*** Disclaimer First aid advice is always changing and improving. Always consider the latest guidance and be aware that these observations are my own and based on only 1 course held in the UK***

Last weekend I experienced what can only be described as Gore-Tex singularity. No, I wasn’t hanging out at the British Antarctic Survey, neither was I on an oil rig nor summiting Annapurna. I was in a chilly and characteristically musty scout hut in rural Gloucestershire.

The vital stats: 

Temperature 13.5°C

Wind SSW 8mph with gusts reaching 10mph 

Altitude 104m above sea level. 

I walk in to see 10 others (a healthy mix of.. well mainly engineers and outdoor enthusiasts) sitting on brown plastic school chairs in one corner of the hall.  Everyone was clutching hi-tech heat retaining beverage holders in various shades of camouflage watching a power point entitled “Outdoor First Aid.” Immediately I regret my choice to leave my salopettes at home as I realise that every person in the room is dressed as if to face the Siberian Buran or at least like they had looted AlpKit. One person was braving shorts proper scout leader style; so I knew I was at least in the right place.

Our trainer is Tim Oliver, he “used to run around in green shooting at things” and has a huge knowledge about first aid and pre hospital trauma care and from a small Facebook stalk – is a fine mountaineer, paddler and climber. He has a great way of explaining life saving techniques in a way that feels doable, memorable and at least try-able.

Here are a few things I took away from my weekend learning Out Door First Aid with Tim and a load of Scout leaders.

1) When in danger or in doubt (don’t) run in circles scream and shout!

Even after being at 100s of in hospital resuscitation calls as a medic my urge on hearing that crash bleep or on seeing someone collapsed is still to jump out of the nearest window. Emergencies are hugely anxiety provoking. If you’re panicking take a beat and put on your gloves. The action tells your cat brain that you are taking control and gives you a moment to get your shit together and look properly at the scene.

2) Do we Stay and Play or Load and Go?

Ask yourself this question early on. Is there any point to making a complicated stretcher, a tree and rope supported femur fracture traction, a casualty carefully parcelled up with complicated knots that the medics will need to hack off to examine them? Being scout leaders We were all keen outdoorsy-problem-solver-types, and perhaps in a situation with a casualty this could be our downfall.  

It is important to think about the safest and quickest way to get your casualty sorted. If that means an unglamourous fireman’s lift to a nearby road and calling the grownups to help, we should choose that. Ego checks are necessary before we intervene too deeply.

Consider your own safety before doing anything too heroic like giving up your jacket (if it’s bad weather) for your casualty. It will most likely lead to you both ending up in trouble.

Lunch

Still sporting peak Gore-Tex my course mates all began eating whole foods from mess tins. I felt a little self conscious about my sausage roll wrapped in plastic (I mean it was from posh Gloucester services so it was probably wrapped in cornstarch film) but still…

At lunch break the chat is mainly scout talk, correction, scout-politics talk. There is a little jostling for position amongst the top desks in the group, arguing the toss over the ambiguous elements of policy. We then get to chatting about everyone’s outdoor predilections. It is a room full of white water canoeists, climbers, hikers, gorge walkers and mountaineers. One was even a real search and rescue person. It was a fantastically interesting bunch.

Stuffing my face with sausage roll, I determined that it was my moment. I’m hanging with the big kids now and  think this is the time to play my ‘I did an extreme Via Ferrata’ card. I lean back on my chair, I guess trying to be cool, and mention my adventures in Switzerland, pictures ready on my phone. I was swiftly put back in my box “Oh yeah, Murren Via Ferrara! I took my 5 year old around that!”.Though I maintain that it was one of the most intrepid things I have done.

I ate the rest of my lunch in listening mode discreetly eating my Twix amongst a room full of Cliff bars and protein filled human performance enhancing snacks. 

 

 

3) The secondary survey: do it properly!

After getting to know each other over lunch it was time to learn the Secondary Survey which is the closer examination of your casualty’s body after you have established they are breathing and circulating and you want more information. Do they have  their feet facing the wrong way? Have they got an epi-pen? Are they missing any bits? That kind of thing.

We laid in the grass, our partners frisking us down trying to find wounds that we had hidden under our layers, medications in our pockets and fake broken bones hanging out of our shins. One person had a packet of glucose gel in her bra that was never found because her partner was too polite to check.  

If missed in real life it could have impacted her chances of recovery. Check for medi-alert jewellery and on the underside of sports watches for health information.

4) Be led by your casualty.

If they are conscious, let them tell you where it hurts and what position they feel most comfortable in. Include them in the plan, don’t insist that you sling their arm with busted clavicle in the gold standard ‘fingers to shoulder’ way if they are telling you it is more comfortable in another position.

There are times when you just have to get on with things eg splinting a broken leg or tourniquet-ing a catastrophic bleed.

5) If in doubt: reassess!

You have done your initial assessment and started treatment. Things on hillsides can change quickly. If in doubt, reassess your casualty. Consider if the plan needs to change. 

 

6) Awareness leads to preparedness 

Risk assessments are a bit dull. But thinking of the common accidents that are involved with the specific activity you are doing allows you to both pack the right stuff and also think about what you might do and use in an emergency. 

Learn the early signs of illnesses you might see in the outdoors. If your mate is shivering uncontrollably, take time to warm them, add layers, rethink the day’s plan. You can usually avoid the situation getting worse by intervening early. If not and they develop moderate or severe hypothermia turn them into a human burrito and get help.

Keep heads and hands warm. Don’t hike in a cotton hoodie.

7) Improvise: Here are a few Multi purpose items of kit that I thought were cool!

Silver blanket: Use as a blanket, create a warming human burrito, use as a ground tarp, braid into a rope, use as a sling or Pelvic splint

Muslin sling:  Use as a sling, wound pack, tourniquet, for  immobilising limbs, padding, bandaging 

Gaffer tape secure a splint, secure blankets, secure flutter valve, bandage with gauze, secure a shelter 

Gloves fill with water, pierce a finger and squeeze to clean a wound. Create an improvised Asherman chest seal flutter valve. Fill with cold/warm water to make a compress/warmer. Gloves ideas!

I can really recommend anyone who roams about in the outdoors to do this course. It’s great for building confidence and bonding as a team. These are the things that stuck in my head but there is so much more useful stuff I took away. 

And  to quote Tim directly: never forget your versatile bucket of common sense.  You have got this.

Contact Tim Here for your first aid course!

#firstaid #scouts #mountainrescue