DSA Midwest AG Medic Training
Donation protected
Due to increasing organized fascist violence in the midwest at political events, and repeated police harassment and targeting of local left activists, medic collectives in the region have been overwhelmed with requests for training and medic support. The need for their critical skills has reached the point where they have been unable to pause active medic support long enough to provide medic trainings, especially for groups with access to significant resources such as DSA.
To help meet this pressing need, Chicago DSA has invited DSA Medics to provide an affinity group medic (AGM) training in February 2018 to help DSA chapters from our region get the skills they need to help keep their members as safe as can be in the struggles to come.
This training will be open to 20 members of DSA from chapters across the midwest, from Kansas to Ohio. Members from oppressed communities will be given top priority but anyone interested can apply. Members from other regions with significant immediate safety concerns will be considered if there are slots available.
The training will be conducted by Chicago DSA Rapid Response Working Group street medics and trainers from Chicago Action Medical, as well as DSA Medics from across the country.
Materials and supplies provided as part of this training will include:
• A DSA medic handbook
• A BDS compliant standard trauma kit
• A first aid medic bag
• A training patch specific to your region
Our trained medics will also have the benefit of the following developments:
• A DSA standard trauma kit that reduces training time for medics and preps each medic to deal with gunshot wounds and other penetrating traumas;
• A DSA medic training curricula that includes first aid but also activist support, sexual assault victim advocacy training, and training to support POC, LGBTQ, and disabled DSA members in their political work;
• A psychological mass casualty training module that is the first in the country for protest medics, developed with input from DSA Veteran’s working group and street medics who were present at Charlottesville to ensure victims of political terror are not vulnerable immediately in the aftermath of an attack or are left alone to deal with resulting mental health scars;
• Training in self care and medic support to provide the same kind of service that was provided to the DSA National Convention in August 2017 in the form of health and wellness support for the various physical and psychological injuries sustained during DSA’s increasingly large political events.
Our Funding Goals
We have an immediate goal and a stretch goal.
Our immediate goal is $1,500. This amount will cover supplies and materials for 20 DSA affinity group medic trainees, as well as helping to cover travel expenses for trainers coming from outside of Chicago.
Our stretch goal is $2,000. This amount will provide the same materials, supplies and training access to more chapters across the country -- especially chapters with significant safety and security concerns such as the Appalachians, the South East, the Deep South, the South West, and the Mid Atlantic South. (We already have more trainings planned for 2018, including in the Pacific Northwest and the Bay Area!)
How to Apply
This training is limited to 20 spots, and it is open to DSA members from chapters across the midwest, from Kansas to Ohio. Members from oppressed communities will be given top priority, as well as members with prior medical background, event de-escalation, or combat vet experience. We are also prioritizing training DSA POC, LGBTQ members as they have been historically targeted by police and vigilante violence. Members from other regions with significant immediate safety concerns will be considered if there are slots available.
Important: The application deadline is Sunday February 4th!
You can apply using this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd772dCibf8SVHRS--TSMkgg6nX9Z16RdBA4EDWdF3waSut3g/viewform?c=0&w=1
Your training and the materials described above will be provided to you, but you’ll be responsible for making your own travel arrangements. If you’ll need a place to stay during the training, we’ll match you up with a member of Chicago DSA.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Why is this training limited to members of DSA chapters in the midwest?
A: As we see with repeated, organized fascist violence at political events in the midwest, there is an urgent need for medic training in this region. With this training we are continuing to build the network of chapters that can further spread these skills. With this class of 20 comrades we are creating a group of people who can take what they learn back to their home chapters, and build capacity across the region. In December, we put on a successful training in Richmond, Virginia, we have upcoming trainings planned in Portland, OR and the California Bay Area, and we have significant interest for other trainings across the country throughout 2018.
Q: How are “affinity group medics” different from “street medics”?
A: “Affinity group medics” only work with their affinity group -- in other words, people they know already. “Street medics” work with people they don’t know already, and may never see again after their interaction. DSA affinity group medics specifically provide medic support for their local chapter. This affinity group medic training has skills tailored for activist organizer community health, enabling DSA affinity group medics to do preventative care that reduces the likelihood of situations requiring street medics.
Q: Is national DSA providing funding for this training?
A: At this time, national DSA is not providing funding for this training. This is for a variety of reasons, including the current state of flux of the national training budget. We hope to secure funding from national for our future medic trainings.
Q: I’m concerned with how donations to national DSA for the Charlottesville victims were handled. How is this going to be different?
A: A considerable amount of money was donated to national DSA to benefit Charlottesville victims, but unfortunately, the disbursement of those donations has been significantly delayed. To avoid this happening for this training, all donations will go through Chicago DSA. Chicago DSA is unique among DSA chapters in that they are financially independent of national DSA, and can raise and disburse funds at its own discretion. Our comrades in Chicago will make all donated funds available immediately as we prepare for the training.
To help meet this pressing need, Chicago DSA has invited DSA Medics to provide an affinity group medic (AGM) training in February 2018 to help DSA chapters from our region get the skills they need to help keep their members as safe as can be in the struggles to come.
This training will be open to 20 members of DSA from chapters across the midwest, from Kansas to Ohio. Members from oppressed communities will be given top priority but anyone interested can apply. Members from other regions with significant immediate safety concerns will be considered if there are slots available.
The training will be conducted by Chicago DSA Rapid Response Working Group street medics and trainers from Chicago Action Medical, as well as DSA Medics from across the country.
Materials and supplies provided as part of this training will include:
• A DSA medic handbook
• A BDS compliant standard trauma kit
• A first aid medic bag
• A training patch specific to your region
Our trained medics will also have the benefit of the following developments:
• A DSA standard trauma kit that reduces training time for medics and preps each medic to deal with gunshot wounds and other penetrating traumas;
• A DSA medic training curricula that includes first aid but also activist support, sexual assault victim advocacy training, and training to support POC, LGBTQ, and disabled DSA members in their political work;
• A psychological mass casualty training module that is the first in the country for protest medics, developed with input from DSA Veteran’s working group and street medics who were present at Charlottesville to ensure victims of political terror are not vulnerable immediately in the aftermath of an attack or are left alone to deal with resulting mental health scars;
• Training in self care and medic support to provide the same kind of service that was provided to the DSA National Convention in August 2017 in the form of health and wellness support for the various physical and psychological injuries sustained during DSA’s increasingly large political events.
Our Funding Goals
We have an immediate goal and a stretch goal.
Our immediate goal is $1,500. This amount will cover supplies and materials for 20 DSA affinity group medic trainees, as well as helping to cover travel expenses for trainers coming from outside of Chicago.
Our stretch goal is $2,000. This amount will provide the same materials, supplies and training access to more chapters across the country -- especially chapters with significant safety and security concerns such as the Appalachians, the South East, the Deep South, the South West, and the Mid Atlantic South. (We already have more trainings planned for 2018, including in the Pacific Northwest and the Bay Area!)
How to Apply
This training is limited to 20 spots, and it is open to DSA members from chapters across the midwest, from Kansas to Ohio. Members from oppressed communities will be given top priority, as well as members with prior medical background, event de-escalation, or combat vet experience. We are also prioritizing training DSA POC, LGBTQ members as they have been historically targeted by police and vigilante violence. Members from other regions with significant immediate safety concerns will be considered if there are slots available.
Important: The application deadline is Sunday February 4th!
You can apply using this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd772dCibf8SVHRS--TSMkgg6nX9Z16RdBA4EDWdF3waSut3g/viewform?c=0&w=1
Your training and the materials described above will be provided to you, but you’ll be responsible for making your own travel arrangements. If you’ll need a place to stay during the training, we’ll match you up with a member of Chicago DSA.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Why is this training limited to members of DSA chapters in the midwest?
A: As we see with repeated, organized fascist violence at political events in the midwest, there is an urgent need for medic training in this region. With this training we are continuing to build the network of chapters that can further spread these skills. With this class of 20 comrades we are creating a group of people who can take what they learn back to their home chapters, and build capacity across the region. In December, we put on a successful training in Richmond, Virginia, we have upcoming trainings planned in Portland, OR and the California Bay Area, and we have significant interest for other trainings across the country throughout 2018.
Q: How are “affinity group medics” different from “street medics”?
A: “Affinity group medics” only work with their affinity group -- in other words, people they know already. “Street medics” work with people they don’t know already, and may never see again after their interaction. DSA affinity group medics specifically provide medic support for their local chapter. This affinity group medic training has skills tailored for activist organizer community health, enabling DSA affinity group medics to do preventative care that reduces the likelihood of situations requiring street medics.
Q: Is national DSA providing funding for this training?
A: At this time, national DSA is not providing funding for this training. This is for a variety of reasons, including the current state of flux of the national training budget. We hope to secure funding from national for our future medic trainings.
Q: I’m concerned with how donations to national DSA for the Charlottesville victims were handled. How is this going to be different?
A: A considerable amount of money was donated to national DSA to benefit Charlottesville victims, but unfortunately, the disbursement of those donations has been significantly delayed. To avoid this happening for this training, all donations will go through Chicago DSA. Chicago DSA is unique among DSA chapters in that they are financially independent of national DSA, and can raise and disburse funds at its own discretion. Our comrades in Chicago will make all donated funds available immediately as we prepare for the training.
Organizer
Matthew Malinowski
Organizer
Chicago, IL
