Whereas, Wayne Jacobs who is founder and executive director of X-Offenders of Community Empowerment, the Pardon-Me clinics and is also a well-known a community activist was deeply disturbed by the death of a young man killed by a bullet wound at a busy park in North Philadelphia; and
Whereas, Jacobs was deeply disturbed by the fact that the young man's death was likely preventable if timely and proper emergency medical first aid been administered to him and Jacobs' disturbance was exacerbated by the fact that there were approximately 200 people in the park at the time of the shooting, yet no one knew how to render the first aid the young man required; and
Whereas, Jacobs voiced his concerns to Scott P. Charles, MAPP, director of Temple University Hospital’s Cradle to Grave Program. Cradle to Grave is an award-winning hospital-based violence prevention initiative that illustrates the harsh realities of gun violence to public school students and adjudicated youth; and
Whereas, Jacobs and Charles partnered with Dr. Robert Timothy Bryan, Assistant Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine at Temple University. Together, the founders worked to mitigate the concerns advanced by Wayne Jacobs. Dr. Bryan brought expertise developed from techniques he learned as a Special Operations combat medic during his eight years of active military duty; and
Whereas, Fighting Chance has evolved into a two-hour community training taught by volunteer professionals from Temple University Hospital's emergency room and the training converts bystanders to a shooting into first responders by teaching them what to do for a victim of a penetrating bullet or knife wound; and
Whereas, In 2015 there were more than 1,200 shootings in Philadelphia alone. Depending on the injury of a gunshot wound, a victim can bleed to death in less than five minutes. Fighting Chance provides a fighting chance to victims of a penetrating wound by teaching program participants how to control bleeding, position the victim to aid in breathing and to safely lift and carry the victim out of harm's way while maintaining the bystander's own safety; and
Whereas, Explorers students, block captains, neighborhood residents and others who could potentially be bystanders to a trauma wound victim are recruited to attend Fighting Chance which is based on tenets of the U.S. Military's Tactical Combat Casualty Care course; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby honors and recognizes Wayne Jacobs, Scott P. Charles, MAPP and Robert Timothy Bryan, D.O. for their extraordinary contribution to giving victims of trauma wounds a fighting chance by training and therefore transforming bystanders into first responders.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution shall be presented to the co-founders of Fighting Chance as a sincere expression of Council’s respect and appreciation.
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