Designed & created by
Gavin Wright
Terms & Conditions 59 Balliol Close, Peterlee, Co.Durham, England. SR8 2NX e-mail
The Handling of Gunshot Patients from the EMS Perspective
- an introduction
I was wondering what to say about this book but then I thought why not use the words
of the preface. It was written by the only dual trained paramedic/policeman in the
whole of sub-Saharan Africa.
Violent crime is on the increase year on year, whether
one wants to acknowledge it or not. What is of even greater concern is the fact that
there is an increase in the number of firearm related violent crimes, be it armed
robberies where the firearm was used as a ‘bargaining tool’ or the act of intentionally
killing a person. The mere fact that the United Kingdom has one of the lowest gunshot
rates per capita in the world is little short of a miracle, especially when one considers
that the gunshot rate for the London area for a year is equal to the gunshot rate
of certain suburbs of Cape Town for a weekend.
I met Gavin Wright approximately 13 months ago when he first came to South Africa to obtain research for this book, ‘THE EMS AND THE HANDLING OF GUNSHOT PATIENTS – an introduction’.
He had requested to be a passenger on one of the Highway Patrol vehicles and as luck would have it, he landed off with me. Since that time I had the privilege to know him as Gavin the person, Gavin the family man and as Gavin the researcher and writer. As for Gavin’s family, all I can say is, you have a wonderful husband and father who obviously is as dedicated to you, his family, as what he was to this book.
The purpose of this book is, as the title explains, an introduction to the EMS personnel, not the alpha and the omega of management and handling of gunshot patients. The book layout has been specifically designed to give the reader a basic understanding of ballistics, as well as the workings of different groups of firearms. Included is a chapter pertaining to the preservation of forensic evidence for when the Police are not yet at the scene. This can make the difference between preserving evidence and saving a life at the same time, as opposed to destroying evidence and wasting a life.
A book of this nature is not only of value to EMS personnel but also to members of the Police Forces/Services as it has specific relevance to the Forensic concerns pertaining to ballistics as well as the preservation of evidence. I am sure that personnel from both the Police and EMS will have a better understanding of each others functions once they have read this book.
Alfred James van der Westhuizen
Paramedic / Inspector
South African Police Service
Emergency Services Highway Patrol Unit
Cape Town
