Youth Group & Scouting Emergency Medical Preparedness Toolkit

Youth leaders are frequently the first and only responders when a medical emergency occurs during an activity. The window between when an emergency starts and when EMS arrives is the window where your response determines the outcome.

The Youth Group and Scouting Emergency Medical Preparedness Toolkit was developed by Penn Tactical Solutions for volunteer and paid leaders of youth programs where activities occur away from immediate EMS access. It is written for people who are not medical professionals - every document is actionable with standard first aid and Stop the Bleed training.

The toolkit covers Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, church youth groups and faith-based programs, outdoor education and adventure programs, community youth organizations, summer day and residential camps, hiking, backpacking, and paddling groups, and sports teams on field trips or away programs.

What's included - 13 documents:

Start Here - Toolkit overview, the first-minutes response model that applies to every emergency type, Pennsylvania volunteer legal protections (Volunteer Protection Act, Good Samaritan, Act 139, mandatory reporting), and EMS timing framework: under 10 minutes = urban context, 10-30 minutes = extended response, over 30 minutes = wilderness medicine context.

Activity Planning Guide - Pre-activity planning framework covering location risk, EMS access confirmation, participant information, weather, and activity-specific hazards.

Medical Threat Assessment - Structured tool for evaluating the medical risk level of any planned activity before departure. Produces a go/no-go recommendation. Most serious incidents in youth programs are preceded by a risk that was visible and assessable in advance.

Leader Emergency Roles - Role assignments for multi-leader groups. Ensures every leader knows exactly what to do before the incident occurs, not during it. Solves the hesitation and delay that happens when everyone waits for someone else to act.

GOTWA Contingency Plan - Five-element communication and accountability framework for when leaders must temporarily separate from the group. Adapted from wilderness and military leadership for civilian youth programs. Takes under 60 seconds to deliver and leaves no one uncertain.

PACE Communication Plan - Four-tier communication framework ensuring EMS can always be reached even in areas with no cell coverage: Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency. Plan for no signal. Every time.

Medical Equipment Standard - Equipment specifications for three activity tiers - day trip, overnight, and backcountry - based on EMS response time and activity risk. CoTCCC-correct tourniquet and hemostatic guidance. Includes a counterfeit tourniquet warning.

Emergency Response Protocols - Step-by-step response for the emergencies most common in youth outdoor programs: severe bleeding, cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, overdose, heat illness, hypothermia, and suspected head and spinal injury.

Participant Medical Information Forms - Health and emergency contact forms for all participants, designed to be carried by leaders during activities - not left in an office. Covers BSA Annual Health and Medical Record requirements and custom forms for non-BSA organizations.

Incident Documentation - Incident report, witness statement, and parent/guardian notification framework. Covers mandatory reporting obligations under Pennsylvania's Child Protective Services Law, including the ChildLine reporting number. Factual observations only - no speculation.

Activity Safety Checklist - Pre-departure go/no-go checklist covering all readiness elements. One page, fill-in, complete before every activity.

Leader Trip Card - Pocket-sized laminate card with the emergency response sequence, 911 caller script, and group information fill-in. One card per leader. Designed to eliminate memory failure, role confusion, and delayed response under stress.

BSA and WFA Requirements and Training - BSA NCAP standards (PS-218 and SQ-410), Wilderness First Aid certification requirements, and training matrix by role and activity type.

Available at no cost to any youth-serving organization. Training - Stop the Bleed, CPR/AED, naloxone administration, and Wilderness First Aid - is available through Penn Tactical Solutions at your location. For qualifying Pennsylvania public organizations and institutions, equipment and training are available through COSTARS cooperative purchasing without a competitive bid.