Re: First Aid Kits

Malcolm T Hughes (malhughes@JUNO.COM) asked the list about what goes into a
good first aid kit.

At my old Camp, Thunder Scout Reservation, this was a topic that was dealt
with by our Health & Wellness Center (the name for our Health Lodge,
reflecting the Camp Thunder philosophy that we wanted campers to utilize
the services of the health center proactively while they were healthy so
they would learn to stay that way and not need medical care.

A pert of this was a weekly cracker barrel seminar called "Building a
Better Troop First Aid Kit" which was co-sponsored by the Wellness Center &
the Camp Thunder Country Store, which I operated as the Business Manager
there for a number of years. Several years before that I was the Camp
Medic. I don't know if they are still doing that program but I can tell
you from my observations that there is good cause for alarm when examining
the conditions of medical care among many troops.

Few leaders bother with Medical Forms except at Summer Camp time, and then
only because they know they are likely to be booted out of camp with out
them. Many troop leaders are quite content in their ignorance to head off
into the remote wilderness without so much as an emergency contact number,
parental release for treatment, or even basic medical information on each
scout.

Troop First Aid kits range from expired old National Guard hand-me-downs
from the Vietnam era filled with things that are not appropriate for Scouts
use to filthy old converted tackle boxes filled with expired medicines and
unsanitary bandages out of their wrappers. Nearly every troop I was had
their First Aid kit as an open "take what you need" box that no one kept
any records on. The kit was usually resupplied only on a haphazard basis
when someone noticed that the contents were looking might skimpy.

In this litigious society why would Scoutleaders expose themselves, their
chartered partners, and their scouts to unnecessary harm and possible legal
action? Leaders who would not dare go camping without their Mutual of
Omaha Accident insurance in tow are just as likely to either forget the
First Aid Kit altogether or bring something along that is totally
inadequate for the needs that arise in camp.

Here are some definite recommendations that we give to Unit Leaders with
regard to First Aid Kits:

* Have a travel file for each scout with an updated medical form and a
release for that particular event so leaders will know the phone numbers
and locations of scouts's guardians on every trip.

* Know about all prescription medication taken on every campout. If the
scout regularly carries medication on their person such as an Annakit (for
Anaphylaxis reactions to bee stings, etc.) make sure the adult leaders in
the troop know where it is and how to use it.

* Evaluate and eliminate where possible internal medications which
generally should not be given by a volunteer care giver (Syrup of ipecac is
one exception).

* Denote the expiration date of all items in the kit. Have a standard
inventory of what is in the kit and do a closing inventory at the end of
each campout for items that need replacing or changeout.

* When anyone, adult or youth needs items from the kit record what was
taken & by whom and for what purpose. Youth who enter the kit should be
advised to inform an adult leader as soon as practical. Use BSA's Medical
Log Book, available for purchase from any Scout Shop to help maintain a
record of these activities.

* Carefully examine your troop's current first aid kit. Is it adequate for
the number of scouts in your troop? Do you have patrol kits or kits for
groups that travel out from the main troop on high adventure outings? Are
there items in the kit that no one knows for sure the proper use is? Are
there signs of contamination, spillage, or unsanitary conditions in the
kit? When someone donates a kit or supplies for a kit, be sure to examine
them for expiration dates and appropriateness.

* Is your First Aid kit container adequate, is it marked as such and do the
scouts and leaders in your troop know where it is stored on campouts? Does
the kit's box offer adequate protection from the elements on a campout? Is
it watertight?

There are three main manufacturers of high quality First Aid Kits in the
Outdoor Industry: Adventure Medical -
http://www.expresspages.com/a/adventuremedical/
Atwater Carey - http://www.omnibus.com/atwatercarey/
Sawyer Medical - http://www.1800pixtick.com/tng060.htm

All three of these companies make excellent First Aid Kits for folks
oriented to outdoor activities. Unfortunately up till now they have all
largely ignored the Boy Scout Market and the vast unmet need there is for
appropriate First Aid Kits by Packs, Troops, Patrols, and other Scouting
events and groups in the outdoors.

Last month in Salt Lake City I met with all three of these companies at the
Outdoor Retailer Show. The 1-800-SCOUTER Catalog will soon be adopting one
of these company's complete line of products. While at Thunder we had a
complete display from Adventure Medical including a display case. Quite a
few of their high end "Backcountry" and "Comprehensive" kits were sold at
our camp Trading Post then. Atwater Carey also has some great designs, two
of which are currently sold by SCOUTER Magazine. I hope more summer camps
will take seriously the opportunity they have to supply their camp
communities with something more than Supply Division "Ouch Kits" and
instead consider offering leaders kits for their troop while offering
individual scouts serious First Aid Kits.

Finally the best First Aid kit in the world does little good if no one is
familiar with its contents or is trained in First Aid techniques. The
American Red Cross Standard First Aid & C.P.R. class is a good beginning.
The American Heart Association also offers CPR classes. Many of the better
BSA camps offer some of these programs as a part of their summer camp
program. Scouters who want to go a step beyond should look for more
advanced Wilderness First Aid Medical Programs like S.O.L.O., NOLS - First
Aid, and Wilderness Medical Associates. These classes are held around the
country.

Finally there are now a number of excellent books on the subject, many of
these books are available from the 1-800-SCOUTER Catalog. All would be of
great value for leaders wanting to brush up on their First Aid skills in
the out of doors:

X178 $3.95 BOOK: Backcountry First Aid & Care
X137 $5.99 BOOK: Basic Essentials of First Aid in the Outdoors
X574 $15.95 BOOK: Commonsense Outdoor Medicine
Y619 $8.99 BOOK: First Aid for Youths
You can also get this one with a small First Aid Kit Attached
Y750 $16.95 BOOK: First Aid for Youths w/ First Aid Kit
X555 $17.95 BOOK: Medicine For Mountaineering / 4th Edition
X173 $12.95 BOOK: Medicine for the Backcountry
X304 $11.95 BOOK: Mountaineering First Aid
X193 $5.95 BOOK: Mountaineering Medicine
X369 $13.95 BOOK: NOLS Wilderness First Aid (ONE OF MY TWO FAVORITES)
NB15 $4.95 BOOK: Nuts & Bolts - Preventing Travelers Diarrhea
Y174 $14.95 BOOK: Outward Bound Wilderness First Aid
X160 $6.50 BOOK: Travelers Self Care Manual
3700 $6.95 BOOK: Wilderness First Aid (PERHAPS THE BEST GUIDE FOR THE
MONEY)
Y614 $14.95 BOOK: Wilderness Medicine / 4th Edition (MY TOP
RECOMMENDATION !)

Finally there is one awesome Video that we showed every week at Camp and
ever leader should see:

4506 $19.95 VIDEO: Medicine For the Outdoors

I honestly hope next summer more Camp Directors will consider getting their
Camp Medics to put on weekly seminars on this topic. This little program
was constantly raved about by the leaders who were at Camp Thunder because
no one had ever covered the topic before. It also brought the leaders in
closer contact with the Camp Medic. The close bonds and open dialogue that
were establish at these meetings carried over for the rest of the week.
There really is something to be said for getting everyone in the camp
community into Wellness and Accident Prevention. We always thought it was
better to preach the gospel of safety and spend more of our time passing
out pamphlets and doing Medical Minutes PSA's on our Camp Radio Station
WBSA than in handing out Band-Aids and treating Poison Ivy all week.

I also think the leaders who left out camp went back with better First Aid
Kits and a deeper understanding of what obligations and requirements they
need to be providing. Our camp also sold a lot of high quality First Kits
those summers as well.

If anyone is interested in getting a catalog for any of these First Aid
Companies or in any of the books I have listed above they can call me at
1-800-726-8837.

YIS,




Ed Henderson
Director of the 1-800-SCOUTER Catalog
Former Camp Program Director, Business Manager & for seven years the Camp
Medic

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