No one wakes up in the morning and thinks - "I'm going to trip and break my arm today", or "I think I'll see if I can get bitten by a poisonous snake today"...
When you are out in remote areas by yourself or a select few, forethought needs to be given to how you will handle medical emergencies that might be encountered. Part of what I, along with my collaborative working partners, did to prepare for our fieldwork was to take a first aid class taught by a Red Cross instructor. We found someone to accommodate our schedule and took the First Aid CPR AED course in one night. The instructor was an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and tailored the course to our needs, so we received instruction about more than just basic first aid. We thought through as many possible disasters we could encounter out in the field, in remote areas, and developed strategies on how to cope with each possible challenge. Some of the potential challenges we covered were snake bites, broken limbs, gunshot wounds, severe allergic reactions, and severe bleeding.
The first line of action is to ALWAYS call 911. Yet, in remote areas, phones do not always work. If this happens during any SEVERE and LIFE-THREATENING emergency (and the injured can be moved), the general course of action we decided upon was to administer first aid techniques while moving the injured TOWARD access to phone services and experienced medical help (hospital or EMTs, if the 911 call goes through). This entails a group effort with one person driving and others administering first aid.
As a group, we also developed a Safety Plan, similar to what you would find for a university campus fieldwork safety protocol (which is where I looked to develop the content of our group's safety plan). Included in our safety plan is each individual's contact information (spouses and parents), any known allergies, medications, doctor information, and medical insurance information. A copy of the safety plan is kept in each person's Field Emergency Kit (as pictured above). The contents of Cattails Environmental's Field Emergency First Aid Kit also ranges from the usual household items (hydrogen peroxide, Band-Aids, Moleskin) to the more serious items like tourniquets and splints.
Medical emergencies can occur to anyone, but with some planning, long-lasting and negative outcomes can be avoided.
- JMB
Post Script: There is another first aid course that would be appropriate for those who work in rural and backwood areas. Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is usually taught over 2-3 days and costs $275 (Fall 2017 prices).
When you are out in remote areas by yourself or a select few, forethought needs to be given to how you will handle medical emergencies that might be encountered. Part of what I, along with my collaborative working partners, did to prepare for our fieldwork was to take a first aid class taught by a Red Cross instructor. We found someone to accommodate our schedule and took the First Aid CPR AED course in one night. The instructor was an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and tailored the course to our needs, so we received instruction about more than just basic first aid. We thought through as many possible disasters we could encounter out in the field, in remote areas, and developed strategies on how to cope with each possible challenge. Some of the potential challenges we covered were snake bites, broken limbs, gunshot wounds, severe allergic reactions, and severe bleeding.
The first line of action is to ALWAYS call 911. Yet, in remote areas, phones do not always work. If this happens during any SEVERE and LIFE-THREATENING emergency (and the injured can be moved), the general course of action we decided upon was to administer first aid techniques while moving the injured TOWARD access to phone services and experienced medical help (hospital or EMTs, if the 911 call goes through). This entails a group effort with one person driving and others administering first aid.
As a group, we also developed a Safety Plan, similar to what you would find for a university campus fieldwork safety protocol (which is where I looked to develop the content of our group's safety plan). Included in our safety plan is each individual's contact information (spouses and parents), any known allergies, medications, doctor information, and medical insurance information. A copy of the safety plan is kept in each person's Field Emergency Kit (as pictured above). The contents of Cattails Environmental's Field Emergency First Aid Kit also ranges from the usual household items (hydrogen peroxide, Band-Aids, Moleskin) to the more serious items like tourniquets and splints.
Medical emergencies can occur to anyone, but with some planning, long-lasting and negative outcomes can be avoided.
- JMB
Post Script: There is another first aid course that would be appropriate for those who work in rural and backwood areas. Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is usually taught over 2-3 days and costs $275 (Fall 2017 prices).
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