First Aid Basics: What to Do When Someone Is Injured

1. Stay Safe First

Before helping someone, stop and look around.

Ask:

“Is it safe for me to approach?”

The original accident might still be happening.

For example:

• A road accident may involve moving traffic.
• A fire may still be burning.
• A fallen tree may be unstable.
• Electricity may still be live.
• Water may be dangerous.
• A steep slope may create a risk of falling.

Remember:

You can’t help someone if you become a casualty yourself.

Make the area safe where you can do so without putting yourself at risk.

If you can’t make it safe, keep yourself away and get appropriate help.

2. Stay Calm

Seeing someone injured can be frightening.

Your first reaction might be to panic.

Try to slow things down.

Take a breath.

Look at what is happening.

Then work through the situation logically.

A calm person can:

• Think more clearly
• Communicate better
• Reassure the casualty
• Make better decisions
• Get appropriate help

You don’t need to know everything.

You just need to know the next appropriate step.

3. Check the Casualty

Once it’s safe to approach, assess the person.

Start by finding out:

4. Get Help

Don’t try to manage a serious situation alone.

If you’re with a Scout group:

Tell your leader immediately.

If appropriate, ask another person to get help.

You can give clear instructions such as:

“Please get our leader.”

or:

“Please call 999 and tell them where we are.”

Specific instructions are better than simply shouting:

“Someone get help!”

5. When Is It an Emergency?

Some situations require immediate emergency assistance.

Examples include:

• Someone who is unconscious
• Someone who isn’t breathing normally
• Severe bleeding
• Serious breathing difficulties
• A serious head injury
• A suspected spinal injury
• A serious burn
• A major accident
• A person who is seriously unwell
• A situation involving immediate danger

If you’re unsure whether something is serious, get help.

Don’t be afraid of “making a fuss.”

It’s much better to ask for help when it’s needed than to ignore a potentially serious problem.

6. Calling for Emergency Help

If emergency services are required, you may need to call 999 or 112.

Be ready to explain:

Listen carefully to the operator and follow their instructions.

Don’t hang up until you’re told to do so.

7. Serious Bleeding

Severe bleeding can be life-threatening.

If someone has serious bleeding:

Get help immediately.

If it is safe to do so, apply firm direct pressure to the wound using an appropriate dressing or clean material.

Continue applying pressure and follow the instructions of emergency services or a trained first aider.

Don’t waste time trying to make the wound look perfect.

The priority is controlling serious bleeding and getting help.

8. Breathing Problems

Difficulty breathing can be an emergency.

If someone is struggling to breathe:

• Stay calm
• Get appropriate help
• Keep them as comfortable as possible
• Follow emergency-service instructions
• Don’t leave them alone unless you need to get help

If someone becomes unresponsive and isn’t breathing normally, emergency action is required.

This is where proper CPR and AED training becomes extremely important.

Don’t rely on an online article to learn CPR.

Practical first-aid training is the right way to learn these skills.

9. Head Injuries

A knock to the head can sometimes be more serious than it initially appears.

Watch for concerning symptoms such as:

• Loss of consciousness
• Increasing confusion
• Unusual behaviour
• Repeated vomiting
• Severe or worsening headache
• Seizure
• Increasing drowsiness
• Problems with movement or speech

If you are concerned about a head injury, seek appropriate medical advice.

For a serious head injury or concerning symptoms, get emergency help.

10. Suspected Broken Bones

A fracture can sometimes be obvious, but not always.

Possible signs include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Difficulty moving
• Abnormal shape
• Bruising
• Tenderness

Don’t try to straighten a limb or “put a bone back.”

Keep the person comfortable and seek appropriate medical assistance.

If the injury is serious or there are other concerning symptoms, contact emergency services.

11. Burns

Burns can happen around:

• Campfires
• Stoves
• Cooking equipment
• Hot drinks
• Boiling water

For a burn, cool the area with cool running water as soon as possible and seek appropriate medical advice.

Don’t apply creams, oils or household substances to a fresh burn.

Don’t deliberately break blisters.

Severe or extensive burns require urgent medical attention.

This deserves its own detailed SurvivalGuidesUK article at a later date.

12. Shock

Shock can occur after a serious injury or illness.

A person experiencing shock may appear:

• Pale
• Cold
• Sweaty
• Weak
• Confused
• Anxious

If someone may be suffering from shock:

Get medical help.

Keep them comfortable and warm without overheating them.

Treat any obvious life-threatening problems you are trained to deal with.

Stay with them and monitor their condition.

13. The Recovery Position

If someone is unconscious but breathing normally, the recovery position can help keep their airway clear while you get medical assistance.

However, practical training is the best way to learn how to position someone correctly.

Important:

If you suspect a serious spinal injury, moving the person unnecessarily can be dangerous.

Follow emergency-service instructions and your first-aid training.

14. Protect Yourself

First aid can involve contact with blood and other bodily fluids.

If available and appropriate, use disposable gloves or other suitable protective equipment.

Remember:

Protect yourself.

Protect the casualty.

Get appropriate help.

Don’t take unnecessary risks.

15. Reassure the Casualty

Being injured can be frightening, particularly for younger Scouts.

You don’t need to give a long speech.

Simply stay calm and communicate clearly.

You could say:

“You’re not alone. We’re getting help.”

Explain what you’re doing where appropriate.

Avoid making promises you can’t keep.

Don’t say:

“You’ll definitely be fine.”

Instead say:

“We’re going to get you the help you need.”

16. Working as a Team

First aid is often easier when people work together.

One person can:

Stay with the casualty

Another can:

Get the first-aid kit

Another can:

Find the leader

Another can:

Contact emergency services

Another can:

Guide rescuers to the location

Good communication is extremely important.

17. Know Where the First-Aid Kit Is

A first-aid kit isn’t much use if nobody knows where it is.

Before an activity, find out:

Where is the first-aid kit?

Who is responsible for first aid?

Where is the nearest adult or leader?

How would we contact emergency services?

What is our emergency procedure?

For Scouts, your leader should establish the appropriate arrangements before an activity.

18. Know Your Location

First aid and navigation are closely connected.

Imagine you’re hiking when someone suffers a serious injury.

You call for help.

The emergency operator asks:

“Where are you?”

If you can provide an accurate location, help can find you much more easily.

This is why your navigation skills matter.

A grid reference, identifiable landmark or other useful location information can be extremely valuable.

The First Aid Process

Here’s the simple process I want beginners to remember:

SAFE → CHECK → HELP → CARE → MONITOR

Your First First-Aid Challenge

The First Aid Scenario Challenge

You don’t need a real casualty for this challenge.

Ask a leader or another adult to give you a scenario.

For example:

“A Scout trips while walking and appears to have hurt their ankle.”

Explain what you would do.

Can you explain:

1. How would you make sure the scene is safe?

2. What would you check?

3. Who would you get for help?

4. What would you do within your training?

5. How would you keep the casualty calm?

6. What would you do if their condition became worse?

The aim isn’t to memorise a perfect script.

It’s to practise thinking calmly and systematically.

Bonus Challenge: The First-Aid Kit Challenge

Find your group’s first-aid kit.

With permission from your leader, look at what’s inside.

Can you identify:

• Dressings
• Bandages
• Plasters
• Gloves
• Scissors
• Wipes
• Other equipment

For each item, explain:

“What might this be used for?”

Don’t use equipment on another person unless you’ve been appropriately trained to do so.

Explorer Challenge: Run a First-Aid Scenario

Work in a small team.

Your leader creates a scenario such as:

“During a hike, someone falls and suffers a suspected leg injury. They are conscious and breathing normally.”

Your team must demonstrate:

Scene safety

Initial assessment

Getting help

Communication

Giving your location

Appropriate first aid within your training

Monitoring the casualty

Explaining the situation to emergency services

Afterwards, discuss:

What did we do well?

and:

What could we have done better?

What Have You Learned?

You should now understand the fundamentals of responding to an emergency.

You’ve learned how to:

Most importantly:

First aid isn’t about being a hero. It’s about making sensible decisions that help someone safely until appropriate help arrives.

Scout Connection

First aid is one of the most useful skills you can develop as a Scout because it connects directly with so many other outdoor skills.

SurvivalGuidesUK is an independent educational resource and isn’t an official Scouts website. Always follow the current Scouts programme requirements and your leader’s instructions.

What’s Next?

Now that you’ve learned the basics, build on that.