| Author | Message | ||
     Along4theride |
Last evening I came upon a serious accident on my bike. Some children were J-Walking across a VERY dangerous road at rush hour 2 out of 4 got hit. This is a road that it took me 2 years to drive on after moving to Atlanta and I would rarely drive my Blast on it. It has reversible lanes and has been deemed 'The most dangerous road in Atlanta'. It was NOT a good scene (but I think both children will live). I came up to it realizing NO one there was properly attending one of the children. He had a head injury and was bleeding pretty bad. I don't even remember taking off my helmet, next thing I know I'm checking vitals, listening to his breathing, holding his neck and instructing the other people as to what to do to help. It was all a very sobering experience, but it got me thinking. I wasn't prepared for this type of situation AT ALL. Being that it was a child I was not concerned with the blood getting on me but had it been an adult I wonder if I would have been as quick to render aid and 'get my hands dirty'. From now on I will always carry the following with me just in case Rubber Gloves Mouth Guard for CPR (you can get these from the Red Cross for $10) Gauze/bandages Survival blanket (takes up about 2"X 3" of flat space) The reason I would carry a survival blanket is that yesterday we had a hard time keeping the little boy still. It wasn't until later that I realized, no matter how much pain he was in he it was burning him to lie on the hot pavement. If I would have had something to slide under him... What items do you carry on your bike for emergency situations? What items would you recommend you carry for such situations??? I don't want to be in the situation I found myself in yesterday EVER again but if I do I want to be prepared. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Don't know if it would have done any good, but First Aid kit. Something I plan to have in my saddle bag soon. (Message edited by cataract2 on June 17, 2005) | ||
| Bomber |
tank bag has a first aid kit for bikes (Cruztools), tires, and folks (which contains most of what you called out) . . . . . it's a scary world, and for kids, you're right, it's tough NOT to get involved | ||
| Lake_bueller |
My tank bag has a first aid kit, mouth guard, tool kit and misc. repair items (electrical tape, fuses, zip ties, etc). It also usually has a spare pair of gloves, breath mints or gum, insurance card and ear plugs. | ||
| Bomber |
I can attest that riding with lake is a "minty fresh" experience! | ||
| Along4theride |
Yeah I have a pretty decent tool kit going on. Zip ties, fuses, speaker wire etc. But I didn't have ANY First Aid items. If you had to hand pick items for a 1st Aid kit rather than buy one what would you recommend making sure you have? I have a great 1st aid kit I use for hiking that I made myself, but it's a bit different than things I'd need at the scene of an accident. | ||
| Buelliedan |
Call me a jerk but the only thing I would carry is a cell phone to call for professional help. there are just too many people who will try to sue you if you help them and they they feel you did something wrong. I know all about the "good samaritan" laws but that doesn't stop them from taking you to court and making your life a living hell. | ||
| CJXB |
What items do you carry on your bike for emergency situations? I have a small kit with rubber gloves and mouth guard for CPR, I am certified but have NEVER had to do it thank goodness !?? I've often thought I need to get a basic first aid kit but have not done so yet, maybe this will remind me again to actually do so !! Glad you could help the kids out and they are going to live, I'm sure it was not easy !! And sadly no tools other than the small kit that came with the bike, couldn't use them if I had them anyway !  Credit card, cash, cell phone, sunscreen and chapstick !! Minty experience riding with Lake ?? Too funny Bomber !! CJ (Message edited by cj_xb on June 17, 2005) | ||
| Djkaplan |
All I ever carry is a credit card, cell phone, and a pocket knife. The pocket knife did save me once when the kickstand switch failed enroute. | ||
| Along4theride |
I've often thought I need to get a basic first aid kit but have not done so yet, maybe this will remind me again to actually do so !! It certainly did for me. Hopefully you won't EVER need to use your CPR skills, but they're good to have!!! I have NO formal medical training, other than Red Cross certifications too. I always figured that was enough to know to handle a 'situation' and I did seem to know more about how to handle the situation than anyone else at the scene. I was lucky enough to have participated in a couple demonstrations by EMT's regarding what to do in the first minutes of a motorcycle accident. That was VERY informative. The minutes before medical attention arrives are typically the most critical. They demonstrated how to 'safely' remove a helmet and keep the neck steady- BUT ONLY IF THE PATIENT ISN'T BREATHING. That helped considerably yesterday cuz the child had a head, neck and back injury. But I never did anything about getting 1st aid items for my bike. In this age of transmittable diseases.... I'll be doing it ASAP- I already have gloves in my tail bag. | ||
| Dsergison |
bring a towel and Don't Panic  new plugs. | ||
| Bomber |
Along -- hiking kit is a great start -- add something to help with serious burns (road rash) and you're about good to go, for on scene stuff -- you won't want to set broken limbs on the side of the road, I"m thinkin -- I've added stuff for bee-stings (the critters eem highly attracted to motorsickles for some reason), BIG sterile pads for knees/elbows in case of road rash (most stuff in kits is pretty small) and some disinfectant swabs for ditto you can do a trach with a ball point pen and pocket knife, and sucking chest wounds can be stablized with the cellophone form ciragette pack or similar just so's ya know ;-} actually, packbacker's/bicyclist kits are a good starting point, and, as alomst always when answering a question wrt "where do I get . . . . ?", Aerostich has a good selection of kits | ||
| Along4theride |
you can do a trach with a ball point pen and pocket knife, and sucking chest wounds can be stablized with the cellophone form ciragette pack or similar Ummm... that's a little much I think I'll stick to treating road rash & keeping them still  But the bee sting thing is a great idea, I do have that in my hiking kit | ||
| Bomber |
well, I figured your folks paid for my acquiring that knowledge, you should have access to it -- ;-} the bee thing has avoided a couple of ugly scenes -- some folks are terribly allergic, as you likely already know | ||
| U4euh |
Good Job A4TR.- Living in San Antonio was very similar. Now that I am married to a Nurse, she could do about anything with the 1st Aid pack she has,except stitching up. Always good to have the basics to protect yourself as well as stabalize(sp) the victim until the medics can arrive. Again- good job- wish more people would get certified. | ||
| Jlnance |
If you had to hand pick items for a 1st Aid kit rather than buy one what would you recommend making sure you have? I've honestly never thought about it before. I must admit I don't even have a first aid kit in my house.  But I suspect the most useful thing a person could do is get some sort of formal training in CPR or EMT stuff. The equipment you cary doesn't make much difference if you don't know how to use it. Probably the next most useful thing would be a cell phone. And good job with the kids. It's really great you got to help them. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
The new sticker to be attached to my replacement helmet "TO BE REMOVED BY MEDICAL PERSONEL ONLY" The first person on the scene kept wanting to take my helmet off, and though I didn't feel anything in my neck over the pain in my right arm, I didn't want to chance it and yelling at him to leave my helmet alone just wasn't getting through. Fortunately the cute blonde in the white Supra following us was a RN on a weekend vacation that took the scenic route from Flagstaff. | ||
| Mutt2jeff |
I carry a fairly complete first aid kit on my bike at all times. It includes bandages/gauze, gloves, mouth guard, survival blanket, butterfly bandages, superglue, painkillers, and several other items. I have never really though about having to used the kit for someone besides me, before i read this post. I always just carried it as a means to patch myself up, should i be injured and be beyond the reach of help, or not injured enough to justify calling an ambulance for myself. I cant believe some of you guys dont carry aid kits. | ||
| Lars |
Congratulatons ALONG4THERIDE! It's people like you who can really make a difference if you do the right things. The stuff that makes a medic's job easier is to fix the life threats. It all follows the old ABCs that they taught in CPR and first aid. A: Open the airway/immobilize the cervical spine at the same time. Use a jaw thrust - meaning pushing the mandible (lower jaw) forward. DO NOT flex (bend back) the head to open the airway. B: Assist them with breathing if they are breathing too slow (<10) or too fast (>30) times a minute or if they're turning blue or gray or ashen. These folks are adequately ventilating (oxygenating) themselves. Have a pocket mask with a one-way valve and USE IT. Never do direct mouth to mouth! C: Circulation. Stop any life threatening hemmorhage. Use your bandages you carry. Bandage, direct pressure, elevation (if possible), pressure points and as a last resort, use a tourniquet. These are the basics. They can save someone's life. Like WyckedFlesh, I also have a blaze orange sticker on the helmet that sez: "To be removed by medical personnel only." BuellieDan: I would say that carrying only a cell phone is dangerous. If you lived in Gunnison County, CO there are many places where you don't have cell coverage. Worse than that, EMS response times can be upwards of 60 minutes once dispatched due to our coverage area being over 4400 square miles. The closest helicopter is 45 minutes away! That first aid kit is not just for other folks. It's for you to self aid, it's for your buddy so he can take care of you, it's for you to take care of your buddy. Just some things to keep in mind when you come across a downed rider or even a motor vehicle crash. I would say this though. Some folks will die, they may even die on you. Happened yesterday to an EMT buddy at a car vs. TT unit. He was talking and then just stopped during the extrication. Some people are just too broken to survive some traumas. Don't let it bug you too much because you did what you could do with your limited resources on hand. Of course your mileage may vary and if other public safety folks show up, just tell them what you know and what you've done. You cannot be held liable. States have what are called the Good Samaritan Laws. Basically, if you do something to help someone in goodwill, you cannot be help liable if there is an untoward outcome. There's my .05 cents. Safe riding to you! | ||
| Kdan |
A4TR - Well...You've seen inside my bag. Wire ties, a space blanket, electrical tape, some towels a couple of toys and various other sundries. I've been there. | ||
| Along4theride |
I've honestly never thought about it before. I must admit I don't even have a first aid kit in my house I hope you at least have a fire extinguisher at the house  The sticker "TO BE REMOVED BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL ONLY" is a MUST!!! (I wish it wasn't that ugly bright orange color but oh well) I was instructed the ONLY time you take a helmet off a crash victim is when they AREN'T BREATHING. At that point it can't get much worse than it already is. There is a way, if you have proper instruction to remove a helmet WITHOUT moving the head or spine- Crazy I know but I've seen it done and done it myself. Thanks for the kudos guys, I didn't intend on getting involved at all it all just kinda happened. Thanks for all the hints on what you should have in a 1st aid kit, as soon as I get to Colorado I'll be putting one together!!! a couple of toys and various other sundries TMI Kdan, after the screaming comment you made Saturday night I don't even want to know about 'toys' you carry on your bike | ||
| Chainsaw |
I carry a first aid kit on road trips. I have never used it for any medical purpose yet, but I have used Band-Aids from the kit to fix shorted out headlight wires, and I've used the bandage tape to hold together spliced wires directly to the ignition coil. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
i don't carry a first aid kit, but this thread has prompted me to start shopping for one. i DO carry a pretty good assortment of "first aid" items of a mechanical nature, all neatly double zip-lock bagged and tucked in here and there under the seat. thus, these items are always along, even if i leave home without tankbag or saddlebags mounted. i'm curious what you all carry with you to help be better prepared in the case of something mechanical - maybe there's something obvious that i should have in my arsenal but have overlooked. GREAT thread. Ferris | ||
| Imeazy |
I never put much thought to this subject until reading this thread. I have been through quite a few cpr/first aid courses while in the service. Was assigned to a mobile unit and it was mandatory, we deployed to the field alot. I did a search on ebay after seeing this and ran across this kit that may be a future purchase. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=75035&item=5588949327&rd= 1 Kudos to you Along4theride and thanks for bringing this topic to everyones attention.  | ||
| Jlnance |
I hope you at least have a fire extinguisher at the house I'm not sure if I do or not. I used to have all that kind of stuff, then I got divorced and a lot of it left. The last time one of the kids got a scrape, I discovered that I had lost custody of the band-aids.  Until something like this thread comes up, I never think about checking to see if I still own a fire extinguisher. Back to the topic of this thread, where are you all carrying all this stuff? They only place I have on my M2 is a little space under the seat. I don't think I could fit much in there. I could of course take my bag, but I usually ride w/o it. | ||
| Mutt2jeff |
I keep my aid kit under the seat, and a few tools in my tank bag. | ||
| Fullpower |
I never ride without a First Aid Kit consisting of one each: clean bandanna, sharp knife, roll of E-tape, .45 popjpeg{122268,} for mechanical adjustments or maintenance i carry one small (4.5 ounce) can of CHAIN lube,an 8 inch adjustable wrench, a few allen and torx L-shaped wrenches, tire pressure guage, tire plug kit, spare H-7 bulb, a start relay, and a few fuses, and a very small 12volt test lamp.all the tools and spares are easily accomodated beneath the seat of the XB. the First AID supplies are always carried on my person. | ||
| Fullpower |
picture of my first aid kit:  (Message edited by fullpower on June 18, 2005) | ||
| Chasespeed |
On my bike, I really dont carry anything. knife, sutcher kit(1), some 1"x 14" al bars, zip ties, gauze.... In my truck, I have a FULL EMT kit(was volunteer when I was stationed in TX, and yes, my certs stay up to date courtesy of the navy).... I see something I stop and help.... Chase | ||
| Awprior |
I carry (an Eagle Scout is always Prepared)... - an Aerostich flat repair kit (Ferris kicked my ••• on this one, 'remind me to tell you'...) - my Boy Scout survival kit ( instant shelter, fire making stuff, food (energy bars etc.) and a big ••• first aid kit) - Maps if IA, IL and WI, my stomping grounds - Tools (adjustable wrench, one-piece hex key set covering the common sizes on the bike, torx bits for the bike, electrical tape, multimeter, baling wire ($hit I am a farm boy, can't live without it), Leatherman and a host of other tools. - Spare face shield. I usually have a smoke colored shield during the day, keep the clear in case I am out after dark, or if something happens to the other one. - one apple. My morning snack at work, otherwise a great thing for a tired Bueller on the road. - The entire copy of the Rider's Assistance dealio from here on Badweb. If electrical tape, baling wire and the other crap can't fix it, a fellow Bueller can. I carry all of this in my tank bag, which doesn't leave the bike. Prior Edit: cell phone too... always in my pocket. (Message edited by awprior on June 19, 2005) | ||
| Koz5150 |
I carry clear night glasses and keep my cell phone in my pocket. That pretty much covers everything I need. | ||
| Buells Rule! (Dyna in disguise) |
Might have my cell on me & thats it. I dont usually ride with a tank bag & dont have any storage on either bike. Am trained & certified for CPR & accident scene managment. Havent needed any of it yet & hopefully never will. | ||
| Rek |
If you're not a trained EMS then a pocket-mask and cell-phone are your best options. Just remember the old jarhead mantra, "Stop the bleeding, start the breathing, treat for shock," and you can't go wrong. Oh yeah, add the CPR "Call for help," in there too. Rob (EMT since 1995) | ||
| Blake |
On extended travels... Cell phone Wash cloth Alcohol based antibacterial gel/cleanser Triple antibiotic ointment Adhesive bandages and gauze wrap Needles and thread Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen Bottle of water Sun block (Bullfrog) Small flask of tequila or bourbon (Message edited by blake on June 19, 2005) |
