Pillar
Medical and First Aid
This pillar covers preparation only: what to stock, how to document conditions and medications, and where to get real training. It does not give dosing, diagnosis or treatment instructions, and it never will.
Guides
No guides published in this pillar yet. The resources below are worth reading in the meantime, and the newsletter announces each one as it lands.
Resources worth your time
9 vetted links for medical and first aid, annotated so you know what each one is for before you click.
- Government or standards bodyGovernment agencyFree
Ready.gov (opens in a new tab)
FEMA
The federal baseline for household preparedness, in more than ten languages. Start here before you buy anything. The checklists are conservative and free, which is the right combination for a first plan.
- Government or standards bodyTrainingFree
Community Emergency Response Team (opens in a new tab)
FEMA
Free local training in light search and rescue, fire suppression and triage, running in all 50 states plus tribal nations and territories. The best value in preparedness training, and it puts you in a room with your neighbours.
- Government or standards bodyGovernment agencyFree
Prepare Your Health (opens in a new tab)
CDC
The health side of preparedness: medication supply, personal health records, and planning for chronic conditions. The medication continuity guidance is the part most kit lists skip entirely.
- Government or standards bodyDataFree
AirNow (opens in a new tab)
EPA
Official air quality index with wildfire smoke overlays. Pair it with a plan for indoor air, because during a smoke event the indoor number is the one you can actually change.
- Established nonprofitNonprofitFree
How to prepare for emergencies (opens in a new tab)
American Red Cross
Hazard-by-hazard guidance with a lighter touch than the federal pages. The shelter-finding tools during an active event are the part worth knowing about in advance.
- Established nonprofitTrainingPaid
Red Cross training classes (opens in a new tab)
American Red Cross
First aid, CPR and AED certification near you. A weekend here beats any trauma kit you can buy, and the kit is far less useful without it.
- Established nonprofitTrainingFree tier
American Heart Association CPR (opens in a new tab)
American Heart Association
CPR guidance and class finder, including hands-only CPR, which takes ninety seconds to learn and works. Start with the free video if the class cost is the blocker.
- Established nonprofitStandard or rulesFree tier
Wilderness Medical Society (opens in a new tab)
Wilderness Medical Society
Published practice guidelines for care when definitive help is hours away. The guidelines are written for clinicians, which is exactly why they are worth citing over a blog kit list.
- Established nonprofitTrainingPaid
NOLS Wilderness Medicine (opens in a new tab)
NOLS
Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder courses. The two-day WFA is the realistic option for most people and it changes how you pack a kit.