Do we need a set medic or safety person on set?
Do we really need a safety?
This is a question that often comes up when planning a shoot. Often the answer to this question depends on the requirements of the shoot and the exposure the cast and crew will face. In addition to the risk exposure, the tolerance for risk that the production and or insurance company are willing to assume comes into the equation. One important item that should be factored into this equation should be the response time and remoteness of the shoot. Oftentimes when shooting in rural, backcountry, international, and true wilderness, the time it takes for an outside entity to arrive is far greater than what is typical in an urban environment. There are a number of things that should be checked beforehand to truly assess the response time and the production's exposure.
Pre Production Checklist
Here is a checklist to guide you in determining the response capabilities where you are shooting and determine if you want to have a dedicated medical and safety team:
Where are the nearest hospitals and how large are they?
If it is a long distance or small hospital, what options exist to transfer seriously injured cast or crew to a larger hospital?
Is the local responding medical or rescue group full time or responding as volunteers (who must leave their jobs and then respond to your set)?
How far from the road will you be shooting? If someone has an injury or medical issue where you are, how will you get them to the location an ambulance can pick them up?
If you have a standard set medic, are they capable of getting to the scene, providing prolonged field care, and transporting a patient to an area with vehicle access?
Who on your crew has medical training? What level of training do we have? Are they comfortable providing care for an extended time until help arrives?
If you are relying on crew to respond, do you expect them to provide and carry their own medical kit or will production provide a major medical kit and have someone ready to bring it to the scene?
What are the ramifications to the shoot if the crew providing care is tied up for an extended time period. What if they need to leave to transport the injured cast or crew member?
Best Practices
If the transport time from your shooting location to a hospital is going to be over an hour it is best practice to have, at minimum, one dedicated person with training and experience in wilderness medicine and extraction.
Consulting
If you are still having a difficult time determining your productions needs, Wounded Bear Medicine is here to help you with your questions and/or a needs assessment. Reach out to set up an appointment.
