What do you do when kids completely undermine your authority?

[Bob White]

Your focus needed to be on providing aid to the injured person. If others are far enough back to allow you to render that aid then they are as far back as you need them to be at the moment.

 

If you would prefer them back further and have an actual reason for that you can discuss it with them later.

 

Why were they so close? Human nature. Some are curious, some are concerned for their friend. Some are looking for a way they can help. Some may have more first aid experience than you know, and are observig to make sure those giving aid know what they were doing.

 

One way you could have reduced the problem was to give assignments to some of them. You could have send them for first aid kits (even if you hav=d one handy), you could have sent them to hold doors and direct emergency personnel. etc..

 

I think that if they were far enough back to allow the injured to be aided then you are overreacting to the situation.

 

 

 

[gcan]

Kids that age (any age, really), need very specific instructions if you want to distract them from something 'exciting'. In that situation, i would have said something like "everyone stand at the top of the path". Bob White is right that kids respond better when they feel important, even a little nonsense job makes them feel better.

 

But it sounds to me like you are asking what to do long-term. reward the kids who DO listen with extra responsibility/ priveleges. "buddy" them up and make each responsible for thier buddies' actions (but think very carefully before you make any pairs, lol). Definatly have a sit-down and discuss who is in charge, who they need to listen to, ect!

[gcan]

Kids that age (any age, really), need very specific instructions if you want to distract them from something 'exciting'. In that situation, i would have said something like "everyone stand at the top of the path". Bob White is right that kids respond better when they feel important, even a little nonsense job makes them feel better.

 

But it sounds to me like you are asking what to do long-term. reward the kids who DO listen with extra responsibility/ priveleges. "buddy" them up and make each responsible for thier buddies' actions (but think very carefully before you make any pairs, lol). Definatly have a sit-down and discuss who is in charge, who they need to listen to, ect!

[Its Me]

 

When I worked at a chemical plant the supervisory staff was taught Incident Command. I was told it was patterned of the a fire department's response to a situation. I am sure all our haz-mat team responders and EMT can chime in with more information. But here is my take from the 8 hour course I took ten years ago.

 

When an incident occurs there is little in the way of experienced help on hand but as the situation grows more experienced help is added. So at the onset someone assume the role of incident commander and takes charge of scene. He appoints people to victim care, crowd control, logistic (sheet, gurney..) and professional help direction (flagging down the ambulance). The incident Commander attempts to distance himself from an actual task, i.e. he does not aid the victim. The incident commander's sole purpose is to control the scene.

 

I would speculate that too many were attempting to aide the victim and no one took charge of the scene.

 

I really liked that training and wish scouts taught that as an independent module. You can see signs of this in various First Aide instruction courses but the full blown incident commander training is not taught.

 

 

[Stosh]

Maybe Emergency Prep requirements ought to be reviewed. Directing traffic in the parking lot might give a sense of prep, but seems more like a waste of time. Can they lay out a helicopter safe landing site and direct down the chopper in the dark? Might come in handy if the evac is needed in the backcountry.

 

Scouting should be more than just a game maybe, someone's life may depend on it.

 

Stosh