First Aid

For many activities, Girl Scouts recommends that at least one adult volunteer be FirstAid/CPR-certified. For that reason, if you have the opportunity to get trained in council-approved First Aid/CPR, do it! Try to take age-specific CPR training, too—that is, take child CPR if you’re working with younger girls, and adult CPR when working with older girls and adults.

NOTE: First Aid/CPR training that is available entirely online does not satisfy Girl Scouts’ requirements. Ask your council for approved trainings.

First-Aider

A First-Aider is an adult volunteer who has taken Girl Scout-approved First Aid and CPR training that includes specific instructions for child CPR.

First Aid requirements are based on the remoteness of an activity—as noted in the Safety Activity Checkpoints for that activity. Therefore, it’s important that you or another volunteer with your group has the necessary medical experience (including knowledge of evacuation techniques) to ensure group safety.

The levels of First Aid required for any activity take into account both how much danger is involved and how remote the area is from emergency medical services:

First Aid Kit

insert table here

*Although a WFR is not required, it is strongly recommended when traveling with groups in areas that are greater than 30 minutes from EMS.

It is important to understand the differences between a First Aid course, and a wilderness-rated course. Although standard First Aid training provides basic incident response, wilderness-rated courses include training on remote-assessment skills, as well as the emergency First Aid response, including evacuation techniques, to use when EMS is not readily available.

NOTE: The presence of a First-Aider is required at resident camp. For events, there should be one First-Aider for every 200 participants. The following healthcare providers may also serve as First-Aiders: physician, physician’s assistant, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, paramedic, military medic, and emergency medical technician.

First Aid Kit

Make sure a general First Aid kit is available at your group meeting place and accompanies girls on any activity (including transportation to and from the activity). You can purchase a Girl Scout First Aid kit, you can buy a commercial kit, or you and the girls can assemble a kit yourselves. The Red Cross offers a list of potential items in its Anatomy of a First-Aid Kit. (Note that the Red Cross’s suggested list includes aspirin, which you will not be at liberty to give to girls without direct parent/guardian permission.) You can also customize a kit to cover your specific needs, including flares, treatments for frostbite or snake bites, and the like.

All kits should contain your council and emergency telephone numbers (which you can get from your council contact).

Accident Procedures

At the scene of an accident, first provide all possible care for the sick or injured person. Follow established council procedures for obtaining medical assistance and immediately reporting the emergency. To do this, you must always have on hand the names and telephone numbers of council staff, parents/guardians, and emergency services such as the police, fire department, or hospital emergency technicians. Check with your council for emergency contact information.

After receiving a report of an accident, council staff will immediately arrange for additional assistance at the scene, if needed, and will notify parents/guardians, as appropriate. If a child needs emergency medical care as the result of an accident or injury, first contact emergency medical services, and then follow council procedures for accidents and incidents. Your adherence to these procedures is critical, especially with regard to notifying parents or guardians. If the media is involved, let council-designated staff discuss the incident with these representatives.

In the event of a fatality or other serious accident, notify the police. A responsible adult must remain at the scene at all times. In the case of a fatality, do not disturb the victim or surroundings. Follow police instructions. Do not share information about the accident with anyone but the police, your council, and, if applicable, insurance representatives or legal counsel.