Vehicle or POV Aid bag/FAK

[RICKDAWGGG]

Medics and EMS personnel, what would you keep in your vehicle/POV and why? I ask that because I am putting together a FAK for my POVs, but wanted to get your input on the matter. How would you organize it? What are some things that you have seen that could have made a huge difference but were generally looked over? I'm sure I'll think of more as the discussion grows.

 

[JPourciau]

Honestly, I'm lucky if I have a pair of gloves on me these days... My perspective is that of a full time paramedic with a 50 mile commute every day.

A standard first aid kit would no doubt be useful for the everyday small cuts and abrasions that occur. For more traumatic incidents such as wrecks on the highways, I would stock gloves and hemorrhage control items in the kit. Think TQ, trauma dressings, gauze bandages, and so forth. An emergency space blanket or wool blanket would be extremely useful, especially if you travel remote roads in the current weather we've been having in the NE. Preventing blood loss and hypothermia are key in preventing the traumatic triad of death (hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy). If you want to get really fancy, I suppose you could stock a NPA and C-Collar, although traumatic spinal care is a rapidly changing practice these days. Perhaps some splints? Maybe a set of trauma shears or Leatherman Raptor if you're so inclined...

Regarding wrecks on the roads, being a good witness and collecting pertinent information for responding fire and EMS personnel is helpful. How many vehicles, how many patients, etc. Maybe a small notebook and pen for such purposes?

Fundamentally, keep it simple. It's easy to go way overboard on such things, but specific circumstances are key to the equation. What is your level of training? To a certain extent, tailor the kit to your knowledge and skill level...

 

[TomF]

Brand new medic here so take that for what it's worth (my avatar is me running from my internship rides once I realized the time commitment).

Knowledge is first. Know how to use what you have.
Gloves are second. Your safety is priority one, and people are disgusting.
A good wool blanket is useful for a million things, preventing hypothermia and slowing the process of shock being two really important ones.
Things that can't wait until EMS arrives are airway and bleeding. Airway can be opened manually if you have the knowledge (seek training), but I'd be VERY hesitant to put anything inside a stranger (NPA, OPA, etc).
Bleeding is pressure bandages and TQ's.

Other than that, keep yourself safe. I have a small aid bag but it's purpose is for myself and my family. IF I stop off duty my involvement will be very limited. I don't have time or money to go to court on my own dime.

 

[RICKDAWGGG]

I hadn't really thought of it in terms of treating others (other than pax in my vehicle) but that is also something to consider. Mostly, my vision of the worst case scenario was "I ate shit in the truck, myself or a passenger is injured, we are not near a hospital or are unable to get to it quickly, we don't have comms, and nobody is around to help".

I fully acknowledge that the tools don't mean much without the training. That being said, the extent of my medical training tops out at Army CLS training, which isn't much to say the least (I was around when it was still a 40 hr class).

Thanks for the input, gents.

 

[TomF]

If it's self aid, the basics still apply. Support breathing, control bleeding (which may include sprinting, SAM splints are pretty versatile), and keep warm. A TQ secured in the cab to an oh-shit handle may prove useful as everything in the car becomes a projectile in a crash.

 

[Dennis J.]

I have one of these in my Jeep, I am pretty happy with it.
http://shop.solutionsgroupinternational.com/products/sgi-ctc-blow-out-kit

 

[WayneF]

All of the cars get a small kit that lives in the center console. Gloves, a TQ, gauze, and pressure bandage and each of them have spare clothing in the back. My Vertx bag that I leave the house with everyday has a more substantial kit but it is essentially just more of the same.

 

[JNT]

As has been said a few times, a decent supply of basics and PPE is key.

One thing that is often not really discussed is how to pack/store this stuff. For a dedicated vehicle kit that lives in your POV, put it in a hard case and secure it to a fixed location. Bags get banged around and buried all too often. Yeah, gauze is gauze and will work just fine even if the sterile wrapper is torn up, but keeping things organized and in good condition makes it a lot easier to work with. Also, when you get out to work a scene, you now have a durable and waterproof workspace. It's not the most efficient way to carry gear around, there is a reason why EMS has mostly gone away from hard boxes, but for your POV kit that will mostly just live in your trunk until you need it the protection is useful.

I also secure fire extinguishers to a fixed point above the clutter level for the same reason. When you do have a fire, digging through the groceries and stuff you forgot to unpack from your last beach or hunting trip is not fun.

 

[Mcgrubbs]

Paramedic here. For my off-duty time, I try to emphasize reality. The only things that need to be addressed right friggin now is bleeding and airway. Thus, the two most important things are a Cell phone and a TQ. All the cool guy gear or even BLS supplies won't help you if you can't get help rolling to you. Also, gloves! People are just nasty. So, I keep plenty of gloves and blood stopping gear on hand, but in a medium sized GP pouch that is carried by hand.

Just about everything else.....chest pain, diabetic problems, stroke/TIA, etc......needs more than I can legally do when off duty.