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First Aid Merit Badge

All Merit Badges

Revised January, 2019

Requirements for the First Aid merit badge:

Demonstrate to your counselor that you have current knowledge of all first-aid requirements for Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class ranks.
Explain how you would obtain emergency medical assistance from:
1. Your home
2. A remote location on a wilderness camping trip
3. An activity on open water
Define the term triage. Explain the steps necessary to assess and handle a medical emergency until help arrives
Explain the standard precautions as applied to the transmission of infections. Discuss the ways you should protect yourself and the victim while administering first aid.
Do the following:
1. Prepare a first-aid kit for your home. Display and discuss its contents with your counselor.
2. With an adult leader, inspect your troop's first-aid kit. Evaluate it for completeness. Report your findings to your counselor and Scout leader.
Describe the early signs and symptoms of each of the following and explain what actions you should take:
1. Shock
2. Heart attack
3. Stroke
Do the following:
1. Describe the conditions that must exist before performing CPR on a person. Then demonstrate proper CPR technique using a training device approved by your counselor.
2. Explain the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Identify the location of the AED at your school, place of worship, and troop meeting place, if one is present.
Do the following:
1. Show the steps that need to be taken for someone who has a large open wound or cut that is not bleeding severely.
2. Show the steps that need to be taken for someone who has a large open wound or cut that is severely bleeding.
3. Explain when it is appropriate and not appropriate to use a tourniquet. List some of the benefits and dangers of the use of a tourniquet.
4. Describe the proper application of a tourniquet.
Explain when a bee sting could be life threatening and what action should be taken for prevention and for first aid.
Do the following:
1. Describe the signs and symptoms of an open or closed fracture or dislocation.
2. Explain what measures should be taken to reduce the likelihood of further complications of fractures and dislocations.
Demonstrate the proper procedures for handling and immobilizing suspected closed and open fractures or dislocations
of the:
1. Forearm
2. Wrist
3. Hand and Fingers
4. Upper leg
5. Lower leg
6. Ankle
Describe the signs and symptoms, proper first-aid procedures, and possible prevention measures for the following conditions:
1. Anaphylaxis/allergic reactions
2. Asthma attack
3. Bruises
4. Sprains or strains
5. Hypothermia
6. Frostbite
7. Burns - first, second, and third degree
8. Concussion
9. Convulsions/seizures
10. Someone who is unconscious
11. Dehydration
12. Muscle cramps
13. Heat exhaustion
14. Heat stroke
15. Abdominal pain
16. Broken, chipped, or loosened tooth
Do the following:
1. Describe the conditions under which an injured person should be moved.
2. If a sick or an injured person must be moved, tell how you would determine the best method. Demonstrate this method.
3. With helpers under your supervision, improvise a stretcher and move a presumably unconscious person.
Teach another Scout a first-aid skill selected by your counselor.

First Aid Worksheet
CPR Training

All Merit Badges

Comments:

Jan 27, 2013 - Donna Forshay

If a Webelos 2 scout earns his Red Cross Basic First Aid Certification, when he crosses over to boy scouts, can he use the certification to satisfy some of the First Aid Merit Badge requirements (provided he works on the merit badge before his Certification expires)?

Jan 27, 2013 - Scouter Paul

Donna - No, merit badge progress needs to be done "while registered as a Boy Scout". Also, there is no requirement in the First Aid merit badge to become certified by the Red Cross. The scout could use the skills he has previously mastered to help him complete the requirements - it should take him less time to do the explain, describe, and show requirements to his counselor's satisfaction.

Mar 19, 2015 - Julia Connel

What list od item am i supposed to require the scout to have? The personal 1st aid kit or the longer, "home or patrol/troop" items on the next page?

Mar 19, 2015 - Scouter Paul

@Julia - Requirement 2d says a first aid kit "for your home" so it is more than a personal first aid kit, and you answered your question. The "home or patrol/troop" kit is appropriate. The intent is not just for the scout to show his counselor the items. It is intended that the kit actually be for his home, to help make his family more ready for first aid events. If his family already has a kit, then I'd have him check that it is complete and show that.

Oct 31, 2015 - Daniel

For requirement #1; what qualifies as "satisfy that you have current knowledge of first aid requirements for tenderfoot, second class, and first class"? Would merely having earned the ranks satisfy this item? Do they need to demonstrate the skills now or merely talk it out?

Nov 01, 2015 - Scouter Joe

@Daniel They would not really need to show you, but if you quizzed them on any random situation learned at those ranks they could tell you what needs to be done.

I like to choose a situation/skill from each rank and ask what they would do.

Mar 21, 2016 - Shawn

We live in a small community and do not have a merit badge councilor for First Aid, can we use a Local Fireman and Paramedic to sign off on the merit badge?

Thanks

Apr 27, 2016 - SM Alan

We have the same problem in our community. We have some interesting experts on some Merit badges that you would not expect in the middle of no where. but I am using the flight nurse and Paramedic from the local aeromedical team to teach ours. They are experts, and they only teach with the registered scout leaders present.

Apr 27, 2016 - Scouter Paul

@Shawn - I think SM Alan is saying that a subject matter expert can help the scouts learn the merit badge topic but only a person that is a registered BSA member and Merit Badge Counselor the particular merit badge can sign off on completion of requirements.
AND, scouts meeting with the subject matter expert DO need to adhere to the BSA Youth Protection guidelines.

So, in your situation, you would need to have someone register with the BSA as a First Aid Merit Badge Counselor and that person could sign off on the requirements. If you could cajole a local fireman into signing up, that would be perfect! There is no cost to register only as a MB counselor.

May 05, 2017 - Ricky Holiday

I'm a volunteer Paramedic for the past 27 years and are a leader in a local Scout Troop. Do I have to get registered as a Merit Badge Counselor to sign off on the First Aid Merit Badge? I am a CPR/1st Aid/AED instructor for the American Heart Association.

May 09, 2017 - Jane

@Ricky - Yes, you do need to register with your local council to be a Merit Badge Counselor in order to sign off on any First Aid merit badge.

www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors/FAQ.aspx

May 24, 2018 - Ed Hole

We signed up for the first aid merit badge to be taken while at the week of camp for Boy Scouts this summer
When we received the list of classes he was taking the first aid had an astrix next to it which means it has a prerequisite required to take it. What is the prerequisite?
Thanks Ed

May 24, 2018 - Scouter Paul

@Ed - The only prerequisite for the First Aid merit badge is that the youth is a registered Boy Scout. Any other prerequisites are made up by the particular camp you are attending, and you would need to contact them to find out what they are.

Dec 19, 2018 - Mayank Patil

What are the contents of a first aid kit for your home?
Is it okay if I use the same personal kit for the purpose of signing off requirement 2.d (Redacted in 2018, now requirement 5?

Dec 21, 2018 - Scouter Paul

@Mayank - As far as I know, the requirement has always been a first aid kit "for your home" rather than "personal". If one was done for old 2.d, then it's the same requirement.

Dec 29, 2018 - Mayank Patil

Thank you for the clarification, I found a list online from the Scout book: www.devinbaldwin.com/wp- content/uploads/2016/01/Home-or-Troop-First-Aid-Kit.pdf
I was wondering if there is a First Aid Kit that I can buy for the requirement, or do I have to get each item individually?

Dec 29, 2018 - Scouter Paul

@Mayank - either purchasing or building a kit is ok. The scout should understand what each item in the kit is used for. Another list is here.

Jan 31, 2019 - Stacy Sonchar

If my son takes the CPR/AED and first aid course at the council will that satisfy the First aid merit badge.

Jan 31, 2019 - Scouter Paul

@Stacy - going to training would help your son learn the skills, but if I were his merit badge counselor, I would still expect him to describe and demonstrate them to me according to the requirements.

Mar 26, 2019 - mike

For Requirement #5 is it OK to use a store bought first aid kit?

Mar 26, 2019 - Scouter Paul

@Mike - Most merit badge counselors would accept that as long as the scout has gone through the contents beforehand and can explain what each item is for. The idea is for the scout to understand what risks exist and have a kit that will address them. Most store-bought kits have an excess of general items such as bandaids, but do not include other useful items.

Jul 02, 2020 - Tom Person

The troop kit list linked above (www.boyscouttrail.com/docs/firstaidkitinventory.htm) includes a number of things that are likely necessary in a troop kit but not a home kit (like instant ice packs, small ziplock bags). Is that list definitive or may the councilor adjust the list to better fit a home kit?

Jul 03, 2020 - Jane

@Tom Person - First aid merit badge requirement #5a. says:

"Prepare a first-aid kit for your home. Display and discuss its contents with your counselor."

However, the requirement does not specify what must be in the home first aid kit. The merit badge pamphlet has a suggested list of items that should be in the first aid kit. There is also a suggested list for a home or patrol first aid kit in the Scout Handbook (in the First Aid chapter) and also in the boyscouttrail link you posted.

It makes sense to me that a Scout can modify the items in the kit as needed. For example, a home first aid kit probably does not need a bar of soap, because most homes have soap in the bathrooms and kitchen. If the Scout has an ice maker at home, then ice packs are probably not necessary (but they would be good additions to a first aid kit for a car or a patrol / troop kit).

After the Scout puts together the home first aid kit, have the Scout explain why some items were (or were not) included as part of the discussion.

May 15, 2022 - Maddy marquez

Does a scout have to be in first class rank to earn the first aid merit badge?

May 29, 2022 - Scouter Paul

@Maddy - No, there is no rank requirement for any merit badge. A scout just needs to be registered in the Scouts BSA program.

May 31, 2022 - ConorNNS

This really helped out thx

Sep 19, 2023 - christy

For First Aid Merit Badge, what " training device" are instructors using to demonstrate scout has knowledge of CPR-- "demonstrate proper CPR technique using a training device approved by your counselor."

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