Until Help Arrives

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

This year’s Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference offers a unique and free training course titled "Until Help Arrives." The course aims to equip individuals with life-saving skills to assist others while awaiting professional responders. It is provided by the Black Emergency Managers Association International (BEMA) and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference (SDPC), with guidance and participation from McCormick alumnus Rev. Dr. Richard C. Keller, Jr. (’24).

Rev. Dr. Keller, Jr. worked on this topic as his thesis while at McCormick. Training and empowering people via the church to communicate effectively with 9-1-1 operators, act to protect the injured from further harm, know how to position the injured, stop life-threatening bleeding, and provide emotional support can be a vital source of support during emergencies. "The environmental and societal climate dictates that the church should be ready to assist our communities," shared Rev. Dr. Keller, Jr.

This course embodies McCormick's commitment to connecting classroom knowledge to real-world applications, reinforcing the idea that together, we can prepare for critical situations and uplift our communities.