Arrow of Light First Aid Adventure

Printable requirements for the Arrow of Light First Aid Adventure

Checkoff sheet to keep track of your den’s progress on the Arrow of Light First Aid Adventure

Arrow of Light Badge Checkoff Sheet

Someone in Need

Explain what you should do if you encounter someone in need of first aid.

Here are simple steps for Arrow of Light Scouts to follow if they encounter someone who needs first aid:

1. Stay Safe: Make sure the area is safe for you and the injured person. Do not enter if it is dangerous.
2. Get Help: Call an adult or dial 911 if it’s a serious injury. Tell them what happened and where you are.
3. Check the Person: See if the person is awake and breathing. Do not move them unless they are in danger.
4. Provide Comfort: Stay with the person, keep them comfortable, and talk to them calmly until help arrives.
5. Use First Aid Skills: If you know first aid, like bandaging a cut or treating a burn, you can help the person carefully until an adult or professional help arrives.

Here is an option for fulfilling Arrow of Light First Aid Adventure requirement 2:

• First Aid First Response
  • Cub Scouts explain what to do if they encounter someone who needs first aid.
  • Supplies: Emergency Contact Information, pencils
  • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 days prep

Hurry Cases

Demonstrate what to do for hurry cases of first aid: serious bleeding, heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest, stopped breathing, stroke, poisoning.

Here are simple steps for Arrow of Light Scouts to follow in hurry cases of first aid:

• Serious Bleeding: Put on gloves if you have them. Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth to stop the bleeding. Keep pressure until help arrives.
• Heart Attack or Sudden Cardiac Arrest: Call 911 immediately. If the person is not breathing and has no heartbeat, perform CPR if you are trained. Continue until help arrives.
• Stopped Breathing: Call for help. If you know CPR, start giving breaths and chest compressions. Keep doing this until professional help takes over.
• Stroke: Notice if the person has trouble speaking, drooping on one side of the face, or can’t move one arm. Call 911 right away. Keep the person calm and lying down.
• Poisoning: Do not make the person throw up. Call Poison Control or 911. Tell them what the person took and follow their instructions.

In all cases, it’s important to get help quickly and not to move the person unless they are in more danger by staying where they are.

Here are some options for fulfilling Arrow of Light First Aid Adventure requirement 3:

• “Hurry” Cases
  • Cub Scouts demonstrate what to do for first aid “hurry” cases. 
  • Supplies: gloves, eye protection, neckerchiefs, CPR breathing barriers
  • indoor, high energy, 1 to 3 days prep
• Visit a Paramedic
  • Visit an  emergency services station and do some hands-on learning from a professional 
  • Supplies: Activity Consent Form 
  • requires travel, high energy, a week or more prep

Choking

Demonstrate how to help a choking victim.

Here’s how Arrow of Light Scouts can help someone who is choking:

1. Ask if They Can Speak: See if the person can talk or cough. If they can’t make any sound, they need help right away.
2. Call for Help: Yell for an adult and tell them someone is choking. If no adult is there, dial 911.
3. Give Back Blows and Abdominal Thrusts: If trained, stand behind the person. Lean them forward slightly and give 5 firm back blows between their shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. If that doesn’t work, do 5 abdominal thrusts. Place your fist above their belly button, grab it with your other hand, and push inward and upward quickly.
4. Keep Trying: Alternate between 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts until the object is dislodged or help arrives.
5. If the Person Becomes Unconscious: If the person stops responding, start CPR if you’re trained, and keep doing it until help arrives. Always make sure someone has called 911.

Here is an option for fulfilling Arrow of Light First Aid Adventure requirement 4:

• Heimlich Maneuver
  • Cub Scouts demonstrate how to perform the Heimlich maneuver.
  • Supplies: none
  • indoor, high energy, 1 to 3 days prep

Shock

Demonstrate how to treat shock.

Here’s how Arrow of Light Scouts can help someone who is in shock:

1. Call for Help: Tell an adult or dial 911 immediately. Explain that someone might be in shock.
2. Keep Them Calm: Help the person lie down on their back. Keep them still and calm by talking to them in a gentle voice.
3. Elevate Their Feet: If there are no injuries to the head, spine, or legs, carefully lift their feet about 12 inches higher than their head. This helps increase blood flow to their heart and brain.
4. Keep Them Warm: Use a blanket or coat to keep the person warm, but don’t overheat them.
5. Do Not Give Anything to Eat or Drink: It’s important not to give them food or water, even if they ask for it.
6. Stay With Them: Keep the person company until help arrives. Continue to reassure them and keep them as comfortable as possible.

Here is an option for fulfilling Arrow of Light First Aid Adventure requirement 5:

• Shock First Aid
  • Cub Scouts demonstrate how to treat shock.
  • Supplies: none
  • indoor, moderate energy, 1 to 3 days prep

Minor Injuries

Demonstrate how to treat the following: cuts and scratches, burns and scalds, bites and stings of insects and animals, and nosebleed.

Here’s how Arrow of Light Scouts can treat some common injuries:

Cuts and Scratches

• Rinse the cut with clean water.
• Gently clean around the cut with soap and water.
• Dry it and cover with a clean bandage.

Burns and Scalds

• Cool the burn under cool (not cold) running water for about 10 minutes.
• Cover the burn with a sterile, non-fluffy cloth or bandage.
• Do not put creams or butter on the burn.

Bites and Stings of Insects and Animals

• Wash the area with soap and water.
• Apply a cold pack to reduce swelling and pain.
• If there is a stinger, gently scrape it out with the edge of a credit card.

Nosebleed

• Have the person sit and lean slightly forward.
• Pinch the soft part of their nose just below the bony bridge.
• Hold it for about 10 minutes.
• Tell them to breathe through their mouth and not to tilt their head back.

These simple steps can help treat minor injuries until further help can be provided if needed.

Here is an option for fulfilling Arrow of Light First Aid Adventure requirement 6:

• Common First Aid Practices
  • Cub Scouts learn how to treat common first aid needs.
  • Supplies: bowls with water, soap, hand towels, first aid ointment, latex free gloves, eye protection, sterile gauze pads, first aid tape, aloe vera or cooling lotion, tweezers, playing card or credit card, clean cloth
  • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 days prep

First Aid Kit

Make a personal first-aid kit. Demonstrate the proper use of each item in your first-aid kit.

Here’s how to put together a simple home first aid kit for Arrow of Light Scouts:

• Adhesive Bandages: For covering small cuts and scrapes. Choose various sizes.
• Sterile Gauze Pads: To cover and protect larger wounds. Place on the wound and secure with tape.
• Adhesive Tape: To hold gauze pads and bandages in place.
• Antiseptic Wipes: To clean wounds before bandaging to prevent infection.
• Soap: For cleaning around wounds and washing hands before treating injuries.
• Antibiotic Ointment: To apply on cuts and scrapes to prevent infection.
• Cold Pack: To reduce swelling and relieve pain from injuries like sprains. Keep it in the freezer.
• Tweezers: For removing splinters or debris from wounds.
• Scissors: To cut tape, gauze, or clothing if necessary.
• Disposable Gloves: To protect both the caregiver and the injured person from infections.
• Thermometer: To check for fever.
• Calamine Lotion: For soothing bug bites, stings, or poison ivy rashes.
• Pain Relievers: Such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, for relieving pain or fever. Always follow dosage instructions.
• Emergency Blanket: To keep someone warm in case of shock or if they are cold.
• First Aid Manual: To refer to for instructions on how to handle various injuries.

It’s important to know how to use each item correctly, so read the instructions for each. Always keep the kit in a known and easily accessible place, and check it regularly to replace used or expired items.

Here is an option for fulfilling Arrow of Light First Aid Adventure requirement 7:

• DIY First Aid Kit
  • Cub Scouts make and demonstrate the use of a first aid kit.
  • Supplies: quart sized bags, markers, adhesive bandages, moleskin, first aid ointment, gloves, optional items (gauze pads, adhesive tape, soap, scissors, mouth barrier, pencil and paper, antiseptic wipes)
  • indoor, low energy, 1 to 3 days prep

Before any activity, check the SAFE Checklist to make sure everyone is safe. Everyone involved in Scouting America activities should know the Guide to Safe Scouting and other relevant guides or books. Also follow any state or local rules that are more strict than Scouting America rules and guidelines.

Before starting this Adventure:

• Review the BSA Youth Protection content.
• Watch the Protect Yourself Rules – Arrow of Light video.
• Requirement 1 can be completed at home or as a den. Inform parents, legal guardians, and adult partners about the Adventure and its content before the meeting. See the document “Arrow of Light First Aid 1 Parent Notification” in the Additional Resources section for Requirement 1.
• Review and become familiar with the first aid content to ensure proper information and techniques are being taught.
• If you need help, seek assistance from a Scouts BSA Troop adult leader with Wilderness First Aid or Standard First Aid Certification, a medical professional, EMT, or another adult with formal first aid training. Share the Adventure content with them to ensure it remains age-appropriate.
• Consider becoming certified in Red Cross First Aid. Learn more about the American Red Cross and BSA Training Agreement.

During the Adventure:

• A child may disclose something that raises suspicion of abuse. If you suspect abuse, follow the reporting guidelines on the BSA Youth Protection site.

More information

The Arrow of Light First Aid adventure is a crucial part of the Cub Scout program for Scouts preparing to transition to Scouts BSA. This adventure equips them with essential skills to handle emergency situations effectively and safely. It’s designed to make Scouts more aware and prepared to deal with unexpected injuries and health issues, whether on a campout or in daily life.

During this adventure, Scouts learn through practical, hands-on experience. They start by watching the “Protect Yourself Rules” video, which educates them about personal safety and the importance of recognizing dangerous situations.

The core of the adventure involves learning how to respond to various medical emergencies, including serious bleeding, heart attacks, strokes, and cases of poisoning. Scouts practice techniques for dealing with these emergencies until help arrives, which builds their confidence and skills. They also learn how to treat more common injuries like cuts, burns, and insect bites.

Furthermore, Scouts put together their own first aid kits. They select items for the kit, such as bandages, antiseptic wipes, and gloves, and learn how to use each item. This activity not only teaches them about the tools needed for first aid but also about responsibility and preparedness.

The First Aid adventure prepares Arrow of Light Scouts to be attentive, responsible, and ready to act in emergencies. It’s a vital step in their development as young leaders and responsible citizens, embodying the Scout motto to “Be Prepared.”