Jennifer Barney didn’t pull any punches.
Standing behind a table set up outside of Classic Harley Davidson in Bern Township Saturday, she demonstrated to onlookers how to apply a tourniquet.
She reminded them that it needs to be placed above the wound and has to be turned tight before being locked into place.
And she warned them that the person having it applied will likely not be too happy about it.
“You’re not making friends,” the injury prevention and outreach coordinator at Reading Hospital said. “They will hate you. They will scream at you.”
Jennifer Barney, injury prevention outreach coordinator, demonstrates the proper use of a tourniquet during a motorcycle safety event sponsored by Reading Hospital at Classic Harley Davidson in Bern Township on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Barney’s message wasn’t meant to scare those who heard it. Instead, it was aimed at preparing them.
Because in an emergency, a little bit of knowledge can go a long way.
The was the idea behind a special event at the motorcycle dealership Saturday. Reading Hospital — with the help from Penn Medicine and the Berks County Council on Chemical Abuse — held a safety event aimed at motorcycle riders.
“We’re just trying to educate the community, bike riders, in ways to stay safe,” Barney said. “We’re trying to teach them things that, if they find themselves in a situation, they can help themselves or help a fellow rider.”
Along with treating wounds, participants got a chance to learn about CPR, gun safety, concussions and administering Narcan to treat opioid overdoses.
“We’re just trying to hit on those things, some life skills, in case something happens when they’re out riding,” Barney said. “I really just hope that they walk away equipped with some skills that they can use to help their fellow riders.”
Lenny Brown, EMS outreach liason at Reading Hospital, demonstrates CPR and the use of an AED during a motorcycle safety event sponsored by Reading Hospital at Classic Harley Davidson in Bern Township on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Julie Hoskins, who attended the event, said she was thrilled for the tips it provided.
“This is really a great idea to do, I think every Harley dealer should do it,” the Allentown woman who is a member of the Lehigh Valley Harley Owner Group, said.
Her fellow group member Bob Hauze said he rides his motorcycle 15,000 to 20,000 miles a year. And the Lehigh County resident knows bad things can happen when you’re out on the road.
“You never know when,” the Whitehall Township man said.
Hauze said he learned a lot at the event, including ways to stop injuries from bleed and how to use an automated external defibrillator on someone suffering heart issues.
Teena Lee, violence recovery program manager at Reading Hospital, explains the use of a handgun safe during a motorcycle safety event sponsored by Reading Hospital at Classic Harley Davidson in Bern Township on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Nicole Charlanza, overdose prevention training coordinator for the Council on Chemical Abuse, explains the use of NARCAN to treat drug overdoses during a motorcycle safety event sponsored by Reading Hospital at Classic Harley Davidson in Bern Township on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)