FIrst-aid & rescue equipment on a CFS rural truck

[bajdas]

unfortunately most CFS crews and vehicles in this situation wouldn't have a rescue litter with them as they are like hens teeth in CFS  and hence not on rural trucks.

Above is a response regards treating a 'back pain' injured person in a remote location. I have had a limited look at CFS trucks and I thought both of the Meadows CFS trucks I looked at had rescue litters strapped on top. But I could be wrong.

What first-aid & rescue gear does a rural CFS truck (non rescue) carry ?

If you came across an injured person after a grass fire has past or in a country town structure fire, do you have enough equipment ?

Genuine question in learning more about CFS resources.

[bittenyakka]

in short a rural CFS ruck carries a no frills first aid kit and that is the limit of items specifically for first aid.

i don't know about the meadows tucks they might have purchased them with their own money but CFS won;t pay for these in non rescue brigades. (not to mention they wouldn't fit on most trucks.)

i don;t know if we have enough equipment as i am not really medically minded.

[Zippy]

Recent builds of CFS appliances have included a large St Johns first aid kit with everything you probably wont use. so we've striped it to the essentials, and putting it into a better kit box.

A Crucial thing that almost every fire appliance should have is clothing cutters.   Being able to cut anything from jeans to motorbike helmet straps, they are magnificent. Especially when airways are impeded by clothing.

[Alan (Big Al)]

A Crucial thing that almost every fire appliance should have is clothing cutters.   Being able to cut anything from jeans to motorbike helmet straps, they are magnificent. Especially when airways are impeded by clothing.

We have about 3 pairs we just get them off of the local SAAS, are great for seatbelts too.

We now have a rescue litter, just have to mount it on the 24P now.

[Alan J]

in short a rural CFS ruck carries a no frills first aid kit and that is the limit of items specifically for first aid.

That's about right.
Plus an oversized sharps container & a bio-waste bag. 
Standard Stowage says "that's all folks".

Some brigades have oxy-vivas dating back to before standard stowage became enforced.
My reading of the standard stowage rools is that, at end-of-life, permission to replace them will be automatically denied for most brigades. (Has yet to be tested in the real world?)

We carry some "vet rope", laughably listed on the stowage check-lists as 'rescue rope'.  I suppose it could be used to un-bog more than one sort of filly. About 20mm double core braid. Soft on the hands. Fits no known rescue or climbing devices. Very cheap. Better than the manilla it replaced, but Bluewater/Edelrid it is -not- !!

cheers

[6739264]

As far as the rescue litters go, I don't believe that they are 'Standard' Rescue stowage (I may be wrong) but most Rescue brigades still have them.

Or like Mt. Barker, the CFS give you an appliance on which you can't fit your litter.

[Zippy]

pffft 24P's can easily have the stoke's on it, after all they do respond 24P with Rescue to every job .

[JC]

Whats the big deal about stokes litters, they are old, heavy & space consuming, there is better equipment for rescue than stokes. Just my thoughts.

[bajdas]

Whats the big deal about stokes litters, they are old, heavy & space consuming, there is better equipment for rescue than stokes. Just my thoughts.

Fully agree... the SES had three of the new folding stretcher that can fit in a backpack at the V8 race...they were used to carry people from the stands vcery successfully.

The original question was that for a rural fire situation, the CFS will provide the service to the community. You can collect / transport a patient using a woollen blanket, 1st aid kit and a 4wd vehicle.

Does this (or similar) exist in a CFS rural fire truck ?

[bittenyakka]

We have woollen blankets they come in handy for frosty nights at striketeams

[mattthefirey]

meadows no longer carries the stokes litter on board a truck because there is not the room. they used to carry it on their stand alone rescue appliance but not any more because they have a 24P

[Zippy]

Meadows would then probably just put it on the Crew Deck when it is required.   Not very often litters are used, very much like Hazmat gear.

[mattb]

We have carried a Troll stretcher for at least five years on our 24P, once rolled up and in the bag it is small enough to fit in a standard locker http://www.heightsafetyuk.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=161.

We have used ours at a few MVA's when vehicles have ended up a long way off the road or in a ditch, also used it a couple of months ago to transport a DOA from the bottom of the Onkaparinga Gorge. There is probably better products out in the market but I have found that ours does the job without any problems, not all that expensive either.

[CFS_Firey]

Meadows would then probably just put it on the Crew Deck when it is required.   Not very often litters are used, very much like Hazmat gear.

Our stokes gets a fair bit of use - much, much, much more than the Hazmat gear does.
And while you can tell it might be needed at some jobs, (eg. car down embankment), it can often be needed unexpectedly, so just throwing it on the deck of a 24 isn't really acceptable...

[Stefan KIRKMOE]

Burnside run a Ferno 71 style stokes on our Pump Rescue. I'd say it gets used about half a dozen times a year an anger from assist saas patient lifts to MVA's and mountain bikers down in Cleland, very useful piece of kit. Also in regard to "first aid kit" we have purchased backpack style trauma kits and fitted all the required medical gear in them aong with O2 resus, yet again gets used in anger a few times a year....

[6739264]

Also in regard to "first aid kit" we have purchased backpack style trauma kits and fitted all the required medical gear in them aong with O2 resus, yet again gets used in anger a few times a year....

And yet CFS brigades "Can't use Oxy Resus or AED gear". 

O2 and AED should be standard stowage, along with a trauma kit as Burnside has. Its not rocket science to use either of them, and you can't really screw it up. Even if you do, you can't hurt people.

[uniden]

If you have the appropriate training to use there should be no issue..

[boredmatrix]

O2 and AED should be standard stowage, along with a trauma kit as Burnside has. Its not rocket science to use either of them, and you can't really screw it up.

you're right - first aid is just commonsense - I'm still baffled why people get excited telling me that they've done a first aid course when I get to jobs..

...at the end of the day - first aid is pretty much along the lines of

-if it's bleeding -stop it.
-it's it's broken - stop if moving.
-if it's not breathing -breathe into it.
-if it's not breathing coz it's blocked - unblock it
-if it's not pumping - pump it.
-if it's hot - cool it down and Vice Versa

6 simple little rules and I can do most things related to both trauma and resp/cardiac arrest without thinking too much about it.  Anything beyond the above isn't first aid anymore - and you need lots of tools to do anything about it.

as for AED's and oxygen.....you aren't gonna do any harm with it unless the machine is faulty (so you can refer any complaints back to the manufacturer) and you're all smart enough to know what oxygen does to fire.....so I don't even need to go that far!!

I know we're not the states...and 1st responding to medical calls isn't your bag - but it wouldn't be bad seeing the aforementioned items on all appliances just so you can help yourselves if nothing else!!

[rescue5271]

My brigade is in the process of getting ten members trainned in advance resus so as to provide back up to SAAS,in the past year we have done more medical emergencys than we have done in the past..Our members have been involved in full cardiac arrest and have also teamned up with SAAS members when they have had 2 jobs at once...Once we have done the course we will be undertaking further training with our local SAAS crews,we have a great working relationship with SAAS here and we are able to provide members to drive the ambulance and to get gear out of there unit if needed.... It also helps is you have a brigade member who works for SAAS...As for gear well SAAS love our spine board better than their yellow one's....