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6 Comments

1. Thanks for posting this article. It covers topics I have been pondering. I appreciate your perseverance and dedication.

2. Another middle certification that is easier to find and accomplish is the ‘Wilderness Advanced First Aid’ certification. Its focus on up to multi-day management of medical emergencies or injuries and longer term wound management makes it more appropriate to the prepper mindset and situation.

   When I took it in the mid-90’s it was 80+ hours and was called ‘Mountaineering Oriented, Advanced First Aid’. I’m told the Red Cross doesn’t do it anymore. It took a couple months going two nights a week. The depth of study and complexity was amazing- I ended up having a 5 inch thick 3-ring notebook of handouts at completion, the course included several practical (i.e. outdoors simulated emergency) exercises, including one at night, a 2 hr final exam and 8 hours of observation duty at a local trauma center. Needless to say, my level of confidence with any medical emergency was greatly enhanced. As I tell people, it was the most challenging and rewarding class I have ever taken.

3. A good article. My wife is/was an EMT some years ago. Although she still has the skills, she can no longer run squad because of physical issues.
   We still have most of her training supplies, and she keeps her bag in the truck.

4. More medical training is always better!!! Emergencies happen every day, not just WTSHTF. Knowing what to do, and how to do so CALMLY are important for your safety, as well as the people you are helping during an emergency.

   As a medical director for multiple fire departments, both paid and volunteer, here are a few additional hints to consider:

   1.) In the post-9/11 and “active shooter” era, there has been a recognition that having more laypeople medically trained benefits all of society, especially in the event of a mass casualty event/natural disaster/terrorist attack.
   There are programs offered (usually from state Emergency Management Agency/state DHS) to provide free or very low-cost medical training to members of the public, usually with no service obligation expected in return. In our region, our state EMA District offers free EMR and EMT-Basic classes, as well as Fire I&II. The major investment you would have is your time, as well as the cost of course materials and a uniform (a total of about $100).

   2.) Many of these same EMR/EMT-B courses are also being taught to high school students who elect a Public Safety vocational tract. If you have young people in school, you might encourage them to participate in this offering. This tract may also lead to a secure profession as a firefighter/medic upon completion.

   3.) Many paid fire departments will show hiring preference or exclusivity to candidates who apply with EMT-B and Fire I/II certifications already. Once an applicant has been hired, many departments will sponsor a firefighter to go on to EMT-A, or more likely, EMT-P (paramedic) school. So, if you have ambitions about applying for this position, having basic or advanced certifications help your candidacy. An EMT-A will likely be shown hiring preference over an EMT-B if their applications and interviews are otherwise similar.

   4.) Unfortunately, R.S. was correct that many departments do not have specific protocols for EMT-A’s because they are rare and fall into a “no-man’s land” between EMT-B’s and EMT-P’s. I believe this is much more common in urban/suburban areas that rely on paid Fire/EMS services, and can also afford to put all of their firefighters through EMT-P school.
   Many rural departments/VFD’s have more need for folks with an advanced EMT skill set, but who have not had the opportunity to complete EMT-P school. These departments are more likely to make protocol exceptions which allow their EMT-A’s to practice at the full scope of their training.

   5.) Being involved in Fire/EMS will provide you with a plethora of skills which will be useful as a prepper. You learn to contend with austere situations and think on your feet. The fire and medical knowledge you gain may save many lives one day, and both of these emergencies (medical and fire) will frequently occur in a WTSHTF scenario. The free training that comes with part of the volunteer or paid work on a department will further your knowledge base and, more importantly, provide you with hands-on training that can’t be obtained by reading textbooks or blogs.

   6.) I suggest all laypeople take a CPR and Stop the Bleed course, regardless of interest in pursuing advanced EMS training. (Editorial: I would also suggest these be made mandatory content in all HS curricula, along with a personal finance course…much more useful than a lot of the liberal drivel being pushed in HS these days!) These two courses can be completed in an evening apiece, and literally could make a life-and-death difference for someone you love. This should be a critical portion of anyone’s prep plans. It is far more likely you’ll need these skills than your 25 year supply of freeze dried foods, or your 20,000 rounds of 5.56 ammo!

   Many community organizations offer CPR (either Red Cross or American Heart Association). The American College of Surgeons sponsors the Stop the Bleed course. Here are the links to find training in your area. Many are free. Some are taught at a reasonable fee to cover the costs of putting on the class:
   https://www.bleedingcontrol.org
   https://www.heart.org/en/cpr
   https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class

   7.) Likeminded folks who happen to have medical training may make valuable members of your preparedness group.

   Stay Safe Out There!
   -Doctor Dan

5. One of our children wanted to go into law enforcement. Our local police department requires all applicants to have associate’s degrees or 5 years experience. They also must be 21. Since he was 17 when he graduated high school, we offered pay for him to go to school to become a paramedic, which is a two year degree at our local technical college. We now have a medic in our group, plus it fulfilled his need of a associate degree to pursue his desired career. He is currently employed with a local hospital, is getting to meet many in our local law enforcement community and is self supporting until he is able to get into a future police academy. Also, our a local volunteer fire department has an EMT class every fall. Two others in our group are planning taking the course this year. It is a once a week class from Sept thru mid Dec. It qualifies the student to take the testing to be a licensed EMT in our state. Neither one in our group is planning on taking the test, they just want the skill set.

6. I too went to EMT school just for the skills and I will say this, unless you plan on working out of an ambulance, EMT-B is probably not the prepper way to go. Far too many skills and the equipment you are taught to use are not man-packable and are for use in the back of the truck. I would recommend first responder and some of the shorter wilderness first aid courses that are out there. NOLS, REI Coop and some rural schools offer enhancement courses that will compliment or enhance your skills. Disclosure; an EMT license as well as a first responder License has to be renewed every two years and each come with a documentable training requirement. Some states further regulate in addition to the NREMT requirements.

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