Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/488398
26 UCW APRIL 1-7, 2015 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM My friend Bill was looking for a "broken wing" patch for his vent. The broken wing patch is a badge of honor letting the world know that you have survived a crash. Motorcycling is an inherently dan- gerous sport. Getting hurt comes in many different forms. Simply falling over is a recipe for a broken leg if you hit the ground wrong. On the other hand, you can flip a bike and not even have a scratch. There are many scenarios that result in a motorcycle wreck. If you are alone and something happens, you may or may not be able to get your own help. If you are riding with someone and a friend wrecks, you are the first responder. Expecting for and preparing for the worst benefits everyone. The best preparation starts before you ever get on a bike. My KLIM motorcycle jacket came with a form for an online health questionnaire. Within a couple of weeks, I received a credit-card-like medical card. The jacket has a marked pocket in which you carry the card. The card gives emergency contacts, blood type and allergy information. If your jacket does not have a place for such information, write it down and carry it with you in case you are unable to give the information to medical personnel or the police. The other important piece to the health puzzle is to be sure your medical direc- tives are written down and ensuring someone knows where they are located. Know where you are. Riding off through back country roads is one of my favorite things to do. I love to see old farm houses, wildlife and enjoy the smells along the way. Although I have a smart phone, I can't always count on it. A GPS without a means to call 911 is worthless. For those moments, I use a SPOT transponder. A SPOT is a sub- scription-based satellite locator. The SPOT has several features, but the two most use- ful to a motorcyclist are the S.O.S. and roadside assistance. As long as you or someone else can push a button, you have a view of a satellite. The SPOT employees will notify the local 911 dispatch and get you help pretty darn quick. Knowing first aid and having a good understanding of medical trauma could be critical to saving a life. If you have never had first aid training, you should seek out a class. You can find classes at www.redcross.org or check your local fire department for recommendations. A bad motorcycle accident (or any other trauma) could require split-second decisions. On a motorcycle, broken bones can happen. Medical training and some good selective first aid supplies and a very cool head make it easier to make all of the demanding decisions. Various medical training courses will teach you the "ABCs" of first aid. The "ABCs" and variations of that acronym are initial mnemonics for essential steps taken by both medical professionals and lay persons (such as first aiders) when your are dealing with a patient. In its original form, it stands for air- way, breathing and circulation. If you happen to be around when a friend goes down, knowing his or her medi- cal information is very important. Knowing the ABCs is a good place to start, but for a motorcycle crash, you probably need to know more; depending on your loca- tion and situation. Having a good first aid kit is a great idea. Most motorcyclists carry tools to fix their bikes but will not take anything for a medical situation. I usually carry some type of compression bandage, a lung puncture patch (in case of a stick going through my body while riding in the woods) and an assortment of other things, depending on where we are riding. On my trip to the Arctic Circle last year, I think I took everything including a small surgery kit. There, it could take several hours (or days) to get medical help. On that trip, not only did I take a good medical kit, I took a ton of medication. Everything from aspirin to antibiotics to pain killers. If you are alone and break your arm, you may have to ride to find help. If so, it is good to have some kind of splint. If you break a finger (or fingers), keep your gloves on. Duct tape fixes all kinds of things, but in a medical emergency you may need to use it to fix yourself. If you are riding with a friend and they wreck, you will probably need to know how to do more than just call 911. My buddy and I often ride off road. He knows how to use my SPOT device in case I go down. However, before I started carrying a SPOT, he knew what to do if I wrecked. We know to mark the location in our GPS before going to get help so we can find our way back. You cannot plan for everything but you can certainly stack the odds in your favor. Knowing first aid and carrying some good supplies is an investment in life. The best way to avoid buying a broken wing patch is to ride safe and keep your bike upright. If there is a topic that you would like to discuss you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@ aol.com. RIDE SAFE! JIM JONES, Motorcycle Enthusiast, Contributing Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@ upandcomingweekly.com. Broken Wings by JIM JONES THIRSTY THURSDAYS $1.00 Off all drinks 4624 BRAGG BLVD. APRIL 11 • NC BUFFALO SOLDIERS M/C OF FAYETTEVILLE 5TH ANNUAL PONY EXPRESS CHARITY RIDE at Fort Bragg Harley Davidson, 3950 Sycamore Dairy Rd. Fayetteville, NC. This is a charity motorcycle ride, police escorted, to raise funds to benefit the community. Registration 9:30 a.m. Kickstands-up 10:30 a.m. $15 Riders and $5 passenger. Food/ Refreshments/Door Prizes. For more information call 910-494- 4513. APRIL 25 • NAM KNIGHTS OF AMERICA MC "TARHEEL CHAPTER" CLUBHOUSE in Spring Lake. Food. Music. Gates open 4 p.m. Call 910-514-8614 for information. MAY 2 • 5TH ANNUAL HOME GROWN HEROES/FALLEN OFFICER MEMORIAL RIDE Sign in at 8 a.m., kickstands up 9:45 a.m. Rain or shine event. All bikes back by 1 p.m. $20 per operator. $15 per passenger. Preregister at www.fayettevillencblueknightsXII. org. MAY 9 • TORCH RUN CHARITY RIDE Retired Military Association Bldg. Parking Lot. Registration and breakfast begin at 8 a.m. Ride begins at 9:30 a.m.$15.00 per rider or passenger. Price covers ride, breakfast and lunch. Rain Date: Saturday, May 16. For more information, call 824- 4208. PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse group of patriots from every state that come together to honor fallen soldiers at funeral services across the country. Visit www.patriotguard.org for more information about the group. national award-winning barbecue BIKE NIGHTS • LIVE MUSIC • CATERING CRAFT BEERS, MICROBREWS & ALES 482 N. McPhersoN church rd. | 910-354-2590 | MacsPeedshoP.coM