Call To Medics, Herbalists, Healers & Educators!
Friendly hello from Finger Lakes Action Medics & Educators.
We have been busy planning medical for this year’s Round River Rendezvous, taking place in NW Pennsylvania. Our plan is to have a well stocked and staffed Medic tent with a fairly comprehensive herbal clinic. Adjacent to this will be to a more encompassing wellness area complete with tea, massage therapists & a library. The wellness center will also include a space for hosting workshops relevant to health & wellness in movement organizing.
Throughout the week-long event, and especially for the end-of-week action, we want to make sure to have adequate Street medics.
Call To Medics, Herbalists, Healers & Educators!
This is where you come in!
Specifically we are looking for herbalists with first aid experience, folks with wilderness training/experience, folks with mental health or Icarus project experience, massage therapists, street medics, etc…
Some other roles include, setting up Medic area, helping staff Medic tent, folks to lead workshops, people to run at the action and post Rondy clean-up.
If you are interested in working in this space, please look over our code of conduct (attached bellow) and get in touch! It will be super helpful to know who is coming, what your background is and what supplies you plan on bringing with you.
about the Rondy.
And don’t hesitate to write.
Thanks,
Greg
Finger Lakes Action Medics & Educators
Code of Ethics- Modified from OWS Street Medic Team
1. We do no harm. We make every reasonable effort to give treatment that can not negatively affect the health or well-being of our patients. If no such treatment is available, we take no action.
In the event of an emergency: This will be a wilderness situation (over an hour from definitive care). In such a case, we defer treatment to the people with the most experience, highest levels of care, and providers who have up to date certification in wilderness protocol. Additionally we will practice Informed Consent (doing our best to make sure patients and their friends are as aware of risks as possible) and Harm Reduction (Taking actions to improve a situation).
2. We work only within our own individual scope of practice, while trusting and respecting the abilities of the other medics in their work – we do not impose ourselves upon the care being offered by other medics. We explicitly inform patients of our own qualifications and limitations.
3. We obtain clear and explicit consent from our patients and anyone affected for every action we take as medics, including any physical contact or performing any procedure. If a patient in an emergency situation is unable to offer consent for treatment, as through a lack of consciousness, we strive to take whatever action we believe is most essential to their well-being. We respect all patients’ right to refuse any treatment or transport to any medical facility.
4. We maintain our work areas as Safer Spaces, and actively challenge the perpetuation of any form of social domination or oppression. This includes, but is not at all limited to sexism, racism, transphobia,ableism, classism, ageism, and any other institutional oppression. We cultivate an awareness of our own privilege and work to create a welcoming, safe and comfortable space for all, while calling out any actions of other medics that perpetuate oppression.
5. We respect and actively protect the privacy of our patients and the confidentiality of their treatment to the greatest extent possible. We do not allow photography, videography, audio recording, or any other non-private record of our patients’ care without their explicit consent.
6. We practice exceptional sanitation and hygiene in our work as medics and in our working areas. This includes using appropriate protocols of Bodily Substance Isolation (BSI) in caring for patients through gloves and other means, as well as thoroughly washing and/or sanitizing hands, surfaces, supplies and containers when they may be contaminated, even imperceptibly. We thoroughly wash and/or sanitize our hands immediately after using the restroom, and immediately before touching any medical supplies or patients. If a medic suspects that they may currently host any readily transmissible disease, they do not act as a medic until the risk of transmission is abated. If we are unable to take such measures, we do not take any action that would require them.
7. We maintain a continuity of care for all of our patients. We do not leave or cease caring for any patient until a treatment is completed, except to transfer the patient’s care to another medic of equal or greater qualification – or to provide immediate and urgent care to a different patient in dire need, when no other assistance is available.
8. We organize ourselves horizontally, without institutional hierarchies of command, experience, ability or level of involvement. Every medic has equal power in all decisions affecting them.
9. When acting as medics, we remain tactically neutral. The only role of a marked medic is to provide care for the injured or ill – we do not attempt to direct the actions or personal choices of anyone else for any tactical or political purpose.
10. While working as a medic, we present ourselves with a positive and calm attitude. While on duty, our interactions with patients, other medics, and passers-by are guided by trust, respect and solidarity, in the same way that those qualities are essential to our own standing in the community. Rather than telling others to do something, we ask them to do it. Patients in our care are treated respectfully and are spoken to or with, not at. We do not gossip about or judge any patients in our care.
11. We all benefit from an orderly, clean working space, and we all contribute to keeping it in that condition. If we re-organize any materials in a medical space, we make every reasonable effort to inform the other medics of those changes.
12. We do not use intoxicating substances while on duty, and we do not tolerate the use of intoxicants or smoked tobacco in any medical space.
13. We are all capable of learning and improving our skills, and we all can make mistakes. Each of us remains accountable to any guidance or correction, and we receive the input or critique of other medics respectfully, with good faith that our common goal is to provide the best care possible.
14. We present ourselves as medics only when we are emotionally, physically, and mentally prepared to engage in that work. We should check in with ourselves frequently to make sure this is the case. Don’t be afraid to take a break. If someone suggests that to you, take it seriously. Also don’t be afraid to ask someone to take a step back if that seems appropriate.
15. Our behavior is accountable to this code of conduct. Should we wish to act outside of the principles in this code, we remove markings and clearly step out of our role beforehand. If any medic acts outside of this code, they may be accountable to the other medics and the community at large.