emergency response ~ accidents don't happen pt. 4

Previously on "Accidents Don't Happen . . . . 

1. accidents don't happen, they are caused . . .
2. accidents don't happen - pt 2 - learn from this!
3. the drop heard round the world - accidents don't happen - pt. 3

PART 4 / Grande Finale - When it comes to issues like safety, first aid, accident prevention, emergency preparedness, and even plain old individual responsibility, my personal perspective comes from a history as a solo backpacker and mountaineer.  Backpacking without a partner isn't an inherently unsafe activity, but it's not an inherently safe one either.

Solo hiking is a different beast than backpacking with a group, as there's far less margin for error when heading into the wilderness alone.  Deliberately seeking remote canyons and mountain valleys, I had to know in advance what to do in case of emergency, how to react instinctively, as I often could find myself in situations where I could not count on outside assistance of any kind.  This was especially true in an age before GPS devices and satellite phones.

I think mine was the 2nd Edition 

I studied medical textbooks and tomes.  I nearly memorized Wilkerson's Medicine for Mountaineering.  I honestly believe I educated myself to a level equal to or greater than necessary to become a First Responder or EMT.  I'd lay awake at night imagining wilderness emergencies I might encounter, then devise not only one potential response, but also an alternative, just in case the primary response was unavailable or somehow untenable.

So my outlook on this topic is fairly strict, it might almost be considered extreme.  Accidents don't happen, they are caused!  And, the only really good response to most potential accidents is proper planning, careful consideration, and good judgement. It is absolutely essential to to avoid the accident altogether.

That may sound extreme, but consider the alternatives for a solo backpacker . . . If I screwed up and got hurt, the ONLY thing I could do was to treat whatever injuries had occurred, make sure I was stable, and wait.

Imagine, if you will, a broken ankle two days into a week long trip.  As long as the injury itself wasn't life threatening (no bone protruding through the skin or major blood loss) the best thing I could do was sit in agony for another week, or even longer. When my failure to complete my itinerary was noticed, the alarm would eventually be sounded, and rescue would be initiated.  As long as I had stayed on course, keeping to the itinerary posted with forest or park rangers, I'd be found and saved, eventually.

Facing such prospects, you can well imagine why I stress preventing emergencies so very strongly.  At best the alternative could be crippling agony, and a serious fuck up could likely prove to be fatal.  I might have been a bit of a risk taker in my youth, but they were always measured risks, I had no death wish.

So, lest I personally begin to sound strident and overbearing in my strong cautions about emergency preparedness, I've decided to spend the majority of the rest of this post quoting another source and author on the topic of  BDSM emergencies.

Here are what I consider to be the three main salient points when dealing with BDSM emergencies, all quoted from  Jay Wiseman's Toybag Guide to Dungeon Emergencies and Supplies.

1. Emergencies hit with incredible, stunning force, and can seem to strip away all your resources to leave you naked and terrified in a very not-good way. Thus, it is very wise to over-prepare a bit. This is true because we tend to lose touch with how severe emergencies are. What often happens is that preparations that seem overdone to the point of bordering on paranoia turn out to be just barely adequate during an actual emergency, while lesser "more reasonable" preparations fail. 
2. Emergencies that cause harm within seconds can basically only be dealt with by prevention. For example, substantial harm could result within seconds if a person in suspension bondage were to fall from a significant height. Intervening while they are falling is not realistically possible, and caring for the resultant harm after the fall occurs may not help too much, so while preventing harm is essentially always the best approach, preventing harm is especially important in this type of emergency. 
3. The goal of all emergency care. One word: stabilize. The goal of all emergency care is to turn a dangerous, unstable situation into a stable, safe situation. Thus, in all emergencies, the question becomes - what needs to happen to stabilize this situation, and how can I appropriately help accomplish that? 

I could give a long discourse, write at great length, about the many ways the "suspension drop" incident was handled incorrectly.  But, to a great extent, I'd be flogging a dead horse, and I much prefer to use my whips, canes, and other "implements of instruction" on live squirming submissives.  Ya know what I mean?

With that in mind, I'll only impose one further point of my own.

1. If someone suffers a serious fall, whether in the world of Shibari, BDSM, or anywhere else in your life, PLEASE think about one thing before you act.   REMEMBER - any potential spinal injury can be paralyzing, and when applying first aid, your responsibility is the same as a Doctor's - FIRST DO NO HARM!  As long as your victim is stable, and there's no immediate life threatening injury, please do not move them!  Instead, immediately call for, and then wait for professionals to respond.  Follow any direction given to you by emergency responders over the phone.  

Thank you for your patience, my dear reader, as I have now completed my discourse on this topic, and will now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Fin

the drop heard round the world - accidents don't happen - pt. 3

I'd rather not be accused of flogging dead equines, I'd rather be found whipping pony girls to be honest (and wouldn't that make a great bumper sticker - "I'd rather be whipping my pony girl!") but there's still more story to be told in order to present a truly full and balanced picture of the suspension accident where BDSM personality, educator, and author, Midori dropped an individual onto a hard cement floor.

I've taken to calling the incident "the drop heard round the world" as I understand the accident has been the topic of more than a little ongoing discussion and controversy across the globe.  It's a phrase I've co-opted from history books, as the "shot heard round the world" was the precursor to First World War.  It's not a perfect analogy, but it's close enough to be a fairly apt description.

In the first and second installments of this sad story, we read a statement by Midori about the accident, I editorialized about the extreme importance of safety, and I also editorialized about being trained and prepared for emergencies before they happen.  For this third installment, I'm going to re-post a public statement from Mistress Tokyo, the individual who was dropped:

Hi A/all,
I’d like to make a public statement regarding the suspension bondage accident between Midori and myself while performing a show for the Uber Cabaret on Oct 2nd 2011, Sydney Australia.
I feel the need for a formal statement regarding this incident to silence any factual inaccuracies regarding what actually happened. I’d also like to communicate my sentiments about how the incident transpired and my feelings about my personal involvement.
What happened fact by fact is thus; I was tied by Midori in suspension bondage as a human puppet. Midori tied a slipknot on my sole load bearing suspension line, causing me to fall out of suspension onto the bare concrete floor. Thanks to luck, I fell in such a way that the full force of the fall was distributed relatively evenly. Unfortunately, due to the fact that my hands were tied up, I was not able to shield my head from slamming into the ground at full force. On witnessing my fall Midori failed to check in with me, either verbally or physically, and continued with the show. I was in shock at the time, but I believe we continued the show until it was apparent I was bleeding from the head. Upon this, Midori assisted me off stage.
My chin took the brunt of the impact of the fall, resulting in a deep inch long cut. I went to hospital and received three stitches. Cone beam CT scans resolved I had sustained no serious damage to my head, neck or jaw. My front teeth in my lower jaw have been slightly re-arranged, I’ve clicking in my right jaw joint and a permanent facial scar. Essentially, I got off lightly. I can report that Midori has paid my medical expenses. I credit my years of Aikido and Jyujitsu training in break and high falling with saving my neck.
Personally, I strongly feel how this accident was dealt with showed how suspension bondage accidents SHOULD NOT be managed. I feel this situation purveyed the worst response that could be offered in reaction to a potentially grave accident. Additionally, I’d like to distance myself, both personally and professionally, from how this incident was dealt with.
I’m a professional Mistress with my own private studio based in Sydney with over 12yrs experience, both locally and overseas. Privately, I’m an experienced bondage switch. I’ve attended workshops and/or been privately trained by Osada Steve, Kinoko Hajime, Arisue Go, Esinem, Satomi Tokyo Love Doll, Lee Harrington and Midori. Professionally, I specialize in heavy and suspension bondage. I intermittently run workshops in Sydney on a variety of BDSM topics, inclusive of Shibari inspired rope bondage. I run an invite-only Queer female-identified/expressed rope group. Personally, I am a deeply passionate player at ends to scene SSC, purvey RACK and also to see these things demonstrated by others. I also do occasional First Aid volunteer work at rural alternative lifestyle festivals.
The potential for human mistake in scenes is an unfortunate aspect of risky activities with consequences we must bear. This element is forgivable. It is how we deal with our mistakes though, that proves who we are. This is correct irrespective as to whether the situation is a private scene, professional session or public performance.
I find it unconscionable a Dominant/Top would not check in with a sub/bottom during an accident. I find it equally unthinkable a Top might choose to down-prioritize a bottom’s medical and emotional health for any reason. Neither of these two things constitute safe, sane play. I also believe a Top who can’t hold their own space emotionally during a worst case scenario incident is not a safe player.
I believe care of the bottom is the most important precept in a scene. I believe if a Top cannot completely support a scene they should not undertake it. I also believe that it is only human instinct that, if misadventure occurs, the bottom’s needs are immediately responded to in a manner that holds their medical and emotional safety foremost. I cannot explain why this care was not delivered to me. For me, this is a necessary and vital constituent of any safe, sane and consensual BDSM play.
Sincerely,
Mistress Tokyo 

As you've just read, there appear to be some pretty strong (and hard) feelings about this accident. I hate to say it, but these kind of feelings are almost inevitable when there's an accident, and kind of accident.

When there is an accident of any type in our lives, whether at work or at play, hard feelings, ill will, and animosity are common emotions to feel.  I've been involved in a recreational accident (non BDSM related), and I've witnessed others, it's tough stuff.

In the case of some kind of drop or fall, the question most of us ask upon impact would be some version of the phrase, "What the fuck happened?"

Naturally, the next thing we'd all wonder is, "Am I going to be ok?"

That's quickly followed by, "How the hell did this happen?" or perhaps "What did I do to deserve this?"   It's my experience that the latter is a more common response in abuse survivors.

Everything I'm describing here happens in a matter of moments.  Over longer periods of time accident victims go through a whole myriad of emotions above and beyond the quick simplistic responses I've described.  Every one of these emotions is somewhere between difficult to agonizing to experience.  Experiencing an accident will at best challenge us, and at worst it will change us is ways we'd not like to imagine.

When a person feels as though they've caused an accident, or allowed it to happen through inattention, they will inevitably feel the full range of doubt, regret, and remorse expressed by Midori in her statement.

There are other impacts too.  An accident of this sort has the potential to impact the willingness of promoters and venues to host similar future events, for simple liability reasons.  Who knows, it might have an impact on insurance rates for events too.  I don't hope any of that happens, but logic says it could happen.

In the end, after hearing both Midori and Mistress Tokyo comment on the accident, I know we can say for sure that the incident was regrettable, that it might have been prevented, and that it was also handled in a less than optimum fashion.  I also know that all parties involved need heeling.  And for that reason, I do ask that we all remember both Mistress Tokyo and Midori in our thoughts, wishes and prayers.

Healing energy to all, and to all a good night (for now . . . )

accidents don't happen - pt 2 - learn from this!

Midori

Yesterday, in a post called "accidents don't happen, they are caused," I started reporting on an incident where a well known bondage personality and instructor (Midori) dropped a submissive from suspension bondage onto a cement floor.  Yes, I editorialized too, as safety issues are very important for the BDSM community to address, and it seems as though this particular accident should have been avoidable.

Serafina, who often hears my writing as a work in progress when I read portions aloud, was actually a little disappointed in the version I posted.  While editing my piece before posting, I removed or reworded portions of my writing that seemed overtly angry.  Serafina felt that the version I posted was more balanced and professional in it's tone, but that it lacked the passion and impact of the voice I'd used when first writing a post on the topic.

This isn't a topic where it's easy to maintain journalistic balance.  I've been a fan of Midori's work for a long time.  As I said in the original post on this topic, I've wanted to take one of her workshops and to meet her in person.  As an avid reader, I've also purchased all her books as soon as they are published.  I think Midori's a great writer, her passion, thoughtful attitude, and obvious love of the fetish world make her one of my favorites.

Because I've always felt a sort of affection (perhaps even admiration) for Midori, I took news of her failure more personally than I might have had the same accident happened to a different personality from BDSM realms.  In retrospect, I might have felt less passion had the news been about someone I didn't respect as much.

Commenting directly on the posting in it's original location, I said:

Why did this bondage fail?
How could this accident have been prevented?
Aren't those the questions we should be asking, instead of worrying about damage control, which is what inevitably happens after any accident . . .
Knowing what to do when there is an emergency is fine and everything, but it belabors the real point that should be made - Accidents like this aren't inevitable, they are caused by human error.
Instead of concentrating on how to react in emergencies, the focus should be on emergency prevention. An ounce of prevention, after all, is worth at least a pound of cure! 

Mistakes were made.  A great number of things have been damaged, not just one individual's physical well being and another's reputation.  The emotional impact this will have on directly involved parties is immeasurable, and it's going to have an impact on the entire BDSM community too.

I do still believe that accident prevention is far more important than accident response, but a solid night's sleep and some dispassionate thought on the subject has helped me to realize the importance of also discussing some more appropriate responses to potential disasters of this kind.  When mistakes are made, lessons can be learned, let's not let the suffering this accident will inevitably cause be for naught . . .

There are many lessons to be taken home from this accident.  In addition to stressing the importance of accident prevention, it should also be emphasized that the time to learn proper emergency response technique is long before an accident ever happens.  CPR, first aid, and basic emergency response training are all essential parts of being a good citizen in any community, and that's especially true in the BDSM world.

(to be continued)