Chapter 3 – First Aid

 

First Aid is somewhat nebulous. Most of us own a first aid kit. Maybe it’s in a little plastic box and has a collection of bandages, ointments and pills that will help you deal with any number of aches, pains, bumps, bites, bruises and cuts. But that’s barely a start when a major disaster hits. I’ve compiled a list of five essentials for successful first aid preparedness in any emergency.

 

1) Sanitization. Among the first and most important considerations for first-aid is sanitization. One cannot sanitize items without a heat source. It’s also how we purify water, which is equally important to first-aid. So to practice good medical survival skills, we begin with how to build and maintain fire. You may have a heat source within your home to boil and purify water. You may also have ample amounts of bleach, hydrogen peroxide and other chemicals to sanitize and sterilize implements. That’s a good start. But if power is cut and you ignored our early advice to get a generator, or if your generator has run out of an energy source, you will need fire.

 

Fire is more than a source of heat and light, it kills germs, parasites and other microbial pathogens that live on every surface in our homes. You can sanitize medical implements with both boiling water and fire itself. Because sanitization is essential for First Aid, we need to be able to build a fire.

 

Start by building a ring around your fire pit with large rocks or cinder blocks.  I like masonry stones because they can, in addition to containing the fire, heat food, boil water, or to keep you warm as well. Build a pile of kindling that you will use for your fire next to the ring of stones. Once you get flames to start, you need to have the kindling wood ready to feed the nascent fire. Inside the ring, place some tinder and some small twigs and wood around the tinder. Don’t completely cover the tinder.  The tinder is what will ignite the fire and get it going.

 

Once the tinder is built, ignite it with the fire starter of choice.  You can use the strike anywhere matches or a lighter.  The tinder will catch fire quickly and spread to the wood you have around it.  Continue to add more wood as you go.   As you add more fuel, your fire will grow larger. Whether you have an indoor source of flame is immaterial. Being able to build fire is necessary for sanitization. Once you have it, you can employ basic sanitization of items you use in staying healthy.

 

2) Learn basic first aid. You should have a first aid kit packed with latex gloves, bandages, gauze, tape, burn cream, alcohol pads, antibiotic/antibacterial creams, over the counter pain relievers, etc. Having basic first aid knowledge can save your life or a loved one’s, should one of you get injured during the emergency. Knowing how to stabilize an injury before getting to help can make all the difference. Now is the time to learn CPR and first aid, so when disaster strikes you are prepared. As a start, consider signing up for some first aid training classes in your community.

 

3) Medications. Many doctors will only prescribe a select number of pills for patients. It might be a 30 day supply, but frequently it is less. If you are taking any medication regularly, or know you may need to take medication for whatever, reason, you should try to stockpile that medicine because getting it in an emergency will not be easy. This goes for prescription drugs as well as over the counter remedies. Additionally any supplements that you use should also be stored. If these supplements are not shelf stable or need to be refrigerated, make sure to plan for adequate space to keep them in the temperature range that maximizes their effective life.

 

A safe rule for sheltering in place is to have at least a 90 day supply of perishable medications at all times. If the shelf life is short, that 90 day window will allow you time to replenish the medication if the disaster is not cataclysmic. If the disaster is cataclysmic, 90 days is not ideal, but it is a start. Keeping longer stocks of life preserving medications make sense as well.  For medications that have longer shelf lives, stock up to the effective date of the medication, supplement or other drug you are taking.

 

Do the same for first aid creams as well as ointments that you use.

 

4) Barriers to infection. In emergencies, pathogens become far more present. Standing water will be riddled with bacteria, virus and are breeding grounds for bugs that will transmit them to unsuspecting humans. When others are getting infected, you need ways to keep yourself safe. Those hazmat suits the CDC dresses its personnel in during infectious outbreaks are one option, but they are expensive, impractical and more trouble then they are worth. Alternatives to the full hazmat are more basic protections.

 

So you should seek to invest in the gear that will keep you as safe as possible in an unsafe environment. The easiest are masks and gloves. You can’t just use a regular cloth mask. The ideal style are N100 or P100-certified masks or full face respirators. The filtering faceplate will keep harmful particulates out of your nose and mouth. If using the full face respirator, you also can protection for your eyes. Gloves should be at least 11 millimeters thick. Yet they must also be pliable enough to offer a full range of motion. Make sure they are liquid resistant. If you have to go out in an outbreak perimeter, you need to have ample supplies of these items.

 

5) Stockpiling First Aid. Make sure you have provisions for first aid in your go bag, bug out bag and any permanent shelters you might head to. Aside from your first aid kit, you are going to want to have a survival emergency bag stocked and available for use. In addition to items in your first aid kit, you will want to add any prescription medications, contact lenses and glasses. You will want to have your cell phone and charger. If you have a baby or pets, you will want to make sure you gave enough supplies for them, like diapers, formula, pet food, etc. A couple of flashlights and extra batteries should also be in your bag, as well as a battery powered or hand cranked radio. Keep a small fire extinguisher available for use.

 

First aid and medical survival can come in handy in pandemic situations, in particular. When visiting a hospital can be more harmful than beneficial, your options are truly limited for where you can get quality care. As a result, your best alternative is to have a full supply of medicines that are commonly used by you and your family. If you suffer from headaches, keep a good stock of ibuprofen. If you are susceptible to colds, have plenty of cough syrups and fever reducers. You are your own best health advocate, especially in crises or disasters. It’s up to you to have what you need when an emergency strikes.

 

And when you have it, the next thing you need to manage is protecting it. So let’s move from here to security.