Street Medic Pro-tip 19: Basic First Aid Kits

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Street Medic enough actions and your kit becomes an extension of you. A familiar & reliable friend your first-aid kit will become a reflection of the way you practice Street Medicine and the needs of your protest community.

The following list is far from comprehensive, but suggests the bare bones of a good starter kit:

  • Minimum of 2 pairs of SURGICAL GLOVES (non-allergenic to avoid triggering latex allergies) Surgical 2014-08-01 17.29.32gloves for the casualty’s benefit and a barrier for the street medic’s benefit

  • ADHESIVE TAPE is probably the most versatile of all first aid kit supplies. Use it to hold gauze in place or to help splint broken bones. Also useful to cover blisters. Small strips of tape can be used to hold lacerations together until the casualty can get stitches.

  • ELASTIC BANDAGES help support sprains and to splint broken bones.

  • STERILE GAUZE to stop bleeding and to use in eye irrigation of chemical agents

  • TRIANGLE BANDAGES are non-stretch bandages used to hold gauze in place or to help splint broken bones. Also useful as slings and to dress head wounds.

  • Pack of WETWIPES

  • BURN OINTMENT & an ICE PACK

  • PLASTERS in a variety of sizes. Use to cover small lacerations and abrasions. Always clean the wound before you apply an adhesive plaster.

  • JELLY BEANS for hypoglycaemic casualties

  • SALINE SOLUTION to irrigate wounds and eyes

  • LAW SPRAY: 50/50 mix of water and Mylanta (or similar antacid liquid) in a bottle or aerosol can to use to denominate & reduce painful effects of pepper spray & tear gas.

For rally organizers in and around Melbourne one of our Street Medics suggests your first-aiders have:

A small first-aid kit purchased from the chemist ($10-15) with the following additions:
4 – 10 ice packs from the Reject Shop
2 – 4 heavy-weight/compression bandages
1L of water in addition to 2L for self
Rehydration tablets
Sunscreen
Jelly beans, sunburst or similar soft sweet lollies
Cloth or other non-latex bandaid packs
3 or more saline eyewash vials
Extra nitrile gloves

These will cover heat illness, sprained ankles and wrists, broken limbs, diabetic emergencies and people tripping over and grazing themselves on big marches and rallies.