First Aid You May Need During a Protest
The past week has shown us that it is impossible to predict when a peaceful protest will escalate into violence. (Although this certainly happens a lot these days, mostly due to inappropriate police responses .) If you’re going to protest, it may be helpful to brush up on the basics of first aid – and see if anyone has any your environment. the group has advanced training.
Find out if your group has medical appointments
Groups that organize or support protests may include a person or group of people who carry first aid supplies and may have some training in how to use them (whether they have received first aid training or are service workers emergency or health care after hours). … Even if no one has an official designation, know who has first aid training or carries supplies. If this is you, let people know.
If you are looking for first aid or CPR training yourself, it is best to take a hands-on course (here is a pointer from the Red Cross ). But there are online options, such as from the National CPR Foundation , which costs $ 13 and says it will take 20 minutes.
There is also a street medicine guide for protests on riotmedicine.net . (The signed link doesn’t work for me, but there is another version here .) This includes information on first aid along with tips on organizing within an activist group and improvising equipment in an emergency.
Know the basics
First, you must know the very basics that will enable you to help someone in a situation when they need medical attention. Here’s a rundown of the five steps of the Red Cross, but it’s worth reading the detailed version that you can print and keep in your bag or pocket:
- Assess the location of the accident before treating a sick or injured person. Is it safe to approach? What could have happened? Who else can help?
- If the person is awake, responsive, and has no life-threatening bleeding, introduce yourself and ask permission to help. Instruct a passerby to take supplies. Talk to this person, examine them and provide appropriate care.
- If the person doesn’t respond, spend no more than five to ten seconds calling out their name, slapping their shoulder or foot, and checking their breathing.
- If the person is breathing, ask passers-by to call 911 for an AED (if available) and a first aid kit. Examine the person and ask outsiders for information.
- If the person is not breathing, tell someone to call 911 and get an AED and then start CPR.
If you go to first aid or CPR courses, you will find that you often need help – for example, you cannot call emergency services and perform CPR at the same time – but you cannot just yell at people in general. and expect someone to answer. Look up, make eye contact with someone, and point out: You , call 911.
Know how to stop bleeding
Hopefully you don’t need to use this information, but if someone is bleeding life-threatening amounts – for example, from a gunshot wound – it’s important to know how to respond . In short: Call 911, find the source of the bleeding and apply pressure. If life-threatening bleeding comes from an arm or leg, a tourniquet can be life-saving. (Yes, this advice may be different from what you learned years ago .)
To be more prepared in the future, you can take the Stop Bleeding training course and order a bleeding control kit like this one from emergency departments or medical services.
Know how to stabilize injuries before seeking professional help
If anyone has an open wound, clean it up if possible. Wash your hands, rinse the wound, and pat it dry with something clean. (Washing out wounds is another task for a comfortable sports water bottle that you should still carry ; ideally, keep a spare one that you won’t put your mouth in.)
Replace the skin grafts and cover the wound with a clean bandage or dressing. If blood seeps through the dressing, do not remove it; add more layers on top. You can read a more complete guide to wound care here .
Seek help if the wound continues to bleed, if a foreign object has entered it, or if the wound is very large or deep.
For a broken bone, you need to apply a splint to fix it without trying to fix the break. (This is an emergency job, not first aid.) Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
If the person falls, which could cause injury to the neck or spine, do not move them. If someone is hit in the head, check for signs of serious injury. There is a more complete list of symptoms here , but some of them include bleeding or leakage of fluid from the nose or ears, uneven pupil sizes, weakness in the arms or legs, slurred speech, and seizures . This indicates an injury that may require immediate medical attention, so call 911.
If a blow to the head causes milder symptoms, such as headaches or nausea, the person may not need immediate medical attention, but they should still be evaluated in the end, as these are signs of a concussion. (If you’re unsure, get help anyway.)
Accessories you must bring
Any first aid items can be helpful in an emergency. The Red Cross has a checklist for a personal and family first aid kit . Some things you may find especially helpful in helping others:
- PPE such as gloves and spare mask
- Wound care supplies including gauze pads, dressings, and tape.
- Syringe can filled with saline or water to rinse the eyes in case of exposure to tear gas or pepper spray . Saline bottles of 20 to 50 milliliters are suitable for tear gas, says the Riot Medicine handbook. Large eye wash bottles work well with pepper spray.
- Scissors and tweezers
- Emergency blankets (these silver folded items) can help keep someone warm, which is helpful if they get wet after rinsing their eyes or wounds with water.
- Emergency medicines if you are already carrying them with you, such as an Epi-Pen or an asthma inhaler.
- Printed information on first aid procedures such as this or these
Whatever happens, remember that first aid should be the first step, not the only one. If any of your loved ones need professional medical attention, be sure to stay with them until they receive the care they need.