What do you have for a first aid/trauma kit?

[ruffdog]

At my last refresher they went back to doing breaths.

Yep....same here:

CPR Steps | How to Perform CPR | Red Cross

 

[D&D]

Castration band and cauterize? This is how natural selection works.

 

[sandman2234]

Whats in the kit?

Now your getting out of my wheelhouse.
I would have to go out there and actually open it! My Bride took the list from him and supplied whatever it was. I just supplied the funding. I would imagine that different areas might tend to include different items. There are some nice kits available online, which I am sure is a lot better than what I would have if it wasn't for the people who try to look out for me.
David from jax

 

[Fxfymn413]

The CPR info is interesting. Its been a minute since I did CPR, but for quite awhile when I was still riding an engine it was pretty common. I would say I have been on the scene where we did CPR well over a hundred times and while I would never not attempt CPR when needed, the reality is that the chance of a successful outcome is pretty slim unless an AED is used along with CPR. Of all of the times where I was actually doing the CPR I only had two saves until AED's came along. Since then the number of saves I witnessed rose considerably.

As far as liability for treating a patient those of us who are trained are actually in a worse position since we are expected to follow the standards of patient care that we are trained to. If we do not than we can be liable if we are "grossly" negligent. Defining gross negligence is what lawyers get paid for.

So, I would not be concerned about providing aid to someone who needs it. Most states have good Samaritan laws and unless you are foolish enough to play Dr. House and try to do something like a tracheotomy you will be fine. And frankly I'd rather take the chance of providing care than live with the guilt of not helping someone who needed it.

 

[ArlyA]

The CPR info is interesting. Its been a minute since I did CPR, but for quite awhile when I was still riding an engine it was pretty common. I would say I have been on the scene where we did CPR well over a hundred times and while I would never not attempt CPR when needed, the reality is that the chance of a successful outcome is pretty slim unless an AED is used along with CPR. Of all of the times where I was actually doing the CPR I only had two saves until AED's came along. Since then the number of saves I witnessed rose considerably.

As far as liability for treating a patient those of us who are trained are actually in a worse position since we are expected to follow the standards of patient care that we are trained to. If we do not than we can be liable if we are "grossly" negligent. Defining gross negligence is what lawyers get paid for.

So, I would not be concerned about providing aid to someone who needs it. Most states have good Samaritan laws and unless you are foolish enough to play Dr. House and try to do something like a tracheotomy you will be fine. And frankly I'd rather take the chance of providing care than live with the guilt of not helping someone who needed it.

I agree on many point you state. If someone requires CPR, their chances don't look good.

 

[Fxfymn413]

I agree on many point you state. If someone requires CPR, their chances don't look good.

And it is really brutal. Broken ribs, etc. are almost always an outcome when doing CPR. I don't think most folks who do CPR for the first time are expecting that.

 

[jigs_n_fixtures]

And it is really brutal. Broken ribs, etc. are almost always an outcome when doing CPR. I don't think most folks who do CPR for the first time are expecting that.

The guy who taught my first CPR class, was one of the EMTs who responded when Joe Luis died. He said it was impossible to give him CPR because his ribs wouldn't flex, and short of stomping on him to break them there was no way to get compressions.

 

[kellerlane]

That obligation piece is exactly why people hesitate to volunteer, but I still think being prepared matters more than the fear of liability. Like the first reply said, bandaids don’t do much when something actually goes wrong. I learned that the hard way a few years back when a coworker sliced his forearm on a metal edge at a job site, heavy bleeding, lots of panic. The only thing that made a difference was a tourniquet and someone who knew how to use it until EMS arrived.

My own kit is pretty similar to an IFAK setup: tourniquet, pressure bandage, gloves, shears, and clotting gauze. I keep one in my truck and one at home. Nothing fancy, just stuff I’ve actually trained with. Training is the key part, gear without practice doesn’t help much when adrenaline kicks in.

I also appreciate how CPR guidance has shifted to hands-only for solo responders. That change alone made me more willing to step in if needed, especially in public settings.

For anyone building or refining a kit, I’ve found resources like the FlareSyn website useful because they focus more on practical readiness and real-world use instead of overloading kits with things you’ll never touch. At the end of the day, it’s about having the basics, knowing your limits, and being able to help until someone better equipped can take over.