Ambassador First Aid Badge

**The Ambassador First Aid badge** is part of the Legacy badge set introduced in 2011.

Girl Scouts get the chance to experience amazing outdoor adventures—and when she's exploring outside, anything can happen. When it does, others may look to her, as an Ambassador, to know what to do in an emergency situation. In this badge, she will learn skills that define the Girl Scout motto. She will be prepared to handle any outdoor situation, from treating a mosquito bite to saving a life.

When a Girl Scout Ambassador has earned this badge, she will know more about how to provide first aid in extreme conditions.

## Step 1: Learn how to deal with medical emergencies in the wilderness

Adventure trips test your limits, build new skills, and increase your confidence – all while you enjoy the thrill of being outdoors.  They, also, create the possibility of serious medical emergencies. Find out how to handle a worst-case scenario in a particular kind of terrain.

CHOOSE ONE:

**Backcountry.**  Interview someone from a search-and-rescue team about the kinds of emergencies you might encounter on a backcountry trip and how to handle them.

OR

**Open water.**  Interview a certified lifeguard, emergency medical technician (EMT) who works on open water, or Coast Guard medic about how to handle the kinds of emergencies you might encounter on the ocean or a large body of water.

OR

**Mountains.**  Talk to an EMT, wilderness first responder, or rescue squad member with wilderness first aid training about the emergencies you might encounter on a trip in the mountains – including high-altitude sickness – and how to handle them.

**High-Altitude Sickness**

The higher you climb, the less oxygen there is in the atmosphere – and the greater the chances you or a companion will experience altitude–related problems.

At heights above 8,000 feet – or even at lower altitudes during strenuous activities like hiking, biking, and climbing – many people experience mild effects from acute mountain sickness.  In severe cases, acute mountain sickness can cause life-threatening conditions such as swelling or extra fluid in the heart, lungs, brain, and muscles.

**Prevention**What’s the best way to avoid high-altitude sickness?

Here are the basics:

·       Climb slowly.  Take at least two days to reach 8,000 feet.  For every 1,000 or 2,000 feet you go above that, rest for a day or two to let your body adjust before you continue.

·       Drink plenty of fluids

·       Eat regularly, especially foods high in carbohydrates.

**Early Warning Signs**

  ·       Headaches, breathlessness, fatigue

·       Nausea or vomiting

·       Difficulty sleeping

·       Swelling of the face, hands, and feet

·       Rapid pulse

**More Serious Symptoms**

     ·       Bluish skin tone or gray complexion

·       Confusion

·       Congestion/tightness in the chest

·       Cough/coughing up blood

·       Withdrawal from social interaction/loss of consciousness

·       Inability to walk in a straight line, or to walk at all

·       Shortness of breath when resting

**Treatment**  If you recognize any of the early warning signs, the most important thing is to descend to a lower altitude (quickly but safely) before the symptoms get worse.  If you or a companion suffers from more serious symptoms, call for emergency help immediately.  You may need treatment with oxygen, specialized drugs, or in a hyperbaric chamber.

## Step 2: Research careers that save lives in extreme conditions

Some people go to work each day ready to save lives in extraordinarily tough situations.  Find out more about these careers in an interview. Ask about the training and education needed, and the situations where they’ve used their expertise.

CHOOSE ONE:

**Wilderness rescue.**  Interview a lifeguard, park ranger, or member of a wilderness search-and-rescue squad or ski patrol.

OR

**Disaster preparedness.**  Interview a firefighter, EMT, or member of a local emergency response unit who’s trained to handle major disasters such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, or terrorist attacks.

OR

**Military medicine.**  Interview a combat medic or member of a military medical unit to find out more about how they care for soldiers during training exercises or combat.

### **Careers to Explore:**

* First response or wilderness EMT
* Girl Scout outdoors specialist
* Veterinarian
* Midwife
* Pharmacy technician
* Physician’s assistant
* Combat medic
* Dental hygienist
* Epidemiologist
* Nurse
* Ultrasound technician
* Home health aide
* Special education teacher
* Veterinary technician
* Hearing therapist
* Acupuncturist
* Laboratory technician

### **Dr. Maria Violi**

Dr. Violi graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelors Degree (BA) in Pathobiology. She went onto receive her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Ross University Veterinary School in 1996. She completed her clinical studies at Purdue University in Indiana. She began practicing veterinary medicine in New York and continues to practice in Westchester County.  Dr. Violi acquired Blue Cross Animal Hospital in 2014 where she also practices.  Her interests include general surgery and exotic animal care. Dr. Violi is a Member of the AVMA, AAHA,  ARAV, NYSVMS and is a Fellow of the American Veterinary Surgical Laser Society.

## Step 3: Find out how to care for a critically injured person

   In a remote location or extreme situation that prevents help from reaching you, it’s important to know how to keep someone who is critically injured alive until professionals can take over.  Find out how to keep an injured person alive for 16 to 24 hours.

CHOOSE ONE:

**Take a wilderness first aid course.**  Find a course taught by a certified instructor or endorsed by an accredited organization such as the Wilderness & Remote First Aid course offered by the Red Cross.

OR

**Interview a doctor, nurse, EMT, or first responder.**Find someone who specializes in wilderness or survival medicine and ask about the techniques they use to keep people alive in remote areas. Have them help you role-play what you would need to do to treat injuries you may encounter in your outdoor adventures.

OR

**Discover how to use what’s on hand in an emergency.**  With the help of a doctor, nurse, or EMT who specializes in disaster or survival medicine, find out how common items found in the house or car might help keep a critically injured person alive when emergency help is delayed.

Pagefrom the Past **First Aide badge 1924-1938**

Girls earning this badge in 1925 had to demonstrate:

* Applying a sterile dressing
* Stopping bleeding
* Putting on a splint
* Making a stretcher from uniform blanket or Scout neckerchief and poles

### **Diane Aranda, MD**

Dr. Aranda completed her Pediatric Internship and Residency at the LIJ -Schneider Children’s Hospital. She  earned her MD degree at the SUNY Upstate Medical University College of Medicine in Syracuse and her BS in Biomedical Education at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education of the City University of New York Medical School.

Dr. Aranda has worked in a private practice in New York City and has a special interest in childhood obesity. She was an adjunct professor at the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education for the Patient Doctor course, where she was instrumental in establishing a Healthy Teen Initiative.

Dr. Aranda is married and the mother of two little boys. A resident of East Meadow, she loves to ride her bike, bake, and read. She speaks, reads and writes Spanish fluently.

## Step 4: Know how to move an injured person

When you took your first aid and CPR certification course, you learned not to move someone with a serious injury. But, sometimes there’s no choice.  If there’s an immediate danger, such as fire, fallen power lines, or flooding, you may need to move the person out of harm’s way. Find out how to do this safely.

CHOOSE ONE:

**Visit a medical school.**  Schools often have student clubs focusing on wilderness, survival, or disaster medicine. Find one near you and set up a time when you and your Girl Scout friends can meet with them.

Tip:Contact the Wilderness Medical Society to see if they have Student Interest Group registered near you.

OR

**Take a wilderness first aid course.**  Find one that teaches different techniques for carrying people to safety on your own or with others.  This may be the same course you take to complete step 3.

OR

**Organize a mock emergency drill.**  Get help from emergency responders such as firefighters or EMTs.  Assign some people to be victims with various injuries, while others learn to move them safely.  Switch roles so that everyone has a chance to “treat” victims, then, ask the emergency responders to give you feedback on how you did.

**First Responders**          The people called to the scene of an emergency are often called “first responders.”  They might be police, firefighters, and paramedics, but people in many other career fields are, also, trained to be first responders.  A first responder may be someone from child protection agencies, Poison Control, mental health service employees, or members of a crisis hotline.

**Flight Paramedics**        A flight paramedic, or flight medic, is a paramedic who is trained to work on patients in flight.  They usually travel in helicopters with other medical personnel, such as doctors and nurses.  (Most large hospitals have helicopters and places for them to land safely.)  A flight paramedic works to keep a patient stable while they’re flown to a hospital.  These paramedics must be able to stay calm and focused in a hectic environment – and, usually, have a least five years’ experience working as a paramedic on the ground.

## Step 5: Explore real-life examples for handling wilderness emergencies

When you read about a tragedy or accident in which people are injured, often there’s an average person who doesn’t panic and uses a little bit of training and a lot of courage to save someone’s life.  Find out more about everyday heroes.

CHOOSE ONE:

**Explore wilderness survival.**  Read a book or magazine article or see a movie that tells a real-life story about people who faced an emergency in the wilderness. Note what they did or didn’t do to create the situation and how they handled it.

OR

**Investigate extreme first aid.**  Find at least five news items about everyday people who saved someone’s life using first aid during an extreme situation. Share them with friends and family and discuss common threads in the stories. Did the heroes have training? What do they credit with helping them save someone else’s life?

OR

**Interview an everyday hero.**Talk to someone who used first aid to save a life, or someone whose life was saved by a person who gave them first aid.  What aspects of their training were most helpful?  How did they make decisions about what to do? Did anything unexpected happen with which they had to deal?

More to EXPLORE:         **Wilderness Challenge**

Once you’ve earned this badge, you will be prepared for many of the challenges the wilderness can throw at you.  So, why not put your skills to the test with a friend or two – and find out if you have what it takes to survive a real wilderness challenge?

Come up with a scenario that would really challenge your limits, and find a group of two to six people to take it one with you.  Imagine a raging blizzard moving in while you’re hiking, your car breaking down on a lonely stretch of road in the desert, or other test.   Then, come up with a way to spend a full 24-hour day – maybe even two – testing your ability to “be prepared” and survive using your skills. Work on your challenge idea with an experienced Girl Scout adult who can help decide on details and create a backup emergency plan.

During your challenge, have each girl write a few sentences in a journal every hour.  Keep track of your moods and that of the group as a whole. You may be surprised by how quickly people fall into certain roles – one girl may take on the role of the leader, while another may work at keeping people cheerful and motivated.   Capture your thoughts about how well your group works together.

Once you are safely back home, reflect on your challenge.  What did you learn about things you should always carry?  Is there anything you’d like to have on hand in an emergency that you don’t normally have with your”?  What about things you’d do without?  Were you surprised by anything that happened within your group?

**THINK ABOUT**

  ·       **Supplies**: What do you normally have available in your school backpack, handbag, or car?  If you are suddenly stranded you will be limited, adding to the challenge, so make your supply list as realistic as possible.

·       How you’ll **find water**if you need it

·       What you’ll need to **keep**yourself **warm**(**or cool**if it’s hot)

·       How to make sure everyone in the group is **stay**ing **healthy**.  What will you do if someone starts showing signs of dehydration, hypothermia, heatstroke, or altitude sickness?  What will you do in case of poisonous insect or snake bites?  How would these types of situations influence the decision-making capacity of the affected group member?

**“I don’t ever remember Mrs. Low being without her beloved whistle and knife dangling from her leather belt!”**

-Josephine Daskam Bacon,

early Girl Scout Chairman of Publications and Publicity