When people think of emergency preparedness they often think of earthquake kits or survival gear. In my opinion…one of the most important things to have…and certainly one of the most frequently used is a first aid kit. In the coarse of our normal, everyday lives there are literally dozens of different things that can happen where having a first aid kit would come in handy. Below is just a small list:

*Cuts from sharp objects

*Scrapes or cuts from slips or falls

*Playground accidents

*Minor or even major vehicle accidents

*Sports Injuries

*Bee stings or other Animal Bites

*Headaches or Nausea

*Splinters

*Sprains or broken bones

*Bloody Nose

I personally keep a number of different first aid kits in my home, office and in my car. I also keep one in each of my sports bags. A week doesn’t go by where I don’t have to pull out one of my kits for myself or someone I am with. Again…this isn’t always for something major. However…being able to treat minor injuries is very important.

Here are two quick stories where having a kit came in handy.

*Last night during our softball game one of our players made a hard slide into 3rd base. Both of his knees where cut/scraped up and he was a little sore.  When the inning he was able to clean the cuts and apply an antiseptic to speed healing and prevent infection. He was also able to bandage the area. When the game was over I was also able to give him an ice-pack to help with the pain and swelling. Would it have been life threatening if I didn’t have a first aid kit handy? No. But did it make the situation a bit better with very little effort? Yes.

*Two weeks ago I was away for the weekend and was at a restaurant. An older woman walked into the restaurant and slipped and smashed face first into the floor. She immediately started bleeding and had severe pain in her nose. The restaurant did not have a first aid kit. I ran outside to my car and brought in mine. We were able to stop the bleeding, clean the area and bandage her up until she could get to the hospital. I was also able to give her an ice pack for the ride. Again…not a life threatening event. Just an simple situation that could happen to anyone at anytime.

If it happens to you, a family member, a loved one or friend…you will feel much better if you have what you need to deal with the situation. Preparedness is an everyday thing. Take some time to think about how you can be better prepared.