First Out Bag

[guttruck]

Im looking at building my own first out bag. I have narrowed it down to between these two bags

http://www.thefirestore.com/store/product.cfm/pid_7843_meret_first_in_sidepack_pro_ems_ts_ready/
and
http://www.thefirestore.com/store/product.cfm/pid_6091_5_11_push_r_pack_fire_red/

I also am having trouble deciding what to put into it. I keep finding myself adding too much that it becomes a BLS bag. Any help would be great.

 

[adamjh3]

What exactly you'll be using it for will help with answering about how to stock it

 

[medicdan]

A whole bunch of questions before we can begin to help you...

What kind of service do you work for? Where/How are you responding? It's a bit different if you're customizing your own bag for an ambulance or responding via POV. How long before another member or ambulance comes/What are response times like? Are you a student EMT? FR? Paramedic? FF? Park Ranger? What does your service administration and medical director ALLOW you to carry and use? Are you paying for this bag and contents yourself, or is it supplied for you?

 

[guttruck]

Well I don't need anything for the agency I work for due to I am required to use their jump bag and equipment the main thing I want the first out bag is for when I repond with the vfd. Just something I can hop out of the rescue whit and start providing basic care
I was thinking bsi, pocket mask 4x4 multi trauma tourniquet truama sheirs hemastats tape opa npa roller gauze ace wrap

 

[adamjh3]

Something for that capacity is going to need to contain everything for treating immediate life threats.

I'd look at stocking it with a lot of the things you mentioned. Just going off the top of my head I would include:

BVM, with peds and adult masks- takes up less space than multiple BVMs, just don't squeeze as much with the wee ones.
Tourniquet
Big ol' roll o' tape
Maybe a couple 5x9s if there's room.

Really, as a member on here pointed out to me when I was assembling my gear for my stand by job, your bag will be an extension of yourself. The only way to get it right is trial and error. I have found this to be very true. What works for me might not work for you.

Throw some of the basic stuff in there and tweak it as you use it.

 

[Akulahawk]

Something for that capacity is going to need to contain everything for treating immediate life threats.

I'd look at stocking it with a lot of the things you mentioned. Just going off the top of my head I would include:

BVM, with peds and adult masks- takes up less space than multiple BVMs, just don't squeeze as much with the wee ones.
Tourniquet
Big ol' roll o' tape
Maybe a couple 5x9s if there's room.

Really, as a member on here pointed out to me when I was assembling my gear for my stand by job, your bag will be an extension of yourself. The only way to get it right is trial and error. I have found this to be very true. What works for me might not work for you.

Throw some of the basic stuff in there and tweak it as you use it.

Just had to highlight a couple things. I have multiple kits/bags. Each one is customized for the task at hand and what I'm authorized to do at that time. One is a very basic but well stocked first aid kit with a BVM... one is basic but a lot smaller (minus the BVM), one is set up for ALS stuff, basically the 1st couple min on-scene, and one or two are set up for sports med stuff - collision/contact sports and one for everything else. Each one of those kits are set up with knowledge of many years of experience... and I tweak those as time goes on.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

You might want to consider building two bags. One that can address immediate life threats, and a light weight veriosn of it. On our squads, we have a first in bag that addresses all immediate life threats, and then we have a smaller, lightweight jump bag. Often, on injured persons we might be on a horse trail, or just the unpaved roads might be impassable for our large medic (modified Type III ambulance with a medium duty box mounted on it). If we can commandeer a pickup truck or get one of the VFDs to send us a station truck, then we can take in the first in bag, backboard, etc. But if we're commandeering another vehicle (ATV, horse, or my personal favorite--a teenage girl's pink bike with purple streamers and a basket with a 180 lb burly firefighter on it) we take the lightweight jump bag. Everything heavy comes out of it including oxygen. It has just your basic vitals equipment, bleeding control (gauze, bandages, quikclot), some splints.

 

[guttruck]

thanks for all the input on the subject

i carry
http://www.galls.com/style-TK085-general_catalog-dyna-med-mega-medic-bls-xtra-complete-kit
for a bls bag
I put a combie tube, peds mask, asa, ntg, a few int start kits of various sizes, d50, oral glucose, glucagon, epi 1:1000, and a jug on NS

 

[mycrofft]

Ask your VFD chief what they need you to carry.
Just remember the mantra: you bought it, you're responsible for it (if you lose it, if it malfunctions or fails during patent care, it's on for head).