By Long Beach State’s Associated Students, Inc. held its monthly first aid event on Friday in an effort to promote emergency preparedness and teach students how to build their own first aid kit.
In the first session of the year, Michael Freeman, an emergency instructor, discussed disaster protocols and which materials are needed for a homemade kit during the hour-long virtual event.
“If you are prepared for the worst, you can handle the easy stuff,” Freeman said.
According to Freeman, first aid kits should follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration and American National Standards Institute guidelines, while also be customized to fit individual’s personal needs. He also recommends that kits include about 10 items for each person in a household and be labeled and readily accessible.
Freeman said that first aid kits should reflect one’s location, so residents of California should include materials to prepare for an earthquake, and should be updated roughly every six months.
Members of a household should establish an emergency action plan at least once a year, as well as discuss individual responsibilities and evacuation and shelter procedures. To be as prepared as possible, Freeman also recommended that participants become CPR certified.
The next First Aid Fridays session will occur on March 5 at noon.
