Why Cycling Guides Train for Emergencies They Hope Never Happen
It’s 7 PM on a Tuesday in February, three weeks before tour season begins. In a parking lot behind a hotel in Da Nang, six people are pretending someone is dying.
One guide lies on the ground, motionless. Another kneels beside him, checking airway, breathing, circulation. A third is on the radio, calling for the support vehicle. A fourth is directing imaginary traffic away from the scene.
“Pulse is weak and rapid,” the kneeling guide announces. “Skin is hot and dry. Confusion before he lost consciousness. This is heat stroke.”
A operations manager watches from the side, clipboard in hand, stopwatch running. She’s timing the response. She’s noting the sequence of actions. Later, there will be feedback.
This is emergency scenario training—and every guide does it annually, before they’re cleared to lead tours.
They hope they’ll never need any of it. They practice anyway.