Firefighters Get Free Self Defense Training

A martial arts studio in Edwardsville, Illinois is providing free training for firefighters. The goal of the training is to help them avoid injuries when they response to emergency situations. James Whiteford, captain of the Edwardsville Fire Department, said that the goal is to be able to get out of the situation when there’s an aggressive person at the location of the emergency.

Rich Grogan’s Academy of Martial Arts is teaching self-defense classes to on-duty and off-duty firefighters who have opted to join the class. Captain Whiteford said that he also invited firefighters from nearby departments to participate in the training sessions.

The two hour sessions are held at the Academy of Martial Arts located at 310 Hillsboro Avenue. The captain said that Rich Grogan is providing the classes for free and it is the first time that firefighters from Edwardsville are receiving martial arts training.

Grogan was a former public school teacher who used to provide self-defense instruction to new hires of the police before they enter the academy. He said that teaching firefighters is different, compared to teaching self-defense to police recruits or women. Firefighters are often the first responders to the scene and this puts them in a tight situation. He teaches them to be aware of the situation and how to get out of a grip.

Whiteford added that not everyone who is aggressive toward paramedics want to do harm to them. There are some aggressive people who just regained consciousness and still confused. Other people have low blood sugar, having a seizure, low oxygen level or head injuries.

Some of the self-defense techniques that firefighters learn include being alert during of the risk of dangerous situations. They should know how to set up barriers as well as the locations of exits when someone tries to get to an emergency responder.

Photo by Craig Cisek undefined