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Run medical drills with the family

A plan nobody has practised fails under stress. Short drills find gaps in kit, access and communications.

How

1. Twice a year, run a short scenario: for example a chainsaw cut in the wood lot, a burn in the kitchen, a child with a high fever at night.
2. Time how long it takes to reach the kit, call for advice (medical-24) and get a casualty to the vehicle.
3. Check that everyone knows where the medical room key, the AED (if you have one) and the bleeding kits are kept.
4. Write down what went wrong and fix it before the next drill.

Do these first

• safety-22

Sources

1. Automated external defibrillators: Do you need an AED?. Mayo Clinic, accessed 2026-11
2. NOLS Wilderness Medicine Institute: Wilderness Medicine Practices and Protocols (2016). NOLS, accessed 2026-11
3. Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED course. American Red Cross, accessed 2026-11

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