Biker training and deployment project 2020.
For most bikers, community projects and the support of the weak in our society is very close to our hearts. Unfortunately not all of us have the required experience, boldness or training to make an effective, lasting impact in the areas that need it the most.
In the first 2 months of this year, 2020, 17 school children died under abnormal circumstances. In each case, teams of trauma counselors have been dispatched to attend to the friends and family of these victims.
There are also reports of mistreatment that take place in old age homes as well as hospitals. People suffering emotional trauma are often alone, afraid and in need of a friend, no special training required for this.
The Life Guards SA program is structured to train Life Guards to respond professionally, quickly and offer the support needed without compromising their own safety, integrity or health.
Working under endorsement of the 9-Council-Alliance
With the permission and endorsement of the local Presidents council, Life Guards SA aims to train one or two bikers in each club to act as a Life Guard within his/her own club and area.
These Life Guards will also be enrolled and registered on the national Life Guards database and published on the Life Guards SA website for easy verification should this be required.
Trained Life Guards will be kept informed of local as well as national and international incidents and may be requested to respond to an incident in their area, if they are available to respond. This key function will bridge the gap between the victim and the immediate need that is so often overlooked and sometimes takes months, years or in some cases never to be addressed.
Basic needs following a traumatic event can range from the following:
- Emergency medical service.
- Police or legal reaction.
- Psychological trauma care.
- Spiritual care.
- Physical care like clean clothes, food or shelter.
- Emotional care – Sometimes a victim just needs someone to be close and not feel lonely.
These needs will be practically met in the following way:
Visiting and building relationships with hospitals, old age homes and schools to connect with people that are subject to emotional trauma.
At Hospitals: Patients that are not visited regularly or terminally ill, will be visited and supported emotionally.
At schools: Different areas of trouble will be identified such as bullying, suicidal teens and victims of abuse. These teens will be visited during school times, at the school and under control and supervision of a school representative such as a teacher. With special permission, a weekend camp can be arranged to take troubled teens away and work more intensively by means of experiential learning or adventure camp.
Special mass rides or biker presence can be arranged for sporting events or special occasions. This biker awareness program will create a positive attitude towards the biker community and promote participation in Life Guards programs for troubled teens.
At Old age homes: Here the main aim is to establish a relationship between retirement home management staff who can then inform Life Guards of individual elderly people that need special emotional support. All it may take is to spend some time with an elderly person and fill the gap of the lost son/daughter that abandoned them.
During any of the above encounters it may be established that the person/s involved may need more profession help, which can then be arranged or referred to for further care.
Special emergency call outs: At any time, day or night a Life Guard may be called upon to respond to an emergency situation. During training a Life Guard is trained how to professionally deal with these kind of emergencies.
The vision of this Biker project is to have a Life Guards team, consisting of two or more people to be trained in each club that wish to participate, across all 9 Presidential councils in South Africa and then deployed to work in their own club, council and community.
Life Guards that have completed the training will receive the following:
- Life Guards certificate
- Life Guards ID card
- Life Guards SA patch to be worn on his/her club waistcoat or jacket (should this be allowed in your club as some clubs only wear standardized cuts and markings).
- Registration on the Life Guards database and website.
To train a Life Guard will cost R500 per person. This will cover administration, training material, certification, registration as well as the instructor’s traveling allowance.
Each Club may nominate or send as many people they want or need. Should it be in the Clubs financial ability, the training fee may be paid for from the club’s funds, as this member will be called upon when needed in the event of an incident. This member will also represent his/her club when acting on behalf of Life Guards SA.
Quarterly social meetings will be held with all Life Guards, to ensure that they are coping well or are in need of any form of support.
Should a camp, outreach, mass ride or community event be organized, all Life Guards will be invited to take part, although none of these will be compulsory and in line with his/her club’s own calendar.
How to support:
- Nominate and send members of your club for training. Registration can be done online on the Life Guards SA website or sign up at one of the day jol sign-up sheets.
- Sponsor printing of training material, advertising material or embroidery.
- Sponsor admin costs of the Life Guards SA office. Monthly cost to keep this service free to those that cannot afford it, is around R20 000 per month and includes, but not limited to:
- Office rental.
- Phone bill.
- Internet bill.
- Fuel bill.
- Office supplies such as printing.
- Unforeseen expenses such as victim care kits that include clean clothes, woman’s toiletries for rape victims, emergency food rations and blankets.
- We are also in need of a small utility vehicle like a Volkswagen Caddy to collect and deliver needed supplies, transport victims and respond to incidents when it is impossible to reach by motorcycle.
Thank you for taking time to read this document. Your support is the only way we can make an effective and lasting change.