1st Aid
The 1st Aid event begins with the Patrol forming a single file line, with a “victim” lying on the ground in front of them. The patrol should have all of it’s first aid supplies (blanket, neckerchiefs, material for splints, etc), with them as well.
At the start of the event a judge will read a description of the scenario to the patrol. It will look something like this:
Your patrol sees an accident on Olson Highway near Penn Avenue. The driver
has been thrown from their car. Gas is leaking from the car.
Fire burned the back of his right hand – they have blisters.
Right arm cut badly near elbow -- blood is spurting out.
Left arm is bent and swollen below shoulder – it may be broken.
They may not be breathing.
The fire is out, but it may start again. Treat them so they can be moved quickly if necessary (not necessary to make stretcher).
The judge will then hand the description sheet to the PL so that they can review it as necessary.
Here is the score sheet for the above scenario, including the points for each part of it:
SEND FOR HELP (7) ____
(2)_____ Fast start
(1)_____ Caller's name
(2)_____ Dial 911
(1)_____ Where: Highway 55 at Penn Ave
(1)_____ What: car accident, bleeding arm, broken arm; stopped breathing
BLEEDING RIGHT ARM (10) ____
(2)_____ Fast start
(2)_____ Direct pressure with cloth
(2)_____ Elevate
(2)_____ Pressure point (tell scout pressure doesn't stop bleeding)
(2)_____ Secure bandage
STOPPED BREATHING (11) ____
(2)_____ Fast start
(2)_____ Head position (ok to try without tilting, in case of broken neck; if so, judge should tell them air is going in)
(1)_____ Pinch nose
(2)_____ Blow in (pretend)
(2)_____ Turn head to watch, feel for breath
(2)_____ Every 5 seconds
SHOCK (8) ____
(2)_____ Fast start
(1)_____ Blanket over
(1)_____ Blanket under
(2) _____ Sip Water – (if conscious), pretend ok
(2) _____ Raise feet
BROKEN LEFT UPPER ARM (8) ____
(2)_____ Padded splint
(2)_____ Firmly bandaged
(2)_____ Sling or tied to body.
(2)_____ Treat gently
BURN BACK OF RIGHT HAND (2) ____
(1)_____ Damp dressing
(1)_____ Bandage
PATROL ORGANIZATION (4) ____
(2)_____ PL in charge
(2)_____ Proper attitude
There is a total of 50 point available for each scenario. Sometimes scenarios will cover different topics such as a hiker falling down a cliff, but the score will always work out to 50 points.
The Patrol Leader needs to be in charge of their patrol, and direct them to do what is necessary. Patrols that have Scouts arguing over who is doing what, or what is the most important, will lose points. Patrols that have Scouts goofing off, and doing things like tickling the victim, will lose points as well.
There are several items that need to be done first, hence the points for “Fast Start”. Failure to do those right away will result in lost points for the patrol. The PL should direct one Scout to work on each one of these right away. The PL can take one item themself if necessary.
When treating the victim Scouts need to make sure that the judge sees and hears what they are doing. For example, in the above scenario when the Scout checks to see if the victim is breathing, they should visibly put their ear to the victim’s mouth and tell the judge “I am listening for breath and looking at their chest to see if it’s rising, etc”. The judge will probably say “The victim is NOT breathing.” The Scout should then check for a pulse, making sure that the judge sees what they are doing. The judge will say “the victim HAS a pulse”. You then move to do the rescue breathing, but NOT CPR.
The same thing goes for treating the bleeding right arm. The Scout should make sure that the judge sees them applying the direct pressure with a cloth, (probably a neckerchief), while elevating the arm. The judge will probably tell you that the bleeding has NOT stopped. You continue treating until the judge tells you that the bleeding has stopped.
Oftentimes there will be multiple things happening at the same time, and it’s hard for judges to see and hear everything that is going on. It’s up to the Scouts to ensure that the judge knows what they are doing, otherwise if it gets missed then they will just lose the points for it. This is especially true of dialing 911. Oftentimes the judge will tell the Scout who goes to dial 911 to go stand off to the side (as if the Scout had to go find a phone), will judge the rescue breathing and bleeding treatments until they are finished, and then pretend to be the 911 operator. While they are doing that, the Scouts who are still treating the victim need to make sure that the judge knows what they are doing while they are ‘on the phone’.
For many items, such as the rescue breathing, the Scouts do not have to actually do the item, but the need to simulate it closely. For example with the rescue breathing they need to pinch the nose, tilt the head back if possible, and tell the judge how many breaths they are doing. They need to keep doing this until the judge tells them that the victim is breathing again.
When it comes to broken bones, oftentimes Scouts are surprised at how many points they lose because they aren’t gentle with the broken bones. They need to treat the arm very gently, moving it absolutely as little as possible while they are trying to splint it. Having the arm flop back and forth is a sure way to lose multiple points.
There is a 10 minute time limit for this exercise. There are NO bonus points awarded for finishing early. In this case it’s much more important to do it right than it is to do it fast. Aside from starting the “Fast Start” items right away, time is not tracked other than the basic 10 minute limit. It is VERY rare to have a Patrol not be able to finish this exercise in 10 minutes.