All of us who have had even minimal experience at the scene of any form of disaster, man-made or natural, know just how rapidly things can change in that environment.

We have our "go bags" ready for what we believe we will need to get us through the situation/deployment. But, have we given any thought about what would happen if, during our deployment, something were to happen to us - both on a minor scale and a larger scale?

For the minor scale issues, I suggest what I call a personal comfort pack.
This would include items such as pain killers, cough drops, Antacid, lip balm, sun screen, any prescription drugs you may need, a few Band-Aids®, a few granola or power bars, and anything else you think may make your deployment a little easier and more comfortable for you, such as eye drops if you wear contact lenses.

All of these items can fit into a small pouch:
I use a nice weather proof camera case I found in a local thrift store! Many of the items listed can be found in small quantities in the travel section of some stores. These smaller versions are ideal for your kit. Of course your kit doesn't have to be small.

If you want more comfort items than can fit into a small pouch, you could always go bigger.
Popular now in some sporting goods stores are the plastic military style "ammo cans." These would also be a good choice for your personal comfort kit. They are inexpensive, light weight and have a rubber gasket around the lid to give it some degree of water resistance. These "cans" can even hold a bottle of water if you wanted one.

Now that you have taken care of the little things, what can you do to help yourself if something more serious happened to you during your deployment and you were unable to communicate?
- Most Emergency Medical Technicians are used to looking at a person's wrist or neck for a medic alert bracelet or necklace, so I got a very small brightly colored flash drive and labeled it on both sides, "Mike B. MEDICAL."

Since there are laptops everywhere now, from mobile data terminals (MDT's) in the squad emergency transport vehicles to the desks in the trauma center, you can communicate a great deal of information without being conscious by having it readily available on the little Flash (Thumb) Drive.

On mine, I have the following:
* Page One has my name, address, home phone and date of birth.
- It also lists the names and cell phone numbers of my wife and daughters.
- At the bottom, in red and in all caps, I have listed no allergies and my blood type.

* The next few pages list my personal medical history to include the type of medical incident (broken bones, surgeries, etc.) the attending physician's name, the date and location of treatment.

* After that I have a sheet with a copy of the labels of all prescription medications I am currently on. This gives the hospital the type of medication, dose, and the name of the physician who prescribed it.

* Next, I have a page that has a copy of all my doctor's business cards, from my family doctor to a specialist, my dentist and even my optometrist. I provide this so that if a trauma center or ER doctor has a specific question, he/she can contact my doctor directly.

* Lastly I provide a page of family medical history.
- Depending on what has happened to you, this information could be very important.

You might say, "Well, I have a card in my wallet with my spouse's contact information. They can just call him/her and get the information needed".
And, you would be correct... they could.
However, in some medical situations, time is of the essence and if they had any difficulty contacting your spouse, they are using up critical time.

Conclusion:
It takes very little effort to put together a personal comfort pack and personal medical information onto a flash drive.
Do it for yourself and your family.
-- Mike Burg, N8QQN,
Emergency Medical Technician

[Burg retired recently as Chief of Police. One of the first things he did after making Chief was to install a 2-meter radio and station in the department. Burg said, "Since the department is one of the three 9-1-1 centers in the county, we have a massive generator that runs the entire building in the event of a power outage. By putting the station there, my club was always able to get on the air."]

SOURCE:
www.arrl.org/ares-el?issue=2016-12-21

Go-Bag (Personal Support Gear and Supplies)
This article was very much along the lines of the 7 Categories in the Go-Bag (Personal Support Gear and Supplies) list that Art AF1HS (SK) put together for Region 2 when he was the DEC.

Personal Items
Underwear
Shirts
Pants
Socks (wool)
Socks (cotton)
Shoes
Cap (wool)
Cap (visor or hat)
Gloves (wool)
Gloves (leather)
Jacket
Sweater
Poncho/rain suit
Deodorant
Toothbrush/paste
Shampoo
Mouthwash
Dental floss
Vaseline®/hand lotion, oil
Razor blades
Sewing kit
Hearing Aid(s) w/Spare batteries
Facial tissue
Insect repellant
Sunglasses
Spare eyeglasses
Spare contact lenses, supplies
Hairbrush/comb
Sunscreen
Feminine hygiene items
Baby powder
Mirror


First Aid Supplies
Gauze pads, 4"
Antiseptic cream (with anesthetic)
Alcohol
Hydrogen peroxide
Elastic wraps
Burn cream
Anti-bacterial wipes
Nuprin®/Advil®/Aspirin
Tylenol®
New Skin®
Cloth tape
Gloves, latex
Gloves, vinyl
Gloves, Nitrile
Anti-diarrhea medication
Laxative
Anti-gas/anti-acid
(3) Triangular Bandages
Scissors
Tweezers
Mirror
Nail clippers
Cough Drops
Throat lozenges
Instant cold pack
Instant heat pack
Prescription meds
(2) Tongue Depressor Blades
Dust/bacterial mask
Thermometer
Band aids
Cotton Balls
Safety pins


Shelter/Camping Supplies
Tent
Ground cloth/tarp
Lantern (electric/fuel)
Sleeping bags
Blankets
Sheets, pillow cases
Waterproof matches
Cigarette lighter
Generator/fuel
Small broom
Shovel/ax/hatchet
Garbage bags, ties
Clothespins
Safety pins
Portable broadcast radio
Plastic Sheeting
Candles/chemical light sticks
A-B-C-type Fire extinguisher
Alarm clock
Space blankets
Portable toilet
Carbon monoxide detector
Compass


Cooking Supplies
Paper/plastic plates, bowls
Paper/plastic cups
Plastic utensils
Manual Can opener
Bottle opener
Swiss army knife
Sterno stove/fuel
Hibachi/fuel
Cook pots
Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap
Zip-Lock bags


Sanitation
Soap, antibacterial
Soap, hand
Soap, liquid
Pet litter
Towels, paper
Towels, cloth
Diapers
Toilet paper (in Zip-Lok bag)
Water purification tablets/bleach
Baby wipes


Food & Water
Canned meat/fish
Canned vegetables/fruit
Canned macaroni, spaghetti
Canned beans/chili
Canned pudding
Canned baby formula
Canned pet food
Juice
Peanut butter
Jelly
Cheese spread
Dried fruit
Trail mix/granola/nuts
Snacks/candy bars
Sugar/sweeteners
Powdered milk, creamer
Salt/pepper
Water (2 gal/person/day)
MREs (military survival rations)


Safety Equipment
Flashlights
Headlamp
Safety helmet
Dust mask
Ear Plugs
Gloves, leather
Goggles
Chemical light sticks
Whistle
Red Cross Course Certification Cards
Knife
Batteries (sizes for all uses)
2-million Candlepower Spotlight