There is a certain stigma that follows the BDSM community that isn’t helped by how it is depicted in books and mainstream media. The community as it is so often called is portrayed as being a group of leather or latex-clad individuals doing all manner of violent and intrusive things to another person or persons. This has led to some quite disastrous experiences for those who are not properly educated or don’t wish to follow established rules that every person in that scene agrees to follow. These things are what is and what is not going to happen, agreements on when to slow down, when to stop, and when there is an emergency.
Most organized “scenes” are negotiated ahead of time and the parties involved stick to those negotiated guidelines and can renegotiate as needed. If there is a group of individuals who are participating or if there is an event with multiple individuals there are moderators present to ensure everyone is staying safe.
By and large, these events are quite safe and everyone has a good time, but the potential for a serious injury is always present, this is why it is vital for these moderators and as many of the other participants to have more than just a passing understanding of first aid and CPR skills. Earlier this year Korstog Training started offering classes that were aimed at teaching all individuals who were involved the skills to help in an emergency.
We started with basic first aid and CPR classes using the A.H.A. Heartsaver First Aid class as our base for education but quickly learned that there was a more important need to focus on the injuries and emergencies that could present themselves at these events. Things we learned, there is a much greater chance of someone getting badly burned from wax or fire play than they were to encountering poison ivy. So we have had to modify the course quite a bit to have a stronger focus on potentially life threatening injuries that could present themselves at a kink event.
Part of this class involves our recommendations of skills that everyone should learn, skills that can help in the mundane world just as much as they can at an event or party. These skills include C.P.R. with ventilations, basic trauma care, basic spinal immobilization, as well as burn care, blind insertion airways, and splinting.
The other part of this class that we teach is the creation of a medical form and what to place in the first aid kits, or more specifically what to add to one of the pre-built ones we sell on our website.
Here is a list of items we recommend, this is by no means an all-inclusive list of items we recommend.
Burn Gel
Blood Stopper Gauze
5×9 dressings
4×4 gauze
2×2 gauze
Sterile water
Tourniquets, 2 is great 4 is better.
Band-Aids
Medical tape
Rolls of gauze
Israeli Dressings
A C-Collar
Scissors x 2
Seat belt cutter
SAM Splints
Oral and Nasal Airways
CPR Mask
Nitrile Gloves
We also recommend that perhaps during the vetting process, individuals fill out some basic medical information.
Legal Name
Preferred Pronouns
Address
Emergency Contact
PAST MEDICAL HISTORY***** as a Paramedic this information is extremely valuable
ALLERGIES ***** Again VERY Important, someone who is terribly allergic to latex can have a serious medical issue if they are to close to someone wearing Latex
CURRENT MEDICATIONS**** There are drug combinations that can cause so many issues if given together, Viagra and Nitro Glycerin for chest pain can cause no end of life-threatening problems
If they are diabetic or have a seizure disorder, what should people do if they have low blood sugar or have a seizure?
As always, if there are questions or if someone wants to schedule a class have them reach out through this website, or call 612-961-3002