First Aid Course Introduction – Triple H Algorithm & Wilderness Preparedness

Introduction & Instructor Background

  • Instructors: Raymond (Ray) and Ryan from Event Care

    • Both are actively practicing paramedics

    • Combined experience: > 40 years in pre-hospital emergency care

Overview of Eventki & Course Structure

  • Eventki: Events-consulting division of Event Care

    • Supplies medical staff for events

    • Provides formal training (first aid, on-site medical preparedness)

  • Current programme: 5 – 6 week first-aid course

    • Tailored to an upcoming 10-day hike undertaken by learners

    • Highly interactive: “use-or-lose” philosophy—students expected to ask questions and practise skills continuously

Triple H Algorithm (Hazards – Hello – Help)

1. Hazards

  • Primary rule: Scene safety first—“keep yourself safe so you can help others.”

    • Scan for electrical cords, water, slippery surfaces, fuel leaks, downed power lines

    • High-risk examples:

    • Gunshots, roadside collisions, unstable buildings

    • Car crashes: exit to a safe zone before rendering care; beware of oncoming traffic

    • Crowds: e.g.

      • Rural incident at 03:00 with ≈ 400 spectators

      • Crowd control needed to avoid interference or secondary injuries

2. Hello (Primary Survey)

  • Initial hands-on assessment of the patient

    • Greet, introduce yourself, obtain consent (details under “Legal”)

    • Determine:

    • Level of consciousness (conscious / unconscious)

    • Presence of breathing: look, listen, feel; watch chest rise & fall

    • Pulse: carotid or radial as situation dictates

  • Mnemonic overlap: S A B C (Safety, Airway, Breathing, Circulation)

3. Help

  • Activate further assistance early

    • Call EMS/ambulance when indicated

    • Utilise bystanders for simple but vital tasks:

    • Holding torches/lighting at night

    • Crowd management / traffic redirection

    • Fetching equipment, phoning EMS, guiding responders to the scene

Secondary Survey & Clinical Priorities

  • Performed once scene is safe and life threats are addressed

    • Full set of vitals: blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, SpO₂ (if available)

    • Head-to-toe examination for hidden injuries

Bleeding Control

  • External bleeding

    • Direct pressure, elevation, pressure dressings

    • Tourniquet application if severe limb haemorrhage and qualified to do so

  • Internal bleeding

    • Harder to identify; monitor for signs such as:

    • Abdominal distension, rigidity, guarding

    • Rapid pulse, dropping BP, pallor, restlessness

    • Rapid evacuation is the priority—definitive care only at hospital

Definition & Philosophy of First Aid

  • Formal definition offered: “Doing the best you can with what you have.”

  • Emphasis on:

    • Knowledge, skill, experience and heartfelt intention to help

    • Creativity—use the environment when commercial gear is absent

    • Respect for both scope of practice and basic protocols (never downplay or overplay your abilities)

Legal Considerations

Consent

  • Verbal or Non-verbal: spoken “yes,” nodding, blinking, hand gestures

  • Implied consent: if patient is unconscious, assume they’d want life-saving aid

  • Guardian consent: parent/guardian grants permission for a minor

Liability & Scope

  • Cases of legal action exist, but no rescuer has lost when acting within scope and ethically

  • First-aid qualification authorises event work but does NOT permit:

    • Dispensing medication (requires separate licence)

    • Performing procedures outside taught skillset

  • Gender sensitivity: be mindful when male rescuers treat females and vice versa—privacy, dignity, chaperones

Levels of First Aid & Paramedic Qualifications

  • First-Aid Levels

    • Level 1 = Basic

    • Level 2 = Primary

    • Level 3 = Advanced

  • Paramedic Tiers

    • Basic Life Support (BLS) — “just enough to get you in and out of trouble”

    • Intermediate Life Support (ILS) — where Ray & Ryan practise; wider drug & procedure list

    • Advanced Life Support (ALS) — often in rapid-response cars; can intubate, perform advanced pharmacology, etc.

Course Expectations & Interactive Elements

  • Lessons will include:

    • Group discussions

    • Hands-on scenarios / simulations

    • Case studies relevant to wilderness settings

  • Homework prompts:

    1. List potential hazards you might meet on the hike.

    2. Identify equipment from home that could mitigate those risks—remember: you must carry it for 10 days.

    3. Design a minimalist first-aid kit (see restrictions below).

Field Application: Upcoming Hike

Environmental Illnesses

  • Heat-related: heat exhaustion, heat stroke

  • Cold-related: hypothermia

Burns & Fire Safety

  • Campfire injuries; safe fire-building and extinguishing techniques

Bites & Stings

  • Bees, wasps, spiders, other fauna native to the region

Musculoskeletal Injuries

  • Sprains (e.g.

    • Inversion ankle sprain vs. possible fracture — treat, immobilise, decide on evacuation vs. assisted ambulation

  • Improvised splints (branches, trekking poles), crutches, stretchers

Drowning & Mammalian Dive Reflex

  • Drowning can occur in any body of water ≥ 200 mL200\,\text{mL} : baths, toilets, fish tanks, dog bowls, puddles, rivers

  • Mammalian dive reflex (“you’re not dead until you’re warm and dead”):

    • Cold water triggers peripheral vasoconstriction to preserve brain & heart perfusion

    • Implication: Continue resuscitation efforts until patient is rewarmed and still unresponsive

CPR & Electrical Injuries

  • CPR is a basic protocol that saves lives—initiate without delay after lightning strikes, electrocution, drowning, cardiac arrest

  • Will be practised extensively in later sessions

Equipment & Improvisation

First-Aid Kit Essentials

  • Pressure bandages (crepe/elastic wrap)

  • Sterile gauze pads & conforming bandage

  • Adhesive plasters (various sizes)

  • Triangular bandage / sling fabric

  • Antiseptic wipes or solution (NOT Dettol)

  • Non-latex gloves

  • Tweezers, small scissors, safety pins

  • Elastic strapping or cohesive tape

  • Space blanket (hypothermia prevention)

  • Low-dose pain relievers if protocol allows (paracetamol/ibuprofen)

Items NOT recommended

  • Cotton wool (fire-starter, not useful for wound packing)

  • Dettol (kills beneficial flora; inappropriate concentration for open wounds)

Improvised Tools & Scene Management

  • Tree branches: splints, crutches

  • Longer limbs + poncho/tarp: makeshift stretcher

  • Road cones / backpacks: traffic control markers

  • Torches, cell-phone lights: nighttime illumination

Professional Conduct & Ethics

  • Never downplay your qualification (“I’m just a first-aider”)—your role is vital

  • Never overplay your qualification—stay strictly within taught scope

  • Maintain patient dignity, confidentiality, and cultural sensitivity at all times

  • Coordinate seamlessly with higher-level providers (ILS, ALS) once they arrive

Key Take-Home Tasks & Questions for Students

  1. What hazards could you realistically encounter on your hike?

  2. Which personal items can double as medical gear yet remain light?

  3. Draft an ultralight first-aid kit excluding cotton wool and Dettol—justify each item.

  4. Brainstorm at least three water-crossing strategies that minimise drowning risk.

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