In this article, we took to crowdsourcing to gather information on what is common in fire performer’s first aid kits when they are out performing. We asked members of the Fire Performance Safety Discussion Facebook Group what are some things they always carry in their kit and the results are below. Although there is not one solid answer and everyone has different needs, this article contains lots of different items to consider putting in your kit when you next restock your performance bag.
As an important note, please make sure to keep all prescription medications and items that could cause allergic reactions such as silvadene cream or aloe in separate sealed packages. Many people can have allergic reactions by simply coming into contact with these products.
Another important note, if you do not have proper medical training and a burn or injury is serious please seek proper medical attention. There is some valuable information from the Mayo Clinic about basic burn care, which should be familiar to everyone working in the fire arts. For more serious issues, seeking medical care in a timely fashion can help with the healing process and prevent further issues.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-burns/basics/art-20056649
Some of the most common things in people’s kits include
- Red Cross Basic First Aid Kit
- Bottled Water- For cleaning and hydration
- Cloth Tape
- Liquid Bandages
- Sterile wrap bandages
- Eye Wash
- Water-Jel Burn Gel with Lidocaine
- Flashlight
- Wet Towel in a plastic bag
- Aloe vera
Some other specific things to include may be
- Emergency Blankets- for many different purposes.
- Activated Charcoal
- Cold packs with sleeves
- Sunscreen
People also mentioned including Silvadene Cream in their kits. We will be creating an article solely devoted to the topic as it is one that is actively discussed in the fire performance community and accurate information can save lives.