Where is your household first aid kit?

Roarmeister's comments under the most likely emergency thread and Todd's get an eyewash bottle thread started me wondering about how accessible most peoples first aid kits are.
A lot of places I have been they are either hidden under a bunch of junk somewhere, and/or empty of supplies.
Even in my own home I find it hard to keep people from hiding the first aid kit and to replace supplies as they are used.


So where is the first aid kit in your house and when was the last time it was full?

(I guess the same question applies for the kits in your cars and workplaces.)

We don't have a "house first aid kit"... it's more of a bunch of stuff in the bathroom cabinets.

Just got a new one last week. It's next to my BOBs and other gear in my office at home. Now that it's hurricane season, I keep everything very close and easily gotten to. Even have a mini FAK in my five year old son's (sponge)BOB.

Never could get behind just one home kit. Used to keep:

Small, innocuous bandaid heavy kits at the back door, the workbench, and in the kitchen

More serious kit in the master bath

Supplies, stocks of stuff, slings, splints, etc, in the master closet.

Now, in my sailboat home, the biggest kit next to where I sleep, the mid-size kit is in the head, and a smaller kit is just inside the cabin hatch.

My FAB (first aid backpack) is currently in the garage, tucked into the dog kennel. Mainly to save space, but fairly accessible. It contains the "heavy guns" in terms of first aid.

Then there's the usual drabble in the master BR restroom's medicine cabinet: Tums, tylenol, motrin, a few bandaids, some of that benzocaine cold sore stuff, and mole skin. Plus some really nice scissors swiped from an OR by somebody (honestly, I don't think it was me)

My primary FAK is in the kitchen in a cabinet by the door where it can be retrieved quickly.

Hanging on a hook on the back of my bedroom door.

There is also a cardboard box labelled "first aid kit parts" on a shelve near it, which contains my bulk items that I buy for when I'm making/restocking FAKs.

In my car.

OK mine is a standing cabinet that has everything "medical" from medicines to first aid stuff. It is located in the corridaor near the bedrooms (no small kids BTW).

I have a question about putting anything medical in the bathroom. It has higher level of humidity and bacteria than the rest of the house. Is it really wise to but the FAK there ?

The bathroom is generally the worst place to put a first aid kit. But I guess you knew that

My main kit is in a box in a low kitchen cupboard, and is generally accessible. I happened to need some tweezers from it the other day, so I know it hadn't got buried under other junk or anything. It's full, because I very rarely need it. No children in this house.

There are a few pills, bottles and plasters loose in another cupboard above it. That doesn't get used much either, but I might need a headache tablet 3 or 4 times a year.

I have a kit in the boot of the car, and a smaller kit in a waist-pack that I usually have with me when I'm away from the house. Also, I keep a few pieces in my pockets.

Regular FAK with "OUCH items" is in the master bathroom in a metal FAK box with a gasket to keep water out. (Think utility truck FAK box, but restocked with quality stuff.)

Each vehicle (4) and the 5th Wheel RV has an extensive FAK in an USGI M3 bag that a SF Medic turned MD helped me design. Some of the stuff in those is for when a trained responder shows up but has no gear. (Airways, etc.)

Motorcycle has a small kit of "OUCH items" and a few items for major bleeding plus sunscreen, lip balm, monkey butt powder, and bug dope.

Climate controlled Storm/Safe Room has the portable hospital that is also transitioned into 5th Wheel if entire family is going on a trip.

All of the FAK's also contain a small pack of hygiene wipes and feminine hygiene products for the ladies in my family. That small inclusion has made me very popular with both DD and DW, as they are forgetful.

I carry so much, because I seem to be the guy that either witnesses the accident, or comes upon the accident just as all the parts finally land.

Well, I am in transition myself - moving to a new townhouse this week so my current locations are not relevant. In my new place, I plan to have a FAK on each of the 3 levels.

3rd level bathroom will have a number of first aid items and primary meds in "medicine cabinet" and my travel toiletries bag.
2nd level will have the main FAK in the panty with ready access to kitchen/dining/living/deck. This kit is always full - part of that is the problem, I will distribute some of the items because the kit is packed to the gills!
1st level will have another FAK in the garage/storage/exercise room. May add an eye wash as I don't have a sink/tap on this level.
I will customize the FAK in each level appropriate to the activities that will likely occur there. It is not necessary to have a full load out kit in multiple locations.
As well, I have my mini-FAK in my day pack that gets updated about every 3 months. I also have a big FAK in my vehicle.

I also plan to have a Fire Ex on each level - I'm still thinking out my strategy on that one. (What size, location, hanger, etc.) I am also looking at getting a emergency access ladder for the 3rd level for exiting by a window.

I'm new here, but thought this would be a good post to breakin on...

Having spent 34 years as a firefighter, and 8 as an EMT, First Aid is always at the top of my list.

The main household kit is in a kitchen cabinet that is reserved for ONLY first Aid material....

A smaller kit is in the basement/workshop area, then there's one in the Go Bag, then there's my EMT soft style Jump bag in the trunk of the car, and a smaller standard size commercial kit under the front seat, so if someone's with me and we come upon something they can grab that one....

Then there's a basic kit in each backpack for family members...

Then in the basement I have a large box of supplies to re-stock whatever gets used....

I have a strict policy with the family to re-stock after each use, and I check them every 6 months or so....

Each family member has been certified in Advanced ARC First Aid, and CPR...

Let's see... 2 in the shop, 1 in the camper. Main supplies are in a cabinet in the bathroom.

Suggestion: Mark your calender to check your first aid supplies when you check the smoke alarm batteries. This is a good way to keep up with expired meds and replacements that are needed. When I started this I had some stuff that was 2-3 years out of date. Worse than useless some of that stuff was down right dangerous.

Just my 2-cents on the subject.
Lee

For those of you using first aid "cabinets", you may want to have an empty bag designated and ready for a bug out situation. Emergency Essentials sells bright red backpacks which would be great for this purpose. It may not provide for the most organized first aid kit, but certainly a space saver for those that do not have room for a main and a mobile kit. YMMV.

Craig.

It would appear there is a consensus for multiple home first aid kits of different types in appropriate locations, as opposed to a single kit.

The household FAK is a large tacklebox that lives under my sink in the bathroom.

Unless we are going on an extended road trip in which it gets put in the car with the luggage.

As is samhain's, ours is under the bathroom sink.

One is in the car also.

Can I ask where you got your supplies? I've only seen one place that sells IV solutions- bpmedicalsupplies.com- (apparently w/o a doc presciption?), and only a few (ie, Gall's) that sells Oropharyngeal airway and endotracheal tubes.

I'd love to toss a few bags of NS into my car kit, and MAYBE a few ET tubes with a laryngoscope. Maybe keep a few in my home FAB too, if only to stop the hangover after a day of wine tasting (ie, getting drunk in public but trying to remain sophisticated).

I've used BP Medical for non-prescription supplies, good prices and decent quality.

OP airways are easy to get, as are NPA's, ET's not so much. BP medical sells OPA's and NPA's very cheaply.

Savelives.com is another online supplier that I've used.

My large kit (EMT bag plus additional trauma items) Sits in plain sight on a kitchen counter about equal distant from the front and back door
Smaller kits reside in my bedroom, basement, each bathroom, 2 in the 6 bay garage, each vehicle, my home emergency bag (dedicated dining room closet, called the emergency closet) and in my trailer.

Wow, so many! What's it like when it comes to updating the meds in each kit? How do you keep track of what has been used and remaining of you basic supplies?

A small zip-tie holds the zipper(s) closed, and makes a tamper resistant seal, there is a dated tag attached by the zip-ties. Each kit has a dated contents checklist in it, when the kit is opened stuff is used, and is replaced ASAP, and the kit resealed.
I've never had a problem getting past a zip-tie, I can tell at a glance if someone has been in a kit. I often deal with sharp knives, sharp tools, power saws and fire.
My Garage is 150' from my house, the bathrooms are on different floors. Experience has taught me a kit in the house does not help with cuts in the garage, or when in the vehicle. I take pain meds as little as possible, so meds in a kit are not used often at all. I check each kit, and my emergency bags on New Year's day (along with changing my smoke/carbon monoxide detector batteries), and each time change day.
Overkill for many, but works for me!
I also have a resupply cabinet in my master bath, which has boxes of ready use bandages and meds.

OP's and ET's "might" have an NSN on them.

No Rx meds. No fluids, it has been WWWAAAAYYYY too long since I did that in CLS course. The patient would bleed to death from all the "swing and a miss" tries.
Plus there really isn't room.


Edit:
D'OH! I didn't answer the question!
Medfasco, BP, RedFlare, and uh the gettin' place. (I have built homes for about 12 MD's ranging from GP to high end trauma Doc.)

The main household FAK is the big tackle box.

I used to keep the emergency stash of Rx meds in there, but have put them in each of our travel toiletries kit. (Most likely to have in a grab and go situation and if we get separated then each has their own stuff).


Each car has it's own smaller FAK (both of which I'm not completely happy with and have a ongoing shopping list to augment each)

Also have a small personal FAK in my EDC bag.

we have 4 of them.

upstairs, in the cabinet by the bathroom, in it's own basket

basement, in my shop, dedicated case hanging on the wall

shed, in a small ammo can

garage, in a small ammo can

plus each car has at least 1 dedicated FAK bag

My jeep has a small trauma kit too.

The gettin place, huh? lol.

I'm not too worried about OPA and NPA's. They're cheap. Even the ET tubes are relatively inexpensive. It's the freaking laryngoscope that's $100 plus. Probably overkill anyway. I mean, of all the times I've used my car's FAK, I've only needed an airway once. And she was dead anyway, so it probably wouldn't have made a difference. A seatbelt might have, however.

Amazing how dead ends the need for first aid, right?

I did forget the Epi pens. We had a kid on my son's travel hockey team that had some SERIOUS allergies. I have had to administer them two different times, followed by ER visits.


No scope, just the OP and NP airways. ET's were thrown in because they were in his bag of spare goodies. Gotta hope they aren't needed or the scope fairy stops at the scene.

The thing that amazes me - My sons soccer teams - both of them

League 1- Practice - NO FAK, games, small kit, MATCHES, there is a full kit, often with Vol Ambulance hanging around (partly because there are like 1000 kids playing, partly because most fields are right near the corps

League 2 - a smaller less serious leagure - no travel. Practice - it's up to the coach - no league supplied kits
Games - thee is a small, fairly pathetic kit at the front table - I helped restock it - the strange part - the director at the table is a RN at one of the local hospitals. You'd think...

I usually grab my smaller truck bag, and have it with me, plus I have some stuff in each of my kids gear bags (Tape, Moleskin, 4x4s, bandaids, along with things like hand cleaner, napkins, sunscreen and bug spray) - more than that, I'll use my kit

Our association provided funding for each team to have a new FAK each year. The first year I took one look at the previous years kit and took over the job of being the FAK dad. I convinced the team parents to work out of a FAK I owned and to use the funds to replace my items as needed.

This started the team much better prepared, and actually allowed for savings in the end, because it was rare for it to be used.

Under the old plan nobody managed the kit. Replacing it each year created numerous redundancies in low use items and shortages in common use items.

Finally we wound up with a parent combo of Dad (Trauma Doc) / Mom (Paramedic + RN), and I became logistics chief, and self loading luggage.

This almost brings up a topic for another thread, Desperado.
What would be the things which should be in a good small first aid kit?
I don't mean everything on everybody's wish list, just what you should at least have in a kit.

I don't do small.

My main kit is sitting on my bedroom dresser. Smaller one in my truck behind the seat. Have the AMK personal kit (same size as a DR PSK) in my go bag. Medicine cabinet and under sink in bathroom has all the spares. Band aids, tums and pepto primarily...

The large FAK is in the Laundry Room cabinets.
The smaller Non-Latex FAK is in the Pantry, which is in the Laundry Room.