Emergencies & First Response · Driver Training VideoRoadside First Aid Basics

You are often the first person on scene, especially out on a rural stretch where EMS can be twenty or thirty minutes out. What you do in those first few minutes matters more than any refresher you take after the fact.

Start with scene safety, not the patient. A vehicle involved in a crash can still catch fire, roll, or get hit again by oncoming traffic.

Once the scene is safe, check the person. Are they responsive? Are they breathing? If someone is unconscious but breathing normally, and you don't suspect a spine injury, roll them onto their side so they don't choke if they vomit.

For severe bleeding, direct pressure beats everything else. Use whatever clean cloth is on hand, press hard directly on the wound, and keep pressing — don't check every few seconds. If bleeding from a limb won't stop, a tourniquet a few inches above the wound can save a life.

FMCSA doesn't require a first aid kit in the cab, but most companies stock one anyway, and a lot of states do require it. Know exactly where yours is — not "somewhere in the sleeper" — and check what's inside before you need it, not after.

Your company standard: check your fire extinguisher, triangles, and first aid kit at every pre-trip inspection, and report anything missing or expired before you roll.