A-Infos [barricada] Medical and Equipment Information

["Barricada Collective" <barricadacollective@hotmail.com>]

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      A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
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This is a helpful list for Inauguration day, and any other demonstration for 
that matter:

Use Your Head
-PLAN AHEAD: For essential needs, care and supplies. Know what to expect. 
Know how to get assistance. Plan for how to re-contact your buddies if 
separated.
-ATTITUDE: You are powerful. You can easily withstand most of what the 
police throw at you, and you are fighting for justice. Remember, pain is 
only temporary and we are extremely strong.
-THE #1 WEAPON OF THE POLICE IS FEAR: Once you control that, pepper spray 
and other police tactics are easily manageable.
-COMMON SENSE: Keep your wits, assess what is going down and what needs to 
be done.
-BE CALM and FOCUSED when things get most intense. React to danger or 
warning signs sooner, not later. Watch for signs of physical and mental 
problems in yourself and others. Cool down others who exhibit panic 
behavior.
-BEWARE OF RUMORS: They are usually false, and foster fear. Deal with the 
known truth.
-DOCUMENT police actions, brutality, and injuries.

What To Wear
-Comfortable, protective shoes that you can run in.
-Clothing covering all your skin to protect from pepper spray exposure.
-Shatter-resistant eye protection (i.e. sunglasses, swim goggles, or gas 
mask)
-Bandana to cover nose and mouth soaked in water or vinegar, it can aid in 
breathing during chemical exposure.
-Weather-related gear (i.e. rain gear, sun hat, winter clothing) heavy-duty 
gloves if you plan to handle hot tear gas canisters.
-Fresh clothes in plastic bag (in case yours get contaminated by chemical 
weapons)
-A cap or a hat to protect you from chemical weapons.

What To Bring

-Lots of water in a plastic bottle with squirt or spray top, to drink and to 
wash off your skin or eyes, if needed.
-Energy snacks.  Not essential, but suggested.
-Identification and/or emergency contact information ONLY if you want to be 
cited out of jail in the event of arrest.
-Just enough money for pay-phone, food, transportation.
-Watch, paper, pen for accurate documentation of events, police brutality, 
injuries, etc.
-Inhaler, epipen, insulin or other meds if applicable.
-Sseveral days of prescription medication and doctor's note in case of 
arrest.
-Menstrual pads, if needed. Avoid using tampons - if you're arrested you may 
not have a chance to change it (tampons left in more than six hours increase 
your risk of developing toxic shock syndrome).

Packing Your First Aid Kit

We've organized this list into 2 rough sections- things we believe most
people will want to have in a complete kit in the first section and extras 
in the second section. We like the extras, and various ones of us carry more 
or less from the second list depending on the specific action (ie is it 
raining or snowing, is it 100 degrees outside), how much room we have in our 
pack, and finally what we both have experience using and have access to. 
Things like epi-pen and several of the herbs in the second section will only 
be useful if you can not only get them but also use them responsibly.

Finally give some though to your pack- both the pack itself (most of us use 
shoulder bags as they afford quicker and easier access on the fly) and how 
it's packed. What do you want on the outside for easy access? what needs to 
be kept dry? What things do you often or always use together so should be 
kept together? We all change our packs and how they're packed around a lot 
before we find the combination that works for us.
This can't be stressed enough:  You need to be fast and mobile, therefore a 
heavy bag is definitely to be avoided.

The Basics:

-Water- preferably in a sport- top bottle
-Non-latex gloves
-Gauze - we like individually wrapped 4x4's best but clean 4x4 's or smaller 
are fine too
-Maalox or other liquid antacid mixed 1:1 with water in a spray or sport-top 
bottle.
-Band-Aids (S, M, L)
-Antiseptic wash (like witch hazel or iodine)
-Paper tape
-Aspirin- just a few
-Ibuprofen- also just a bit
-Arnica (homeopathic)
-Rescue remedy
-Pen and paper
-Watch
-Emergen-C powder or other re-hydration drink mix
-Paper bag
-Sun screen (alcohol based)
-Mineral (or other) oil and alcohol (separate bottles)
-Candy bar
-Bandana
-Safety pin or 2

The extras (remember no one carries all of this so pick and choose- they're 
not listed in the order of importance)

-Sam splint
-Ace bandage
-Cake icing tube (diabetic emergencies)
-Benadryl
-Calendula/st. john's wort/arnica topical
-Sulfur
-Apis
-Skull cap lavender tincture 1:1
-Inhaler
-Epi-pen
-Tampons (good for nose bleeds too)
-Topical antibiotic ointment
-Space blanket
-Clean t-shirt sealed in a bag
-Extra plastic bags
-Bandage scissors
-EMT shears
-Chinese burn salve
-Tongue depressors (for splinting fingers)
-Flash light
-Mole skin
-Matches
-Goggles
-Ice pack
-CPR face shield
-Cloth sling
-Eriogonum cinnamon
-Yunnan piau

What Not To Do

-Don't put vaseline, mineral oil, oil-based sunscreen or moisturizers on 
skin as they can trap chemicals.
-Don't wear contact lenses, which can trap irritating chemicals underneath.
-Don't wear things which can easily be grabbed (i.e. dangly earrings or 
other jewelry, ties, loose hair).
-Don't go to the demo alone, if you can help it - go with an affinity group 
or some friends who know you well.
-Don't forget to eat food and DRINK LOTS OF WATER.

Medication in Jail
-If you are risking arrest and take medication for any health condition that 
might pose serious problems were your medication to be interrupted (such as: 
behavioral disorders, HIV, diabetes, hypertension), you should be aware that 
you may not have access to proper medication while you are in jail.

A letter from a doctor will help. Three copies of the letter are needed, 
onefor the legal team, one for the medical team (these will be kept 
completely confidential) and one for you. It should include the following 
information:
your name, diagnosis, that you must have access at all times to your
medication, a list of all meds that you require, a statement that you must 
be allowed to keep meds on your person so that they can be properly
administered, and that no substitutions are acceptable. Since your name will 
be on the document, you may want to hide it on your body as a sort of 
insurance policy - perhaps you won't need it and then could eat it and 
participate in jail solidarity tactics, but perhaps you'll be worn out 
already at the time of arrest and will want to cite out in order to take 
care of yourself.

Better to cite out than pass out. Your meds will need to be in their 
original prescription bottle in order for you to keep them, but you also 
could conceal an emergency supply on your person if you want.

Another option to greater ensure your ability to participate in solidarity 
is to have the document as described above but with a photo of yourself 
rather than your name. Your prescription bottle would then need to have your 
name cut out of the label, while leaving the rest of the label intact.

Please make sure that your affinity group and the legal team is aware of 
your needs so they can help care and advocate for you.

http://blackcrosscollective.org


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