up with a member of Richmond DSA.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Why is this training limited to members of DSA chapters in the Mid Atlantic South?
A: As we tragically saw in Charlottesville, there is an urgent need for medic training in this region. With our first class of 20 comrades we are creating a group of people who can take what they learn back to their home chapters, and build capacity across the region. (And, to be sure, we will be conducting subsequent trainings across the country in the near future!)
Q: Is national DSA providing funding for this training?
A: At this time, national DSA is not providing funding for this training. This is for a variety of reasons, including the current state of flux of the national training budget. We hope to secure funding from national for our future medic trainings.
Q: I’m concerned with how donations to national DSA for the Charlottesville victims were handled. How is this going to be different?
A: A considerable amount of money was donated to national DSA to benefit Charlottesville victims, but unfortunately, the disbursement of those donations has been significantly delayed. To avoid this happening for this training, all donations will go through Chicago DSA. Chicago DSA is unique among DSA chapters in that they are financially independent of national DSA, and can raise and disburse funds at its own discretion. Our comrades in Chicago will make all donated funds available immediately as we prepare for the training.
To help meet this pressing need, Richmond DSA has invited DSA Medics to provide a training in December 2017 to help DSA chapters from the region get the skills they need to help keep their members as safe as can be in the struggles to come.
This training will be open to 20 members of DSA from chapters across the Mid Atlantic South including Metro DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Members from oppressed communities will be given top priority but anyone interested can apply. Members from other regions with significant immediate safety concerns will be considered if there are slots available.
The training will be conducted by Chicago DSA Rapid Response Working Group street medics and trainers from Chicago Action Medical.
Materials and supplies provided as part of this training will include:
• A DSA medic handbook
• A BDS compliant standard trauma kit
• A first aid medic bag
• Patches to readily identify trained DSA medics
Our trained medics will also have the benefit of the following developments:
• A DSA standard trauma kit that reduces training time for medics and preps each medic to deal with gunshot wounds and other penetrating traumas;
• A DSA medic training curricula that includes first aid but also activist support, sexual assault victim advocacy training, and training to support POC, LGBTQ, and disabled DSA members in their political work;
• A psychological mass casualty training module that will be the first in the country for protest medics, developed with input from DSA Veteran’s working group and Chicago Action Medical street medics who were present at Charlottesville to ensure victims of political terror are not vulnerable immediately in the aftermath of an attack or are left alone to deal with resulting mental health scars;
• Training in self care and medic support to provide the same kind of service that was provided to the DSA national convention this August in the form of health and wellness support for the various physical and psychological injuries sustained during DSA’s increasingly large political events.
Our Funding Goals
We have an immediate goal and a stretch goal.
Our immediate goal is $3,000. This amount will cover supplies and materials for 20 DSA medic trainees, and it will fund travel for 3 trainers from out of state.
Our stretch goal is $5,000. This amount will provide the same materials, supplies and training access to chapters across the country -- especially chapters with significant safety and security concerns such as the Appalachians, the South East, the Deep South, the South West, and the North West. (We are already in preliminary talks with Midwest, Los Angeles and Bay Area DSA chapters about conducting more trainings across the country!)
How to Apply
This training is limited to 20 spots, and it is open to DSA members from chapters across the Mid Atlantic South, including Metro DC, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Members from oppressed communities will be given top priority, as well as members with prior medical background, event de-escalation, or combat vet experience. We are also prioritizing training DSA POC, LGBTQ members as they have been historically targeted by police and vigilante violence. Members from other regions with significant immediate safety concerns will be considered if there are slots available.
Important: The application deadline is November 22nd.
You can apply using this form: https://goo.gl/forms/HL3leDEsz6HAjBwE3
Your training and the materials described above will be provided to you, but you’ll be responsible for making your own travel arrangements. If you’ll need a place to stay during the training, we’ll match you up with a member of Richmond DSA.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Why is this training limited to members of DSA chapters in the Mid Atlantic South?
A: As we tragically saw in Charlottesville, there is an urgent need for medic training in this region. With our first class of 20 comrades we are creating a group of people who can take what they learn back to their home chapters, and build capacity across the region. (And, to be sure, we will be conducting subsequent trainings across the country in the near future!)
Q: Is national DSA providing funding for this training?
A: At this time, national DSA is not providing funding for this training. This is for a variety of reasons, including the current state of flux of the national training budget. We hope to secure funding from national for our future medic trainings.
Q: I’m concerned with how donations to national DSA for the Charlottesville victims were handled. How is this going to be different?
A: A considerable amount of money was donated to national DSA to benefit Charlottesville victims, but unfortunately, the disbursement of those donations has been significantly delayed. To avoid this happening for this training, all donations will go through Chicago DSA. Chicago DSA is unique among DSA chapters in that they are financially independent of national DSA, and can raise and disburse funds at its own discretion. Our comrades in Chicago will make all donated funds available immediately as we prepare for the training.
Organizer
Matthew Malinowski
Organizer
Richmond, VA