Modeled on the street medic groups which have been active in the US since the late 1960s, Melbourne SMC came together through the Occupy movement in Melbourne. We consist of qualified first aiders, medical and healing professionals.

We attend actions to provide preventative care, treat injuries and to respond to other physical and emotional needs. We help community activists to operate in the safest possible environment, from the planning stages through to debriefing after events. We also offer street medic workshops to assist activists prepare for future actions.

It is our aim to provide Victoria’s activist community with a free and high quality first aid and care service that meets professional standards of care. We believe that prevention is better than cure. We believe in empowering individuals and the wider community to fight for a better world.

Melbourne SMC welcomes approaches from volunteers with current first aid qualifications and other medical or care training who wish to learn more about or get involved in the global street medic movement. If you are interested in becoming a street medic, please click here.

PRO-TIPS

Each week we publish a Protest Tip to help empower activists and to encourage those new to protesting to hit the streets. This ongoing series of Street Medic Pro-Tips puts protesters health & safety first but is by no means a substitute for a certified, accredited first aid course. The advice we share is gathered from our personal experience in the field and reflects that which we have encountered and what works best for us.