Archives

Consider the many places you and your loved ones go on a day-to-day or month-to-month basis. You’re at home, at work, on vacation, swimming, hiking, camping, playing ball, engaging in all kinds of activities. Although it’s no fun to think about, at any time you or someone you love can become a potential casualty to a life-threatening situation. [/toggle]

It probably isn’t even a matter of if something should happen… it’s more a matter of when something will happen. We’ve all seen it happen while driving, working or playing. The sight can leave you feeling unequipped, frightened… possibly even paralyzed.

It’s a grim fact of life for parents, young children, the elderly, caregivers, campers, hikers, sailors, co-workers, sports enthusiasts, drivers, emergency responders, every person everywhere: 24/7/365, every time the second hand moves, someone needs first aid.  When it’s your turn to help or to receive help, will you have what you need to address the emergency until professional responders can arrive?

Questions You Need to Answer to Make Sure You’re Prepared

If you have an Emergency Medical First Aid Kit:

1. How long has it been since you’ve checked the expiration dates on the perishable items? Have you used some of the items and failed to replace them?

2. Do you know what’s missing so you can replace what you’ve used?

If your emergency first aid kit was purchased “on the cheap” (because saving money is usually sensible)

3.. Does it offer enough essential items to care for more than a skinned knee or an imbedded splinter?

4. Is it equipped with the unique items that you and your family require (prescription drugs, allergy or asthma remedies, diabetic supplies, etc.) should you be stranded or should stores shut down due to weather conditions or a localized disaster?

5. Do you know what is inside a professional first-responder’s “tool kit”? Do you have many of the same items in your own first aid kit? Do you know how to use them properly?

In a heartbeat you can become the first line of defense after a catastrophic injury, accident, illness or allergic reaction. With the proper tools and some easy-to-remember information and tactics, you can quickly become more confident about fulfilling the role that fate can assign to you without your permission.

Until you need it, an Emergency Medical First Aid Kit may be the farthest thing from your mind.

But the moment you need it, there is nothing more crucial.

Guest post from Kristine M Smith, author, DeForest Kelley: A Harvest of Memories

I came this close to learning a brutal lesson with a tragic ending, so forgive me if I come across as some kind of crusading zealot. When you hear the story, you’ll understand completely. What you learn here will probably save someone’s life… maybe even your own.

Just over ten years ago while on holiday, I was camped in a remote area with family members. Bright morning sunshine winked over a nearby hill as several of us exited tents and headed for the coffee pot perched over a crackling campfire.

As we exchanged morning greetings and pleasantries, my sister’s strapping six foot two inch son Phil–chiseled into Adonis-like shape by hard scrabble football practice–strode over to the edge of the clearing to pick up another armload of firewood. Suddenly, he bellowed “Ouch!” I looked over to find him slapping at the back of his neck.

I called out, “Phil! What happened?”

Recovering, he said dismissively, “Oh, nothing.  Just got stung by a bee.”  He continued to rub the base of his skull.

OK. No biggy, I thought.

Less than two minutes later, Phil was still rubbing his neck, and now he was pacing and opening and closing his fists.

I was just weeks out from having taken an Emergency First Responder and Disaster Preparedness course at my workplace, Warner Bros Studios in Hollywood. I stood, walked over to my nephew, and looked into his eyes.  Sweat was beading on his forehead. He looked more than a little bit haunted.

Concerned, I asked him, “Are you okay?”

He said, “I don’t know. My hands are going numb.”

Trying not to panic (first responders aren’t supposed to heighten another’s worry by compounding it with their own), I asked him, “Are you allergic to bees?”

He answered, “I don’t know. I don’t think so…”

To make a long, scary story short, he was allergic to bees, he had no epinephrine syringe on him, and the nearest emergency room was six impossibly long miles away.

My dad and I put Phil into the car. Dad took the wheel; I got into the back seat.

Minute by minute, my nephew faded. He would report, “I can’t feel my legs… my arms are going numb… I can’t see… I can’t breathe.” His skin was beginning to blotch and swell. While I watched, Phil was slipping closer and closer to death at age 20.

We bumped over railroad tracks less than a mile away from the campground. The car died. I gasped. Dad got out, to try to wire it together again from underneath the hood. I had been taught that time was of the essence so I whispered to Dad, “I’m going to flag down a passing car. We’re running out of time.” Dad blustered, “Now, don’t go ape on me! I can get the car started.” I ignored him and started thumbing.

The first car I flagged sped by, as did the second. Thankfully (and maybe because by now I was standing half on the roadway, desperate for help), a third car came to a halt, albeit hesitantly. The vehicle was a sporty two-passenger model driven by a lady who looked close to 60 years old. I quickly told her, “My nephew was stung by a bee and is going into anaphylactic shock. Can you drive him to the emergency room?”  She said, “Oh, yes!  I was just on my way to mass. I know where the emergency room is.”

I guided my by-now blind nephew into the two-seater and off he went with a total stranger. Dad was still working on the car. I jogged back to camp and commandeered another vehicle and my mom, desperate to get to the hospital to see if Phil had made it in time. Dad was still under the hood as we sped by.

As we entered the hospital parking lot, the angel who had taken on the task of ferrying Phil came through the emergency room doors and assured us, “He’s going to be all right.” I sighed and cried, hugging her. Then she confessed, “The doctors said that if we had come in just two minutes later, there is nothing they could have done for him.”  I nearly collapsed.

These days, I have “dedicated” first aid kits by Survival Emergency Products® in my home, vehicle and office. Each is filled with essential items. And one small section of each kit is reserved for personal items. In my personal pouch are prescribed medications.

Phil has a first aid kit, too. In his personal pouch is an Epi-pen because even though he received a series of desensitization shots, he may still need epinephrine if he’s ever stung again… and now he has two young daughters who may share his susceptibility. We know, all too well, the dangers of being unprepared.

If you don’t have a well-stocked first aid kit, one that includes space for unique personal items, you are running the very real risk of going through something like I did… one with a far more brutal ending. Don’t risk it.

Oh. And just so you know: Tomorrow may be too late.

Do it now… before something else steals your attention.

The outside of each Survival Emergency Products® kit is composed of heavy duty, waterproof canvas fabric. A sturdy plastic handle and the kit’s compact size (before it’s opened to get to the contents) make it easy to carry, and a reflective strip makes it a cinch to find in the dark. There is also a loop in case you want to attach the kit to a belt for hands-free toting.

The kit unfolds and expands to allow easy, logical access to the inside contents. Every internal compartment is stenciled with identifying labels so you can easily find and use items appropriately. You’ll also be able to quickly see which items are getting low so you can re-order and keep your kit stocked at all times.

Inside the kit are items for day to day use, making it a great home, camping, or office companion. But the kit is also a fully-contained emergency piece, containing professional-grade rescue and relief items. We’ll mention just a few here: germ-and-virus barriers for administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, sterile bandages, hypo-allergenic strapping tape, gloves, aluminum jacket for heat retention, sterile wound dressings, sterile eye patches, bandage shears, first aid instructions, and lots more, making it a powerhouse during crucial moments.

There is also a detachable zipped section for smaller needs or shorter trips.

You simply can’t find an easier-to-use emergency medical first aid kit anywhere.

• No more fumbling for items or wondering if you have everything
• No more worries about first aid basics or instructions
• No more concerns about blood-borne diseases or viruses

When a medical emergency happens, be sure you’re equipped to serve until professional first responders can arrive. Your fully-prepared presence during a crisis will help sick or injured people feel a greater sense of relief and comfort. Your physical and emotional support can help keep shock from setting in.  You’ll be on hand to tend to needs, de-escalate fears and offer well-informed temporary life support.

When you find yourself on the front lines, you’ll have what you need and know what you need to do. We’re online to make sure of that. Read our articles to learn more about how to respond during various scenarios, then review the material in the first aid kit as an abbreviated refresher course.

Our 100% Money-back Guarantee

If you’re not completely satisfied with your new Survival Emergency Products® kit, simply return it within 30 days and we’ll refund your money – no questions asked.