First Aid preparedness is one of the most important aspects of individual or group response to injury in an emergency.

From the point of view of the civilian- having the necessary education, training and tools at hand can mean the difference between life and death for oneself or others in the immediate vicinity,
For the CERT or SAR team member, preparedness has the same value but with the potential to impact more lives and under more dire circumstances.

For the purpose of this pilot,First Aid is defined as immediate first response to medical emergencies that threaten life or limb or general well being. We are assuming that readers are at least already conversant with everyday First Aid and that the ordinary collection of 'Band Aids', topical disinfectants and sting medications are a domain most people are familiar with.

First Aid for disaster or dire emergency kits must include provisions for wider ranging and more devastating medical circumstances.
NOTE: It should be obvious that in the event of a medical emergency to one's self, there are limits to the possibility of self administered First Aid. This section is provided only as a primer to formal education and training in First Aid.
There are some rather esoteric tools and materials available for self administered First Aid (Such as Blood-stoppers) and they are a boon to wounded persons that must have access to the best in immediate care. Because of the extraordinary cost of such materials, we have chosen to discuss them anecdotally in an appendix.

The most comprehensive and well thought out series of kits available are offered by the Adventure Medical Kits company.
Their website is very well laid out and makes the selection of appropriate kits easy.
http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/

Rather than offer a mirror of their excellent website, we advise readers to simply visit their pages to select a kit that matches the intended or anticipated context as well as skill level and group size.
To demonstrate the effective use of some of their kits, we chose to examine their most comprehensive product, the Mountain Medic II.

First Aid Provisions
In addition to ready assembled kits, individual provisions allow for replenishment as well as the assembly of 'customized' kits.
Certain items are replenished more than others and understanding the nature of specific potential emergencies is critical to being prepared for them. In addition, certain components must be replenished once they've reached their expiry dates.
Read what an expert SAR Medic Recommends...

Adventure Medical Kits - Mountain Medic II

Select a compartment number (1-7) to view the contents in a new window.

Above Left > Right | Grab handles | Waist Belt | Bottom zippered compartment

Above: Medic's point of view of the Mountain Medic II opened | Note lateral splay adjustment straps

Above: Access to Velcro or Zipper closure compartments

Above: Mobile deployment of a waist mounted Mountain Medic II Kit

Adventure Medical Kits - Mountain Medic II

Above: Marine Medic 1000Left and Right, Opened Kit. Note the easily read labels and color coding

Modularization and color coding makes it fast and easy for EMT's or non-professional Medics to quickly identify a kit module that matches the nature of the emergency.
Because searching or memorization are eliminated, cognitive overhead is minimized. This reduces mistakes and reduces the time a Medic must expend in hunting down the necessary tools and materials to effectively treat a patient. In addition, discrete compartmentalization helps to organize kit components by like kind. This helps with inventory management, ensuring that replenishment occurs quickly and efficiently.
Each module is clearly labeled on one edge and the rest of the cases are transparent, allowing for quick visual checks of the contents.
The outer carry case is lightweight but padded to ensure that components are protected from shock and some light crush pressure.
The modularization and color coding of the Marine Medic and similar kits, represents the epitome of heuristic best practices in the area of cognitive and human factors science.
Even a seasoned Medic will appreciate the simplicity that such a system affords the practitioner.