If you live or work in an isolated area, you should have a remote first aid kit available, tailored to your needs.

They’re designed for anyone who is based more than an hour away from healthcare services so they can attend to injuries and illness before help is available.

Find out all about remote first aid kits and why you should have one in our latest blog.

Who needs a remote first aid kit?

If you spend time in a rural or isolated area, then it’s a great idea to invest in a remote first aid kit.

People who benefit from remote first aid kits include:

  • FIFO (fly-in fly-out) workers
  • Anyone else who works in an isolated area
  • People who live in remote communities
  • People who enjoy travelling or exploring remote areas

Why do I need a remote first aid kit?

A remote first aid kit offers you the resources to deal with medical emergencies before you can get help from professionals.

If you are dealing with high-risk situations like severe bleeding, snake bites or fractures, this can make a significant impact on the casualty’s outcome.

Even if you are tending to a minor illness or injury, a remote first aid kit will enable you to help yourself or someone else and make them more comfortable.

What goes in a remote first aid kit?

These are some of the essential items that you need in your remote first aid kit:

  • Regular bandages to secure dressings or immobilise or support body parts
  • Compression bandages to support strains and sprains or reduce swelling
  • Antiseptic to apply to wounds
  • Sterile dressings to cover wounds
  • Thermal blanket to keep a casualty warm and comfortable
  • Snake and spider bite kit to include tension indicator bandages and instructions
  • Burns first aid supplies to include burn gel pads and dressings
  • Eye shower bottle to help flush out debris
  • Torch to aid you while administering first aid
  • Whistle to attract attention in an emergency

You may also want to consider investing in a defibrillator. This is a compact device used on people in cardiac arrest. It checks a person’s heart rhythm and gives an electric shock to the heart to restore normal rhythm if necessary.

You don’t need any training to use a defibrillator. When you turn it on, you will hear step-by-step instructions.

What else do I need to know about remote first aid?

Be sure to check your remote first aid kit at regular intervals to ensure it is fully stocked up and its contents are in good condition. To make it easy, why not make a note in your diary to do this once a month?

If you’re planning a road trip to a remote area, then make sure you know what healthcare and other facilities are available on your route.

You should also give someone back home your itinerary so they have a reference in case you get lost.

Make sure you have plenty of charge on your mobile devices, and take a power bank with you as well.

Inspect your vehicle to ensure it’s in good working order, and do your regular checks like tyre pressures, oil and water. Make sure you have enough fuel for your trip and know where service stations are along the way.

If you’re planning to travel to, live in or work in a remote area, you should also have the contact numbers of the nearest healthcare facilities available. And remember, in a serious situation, you should call triple zero (000) for help.

You may also wish to consider doing a rural and remote first aid course.

You’ll learn about scenarios and techniques, including:

  • The DRSABCD protocol
  • CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
  • Management of fractures
  • Management of spinal injuries
  • Management of head injuries
  • Drowning
  • Severe bleeding
  • Airway opening and safe airway position
  • Hyperthermia and hypothermia
  • Dehydration
  • Heat stroke and heat exhaustion

St John Ambulance Australia provides a range of first aid courses tailored to different situations. Completing a remote first aid course will give you the confidence to help someone in their time of need — and could even help you save a life.

Count on us for your remote first aid supplies

First aid kits customised to rural and remote areas are a priceless addition to any vehicle, home or workplace.

Check out the MediBC range of first aid kits, including kits designed for farming, mining, camping, trekking and travel.

You can count on us to supply all the quality first aid equipment you need, delivered quickly throughout Australia — and with fantastic customer service too!