FPOS Level 4 Hostile Environment Medical Training MIRA (Medic In Remote Area) I also do some teaching on HEAT courses.
Years ago I had the basic EMT training course plus BLS for Healthcare providers plus a bunch of other specialty EMS courses as I was a volunteer FF/EMT. Now I'm a Red Cross volunteer. Have had the Red Cross First Aid and CPR courses. Had the CERT training. Took the SALT Mass Casulty Triage Course and the Basic Disaster Life Support Course through NDLSF.
Basic St Johns First Aid Course (equiv to Red Cross course) before I joined the Territorial Army, then as a reservist Military Policeman, the slightly more comprehensive Battlefield First Aid course on a six-monthly update basis, the last of which was about two decades ago, and today, I'm off to a British Red Cross Basic First Aid course, just to update skills and obtain basic certification again.
I was an EMT many years ago. I also took all the required paramedic classes but never took the registry exam. I have been told by friends still in EMS that many things have changed since then. While I still remember most of what I was taught, I'm not sure I would be comfortable providing anything but basic care on anybody but close friends or family. Not sure what is considered "standard care" anymore and don't trust the legal system.
Quick update: Apparently British Red Cross don't provide certification to any courses other than HSE (Health and Safety Executive) level courses, which was irritating, but at least I refreshed the skillset basics with the up-to-date practices in use
I've got CPR/BLS tomorrow. This is maybe my 9th renewal. 18 years of CPR. I think I've got it down. Broken my share of ribs, seen it work, seen it fail (more than work). Just thankful I'm not with a hospital and doing ACLS and blah blah blah anymore. Not really reporting anything. Just griping.
Recently added a Wilderness First Aid course to my workplace-based stuff. Useful in that it didn't assume that first aid is not required: in adverse weather on uneven or sloped surfaces more than twenty minutes from something with blue lights on it
NREMT, EMT-B and all that ICS stuff since 2011. Mcats and medical school application school soon. Thinking about wilderness EMT training and paramedic program.
One small tip you might consider for these outdoor static event type things is to keep a couple of gallons of drinking water close to hand in several plastic containers (we use 6 pint plastic milk bottles - common and free here in UK). Reason being for treating scalds and burns - especially kids. Very prompt cooling of the burn site is super important in minimising damage and pain. It’s often surprisingly difficult to lay your hands instantly on a lot of water at such an event. Possibly the cheapest additional precautionary measure you can take too!
Also, useful for acid attacks... I say this after having recently done a course on countering acid attacks. Sadly these are on the rise in the UK and as part of my hostile environment training this seems to have become part of it.
I do have some basic first aid training and training in CPR/AED for children and adults, though I do need to reup my CPR certification at some point (it's been five years or so). In other words I have enough training to help someone that isn't all that bad off and keep them alive until someone with more knowledge gets there.
True, they do seem to be increasing. But mainly in gang / race related attacks. I haven’t seen much evidence of such at family picnics / BBQs though; they don’t count high on hostile environment situations. Of course, it might be handy in a tragic accident with the vinegarette dressing ;-)
However, with the rise of moped enable crime, and the use of acid in that it has happened to random members of the public, sadly.
OLD EMT certification, ex-Red Cross instructor (standard and advanced skills). One interesting note- if the Red Cross hosts a first aid tent, they want at least one EMT in it. (That may be an old or local rule.) When I worked an event, we had: - A compete trauma kit that stayed in a closed bag. - A 'fishing tackle'-like box of bandages, wraps, safety pins, cheap triangular bandages, and lots and lots of moistened wipes. - A big tub of cold bottles of water and ice. - Lots of paper towels, tissues, and a big trash can. Most of our visitors were mild dehydration ("Have a seat in this shade and a bottle of water."), exertion issues like sore knees ("Have a seat in this shade and a bottle of water."), or minor scrapes and owies ("Oh, dear. Let's rinse it off with some cold water while you sit in the shade. Now, pat it dry and let's put a self-adhesive bandage on it. Want a bottle of water?") We were outfitted to check BPs, sugar levels, etc., had a selection of air casts, airways, and the rest, but we were also within a few minutes of 911 response and most of those events would have been handled by stabilizing and preparing to transport. We had meds available because they were in the kits for disaster response, etc. but it was a total NO-NO to offer meds to anyone. One of the staffers, however, had said that at one event that was more food-focused, they offered things like Tums or Pepto. Calamine or something similar might be helpful in buggy areas or places with irritating plants. My own thought would be to consider doing first aid as a sort of 'side gig' to the water and/or sunscreen station if you are thinking about doing this on your own. That might keep you more in the 'helpful person' category rather than the 'trained expert responder'. In most states that probably would also qualify you as a good Samaritan and protect you legally. Nonetheless, I would make sure to have AT LEAST Red Cross-style First Aid training. It is pretty basic but it will at least point you in the right direction as far as 'best practices' and so on.
