On the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, University faculty and students are using their own experience with tragedy to educate the public.
In April, Athletic Program Director Ray Castle and a group of students including athletic training senior Brendan Jacob and athletic training junior Derek Carter watched in horror as two bombs exploded during the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring hundreds of others.
As a first responder on the scene, Castle described his experience as a hectic struggle to reach each injured person quickly and give them the medical attention they need before moving on to the next victim.
His medical expertise was extremely important in helping the wounded people at the marathon. Though he had suffered a major injury to his knee, Castle said he was trained to run toward the injured. However, Castle said by the time he got over the fence there were already spectators and family doing whatever they could to help the fallen.
“We walked into an urban war zone,” Castle said, describing the scene.
Since the bombing, Castle has started talking to first responders across Louisiana about what can be done quickly in high pressure, “mass casualty” situations.
Castle spoke in Shreveport on the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to discuss moving forward after traumatic events
And he’s not alone.
Jacob and Carter have teamed up to create a two-step program called Tiger Hearts to educate student athletes and the general public about how to respond in a potentially life threatening situation.
Tiger Hearts teaches people to recognize the problem, call 911 and begin chest compressions in cardiac situations. Though the project is in its infancy, Jacob and Carter are working with the American Heart Association to follow the protocol for basic cardiac care education in the program.
Carter said they will begin educating student athletes first so they know how to respond in traumatic situations. Jacob said they will eventually make a short instructional video to be shown at different sporting events to educate the general public so others can learn what to do in a life-threatening situation.
“You have to always think three steps ahead and no one will fall behind,” Carter said.
Carter said the program also reinforces that anything can happen at any time, and everyone needs to be prepared for the worst.
“You have to always think three steps ahead and no one will fall behind.”