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After nearly 30 years of living history, ranging from Queen Boudicca's Rebellion to WW1, I have seen my share of accidents. Events for an audience usually allow for the standard medical response, but once you take your unit deep into the woods to catch that elusive "real feel" you run the risk of an accident or illness with a totally authentic result.
Planning ahead and making provision for the weather -- hot or cold, wet or dry -- can go far in preventing emergencies, even if it means hiding very modern medical equipment in a basket under a blanket. But even with planning and resources, someone has to be able to take the initiative and apply proper techniques.
How fast can you get a man out of his armour? If the lady is wearing a corset can you still perform CPR? What anti-choking techniques can be used before garb or armor is removed? Many venues are strict about the disposition of black powder, but there is an idiot factor that is hard to eradicate. In addition to accidents, the ever aging population of living historians (bless 'em all) bring to the field and the camp increased risk of strokes and cardiac problems, as well as common conditions such as diabetes, aging joints and bones, menopausal symptoms and an increased susceptibility to temperature changes.
Many groups pride themselves on total authenticity, but few members wish to be permanently injured or die an authentic death. If your unit does not have a medic on hand, please contact RTL. I will be happy to teach you within the venue of your camp, so that you can improvise with materials at hand and learn what other items should be stowed away, just in case.
In researching this course I have heard many people say that such training is unnecessary because "nothing bad has ever happened in my unit." In 1912 the captain of an ocean liner said "I can not foresee any situation that would cause a modern ship to founder." Yet his ship Titanic sank on her maiden voyage with over 1500 dead because no one had seen fit to ensure a seat in the lifeboats for all on board. If it can happen, it eventually will.
Ellen Wilds, Training
The course I offer is in two parts, which may be conducted on the same day or on two days. The first day is the official Red Cross training and at the end of that session all participants who pass will receive their Red Cross certification, good for one year. The Red Cross training, however, is focused on the workplace, the home and the connection between the two, such as the highway or other forms of commuting.
The First Session
The fee for the first session is $60 per student (minimum of 4, maximum of 10). I require two weeks' notice, as well as payment in full in advance. The group must provide a room with sufficient space for the number of students and a television with either a VHS or DVD machine in order to show the required video. In return you will receive Red Cross handouts, skill cards, use of the CPR mannequins, and your certification card. If your group owns or plans to purchase an AED (automatic external defibrillator), training in AED usage is available if requested.
The Second Session
It is in the second session that both medics and lay people in your group will learn how to adapt the very modern Red Cross training to a particular time period, its clothing and other limitations. This second session is not affiliated with the Red Cross and carries no certification.
The additional fee for the second session is $40, plus transportation and food. Those groups who only appear at re-enactment events, such as Military Through The Ages or Marching Through Time may choose to set up "camp" in a member's back yard. Others may find it advantageous to take me to your usual camp-site or other venue, such as a longship or favorite camping site.
The second session covers three primary areas of concern:
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Combat -- dealing with armor, gunpowder, and weapons. Some say "no good deed goes unpunished" which in combat rescue can become very true very quickly.
- Fashion -- looking good can be dangerous; freeing fashion victims to save their lives, plus some dressing tips to avoid problems that may arise.
- Wilderness Rescue -- you wanted to be cut off from the modern world and now you are. There will be no ambulance in 5-15 minutes as would be expected in an urban environment. This section covers how to summon help, how to move a victim to safety, and how to treat the victim until help arrives.
Please contact me to arrange a class for your unit. You never know when you will need skills unheard of in your century of choice.
Comments and Questions may be emailed to
Ellen Wilds
Postal mail should be sent to
Remember the Ladies -- Red Cross Certification
8117 Hartford Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
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