72-Hour Grindstone Family Readiness Guide
First Aid
Preparedness is not about expecting the worst. It is about being ready to care for the people
around you until additional help arrives. When preparing for a storm or other emergency, it is easy to focus on dramatic injuries, serious cuts, broken bones, burns, or heavy bleeding. Those situations matter, but medical preparedness also means continuing the ordinary care your household depends on every day. A storm may not cause anyone in your home to suffer a major injury. It may simply close the pharmacy, block the roads, knock out electricity, or leave you unable to replace medication and supplies for several days.
A useful medical plan must prepare for both.
Begin With What Your Household Uses Every Day.
Before purchasing additional emergency equipment, take inventory of the medical items already used in your home.
That may include prescription medications, insulin, glucose testing supplies, inhalers, allergy medication, hearing-aid batteries, eyeglasses, mobility aids, wound-care supplies, or medical equipment that requires electricity.
Consider what would happen if those items could not be replaced for at least 72 hours. For some people, missing several days of medication may cause discomfort. For others, it may
create a serious or life-threatening situation. Speak with your doctor or pharmacist about how to safely maintain an appropriate emergency supply of essential medications.
Keep medications together and easy to locate if you must leave quickly. Include an updated list of each person’s prescriptions, dosages, allergies, health conditions, doctors, pharmacy information, and emergency contacts. Medical preparedness begins by making sure the care someone needs on an ordinary Tuesday can continue during an extraordinary week.
Plan for Power-Dependent Medical Needs. Storms frequently cause power outages, which may create additional risks for people who rely on refrigerated medications, oxygen equipment, powered mobility devices, breathing machines, or other electrical medical equipment.
Know which devices have battery backups and how long those batteries last. Keep charging cables, power banks, spare batteries, and manufacturer instructions with the equipment. Those who use refrigerated medication should speak with a pharmacist about safe storage temperatures, how long the medication can remain unrefrigerated, and whether an insulated medication cooler is appropriate.
Do not wait until the power goes out to determine what your medical equipment requires.
Prepare for Injuries That Happen During Cleanup.
Many storm-related injuries do not happen while the storm is passing. They happen afterward.
People may be clearing broken limbs, moving debris, walking through damaged areas, using
chainsaws or generators, climbing ladders, repairing roofs, or handling wet and contaminated
materials. Cuts, puncture wounds, burns, sprains, falls, insect stings, and eye injuries can occur quickly. Damaged roads and overloaded emergency services may also delay professional help.
When an injury does occur, preventing contamination is an important part of wound care. Before
treating a wound, wash your hands with soap and clean water whenever possible.
Dirty hands can introduce bacteria into an injury and increase the risk of infection. Hand sanitizer is useful when soap and water are unavailable, but it should not completely replace proper handwashing when those are available.
A well-stocked first aid kit gives you the ability to clean and cover wounds, control minor
bleeding, protect burns, support an injured joint, and keep a manageable injury from becoming
worse. Work gloves, eye protection, sturdy shoes, masks, and protective clothing are also part of
medical preparedness because preventing an injury is better than treating one.
The First Few Minutes Can Save a Life.
Some emergencies require immediate action.
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals in the United States each year, with many occurring inside the home. Immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival.
Severe bleeding is another time-sensitive emergency. A person can die from uncontrolled blood loss within minutes, sometimes before emergency responders can arrive. In those situations, the person who makes the difference may be a spouse, family member,
neighbor, coworker, or volunteer standing nearby.
Having gauze, gloves, pressure dressings, or a tourniquet available can be valuable, but equipment is most effective when someone knows how to use it.
Supplies and Training Must Work Together.
A first aid kit does not replace training, and training cannot replace having the necessary supplies nearby.
Basic first aid, CPR, AED, and bleeding-control courses teach people how to recognize an emergency, protect themselves, call for help, and provide appropriate care until professional responders arrive.
Advanced equipment such as tourniquets, wound-packing gauze, and chest seals should not
simply be placed in a bag and forgotten. Learn what each item is for, how it should be used, and
when it should not be used.
For help choosing a dependable medical kit or finding practical emergency medical training,
reach out to our partners at Refuge Medical and Refuge Training. They can help you select supplies suited to your household and learn how to use them with confidence. More information is available on REFUGEMEDICAL.COM.
During an emergency is not the time to use your medical supplies for the first time.
Store Supplies Where They Are Needed.
Keep the main household medical kit in a clearly
marked and easily accessible location. Every responsible person in the home should know where it is stored. Smaller kits can be placed in vehicles, workshops, evacuation bags, barns, offices, or other areas where injuries may occur.
Organize supplies by purpose so they can be found quickly:
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Daily medications and medical equipment
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Basic wound care
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Common over-the-counter medications
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Protective equipment
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Severe bleeding supplies
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Medical records and emergency contacts
Review everything several times each year. Replace expired medications, damaged packaging, dried-out wipes, depleted batteries, and any supplies that have been used.
Preparedness is not about trying to anticipate every possible illness or injury. It is about maintaining the care your household already depends on while also being ready to respond when a storm creates new medical needs.
