Decent first responder bag

[VDCavey]

While taking my EMT class right now I was wondering which is a decent first reponder bag to stock at work and in the car. I am on the road a load and work in a correctional facility where we have at night no medical staff present (only 8 officers for +600 inmates) Seen this is an arrest house (no one is convicted yet) we have a lot of junkies and alcohol addicts, regular suicide attempts (cutting, hangings) aside the regular medical problems as epileptic attacks etc.

I was looking for a filled bag, not to large that kan be kept in my car and taken in to work when working night shifts.

Oxygen bottle is available at the medical cabinet next to an emergency box with drugs that kan be given after Doctors aproval through phone.

I have looked at www.galls.com which seem to have a decent kit from 99.99 up to 119.99 Which items should be added? Or do you guys recommend to buy a bag and fill it up myself?

[RFRDxplorer]

http://forums.firehouse.com/showthread.php?t=82736&highlight=jump+bag
http://forums.firehouse.com/showthread.php?t=77662&highlight=jump+bag
http://forums.firehouse.com/showthread.php?t=75311&highlight=jump+bag


There was a few threads, but if you use your friendly, non-venomous, vaccinated search feature you can find oh so many more. :D

[sfdffemt17]

I am not trying to start a protocol war here, but I have a quesiton for you. you stated that you have no medical staff at the facility at night, and you are currently going through your EMT class. I assume that means when you are done you will be the opnly medical person in the facility at night. Then you mention that there is an O2 bottle available next to the cabinet where drugs are kept that can be given after a doctors approval. Can you delve a little more into that? What drugs, how do you go about getting the doctors approval, who can administer them, how are they administered, and how the heck do you get away with "non medical types" administering meds. I guess my next question would be, as a Basic EMT what meds are you able to administer in your state?

Jon

PS not trying to start a whats right/whats wrong debate I was just wondering how that works in your area, and oh yeah what state is it?

[CaptainMikey]

just dont put in your bag what EMTMAN say to use.

[CaptainMikey]

I thought that if you were a facility like that you had to have LICENSED medical personel on duty?

[VDCavey]

I am not trying to start a protocol war here, but I have a quesiton for you. you stated that you have no medical staff at the facility at night, and you are currently going through your EMT class. I assume that means when you are done you will be the opnly medical person in the facility at night. Then you mention that there is an O2 bottle available next to the cabinet where drugs are kept that can be given after a doctors approval. Can you delve a little more into that? What drugs, how do you go about getting the doctors approval, who can administer them, how are they administered, and how the heck do you get away with "non medical types" administering meds. I guess my next question would be, as a Basic EMT what meds are you able to administer in your state?

Jon

PS not trying to start a whats right/whats wrong debate I was just wondering how that works in your area, and oh yeah what state is it?

Usually there i no single medical trained personel in the facility during nighttime, there are a few colleagues who have an industrial first aid course.

Medication which is in the box is only in tablet form except for insuline cause the inmates who need this are trained to administer this themself.

Other medication in the box: out of my head, Valium, Xanax, Tranxine, Buscopan, Maalox forte, these are al in tablet form and administred by us when the docter decides to do by phone based on what we tell him (no Belgium is not a third world country) Fact is that most of the "emergencies" at night are kicking junkies who would even drink a bottle of baby coff sirup to see if they get high from it.

With serious emergencies we call th emergency services ourself, then an ambulance and in case of life threathening cases a MUG group with an ER Doctor come in.

A paramedic in Belgium can NOT give any kind of medication, when this is necesary a MUG group needt to come, their vehicle is equiped with medicines, a regular "100" Ambulance only carries a few bags of saline, which we can only "prepare" seen we are not allowed to sting the IV.

[doughesson]

I'd say,go with the basic bag offered by Galls or wherever you choose to shop.You're not trying to be your personal ambulance but intending to help ease suffering while awaiting those with capability to transport arrive.
It should be up to you if you decide to upgrade after getting higher levels of training.
I just finished EMT-IV training and don't carry more than gloves and a CPR mask with me.I know folks who've been EMT-Ps for years and they don't carry their own jump bag either.
Like I just said,it's situational and while I know my area,I don't know yours and what you really need.Think about realisticallyit first before going through the catalog with an Aluminum credit card.The biggest problem you might ever see is your kids needing a bandaid for everyday scrapes,as opposed to being the only person with medical training for miles and years after Zee Big One(some natural disaster).

[redneckemt]

I thought that if you were a facility like that you had to have LICENSED medical personel on duty?

Nope, most jails around here have a part time nurse to cut down on fakers.
Be nice but it don't happen, what you have to take in consideration is that most inmates in this Country are housed in local jails, run by the Sheriff's Department, most of the time who don't have a very big budget. Which would you rather your local Law Enforcement Agency have two more Officers on the street, or a Nurse in the jail.

As for the question at hand. Off the top of my head.

Gloves, bandage supplies, BVM, more gloves, B.P. Cuff, with stethoscope, NPA's and OPA's portable suction device, and lots of BSI.

One question, how do 8 Officers handle 600+ inmates, we got 10 for 200 and we're under staffed.

[RFRDxplorer]

In my kit (put together by yours truely and probably a little much) I have roughly:
1- BVM
1- Pocket Mask
1- Abdominal Dressing
1- Multi Trauma Dressing
1- BP cuff
1- Stethoscope
1- pair trauma shears
1- pair tweezers
1- pair bandage scissors
1- pair kelly forceps
pt assessment sheets
Asst. kling
10- 4x4's
10- 2x2's
Asst. rolls medical tape
1- ice pack
2- ACE bandages
1- turkey baster (emergency suction....got the idea from right here on the forums)
BSI
1- Burn Dressing
Asst. Burn Gel
1- Eye Wash Bottle
Buttload of BandAids
15 or so PAWS wipes


There is more, but its raining outside and I don't feel like going out to the car to look at it. :D