Action-Medical.NET

Welcome to AM-NET, a HomePage for action medics everywhere.

Action medics are the all-volunteer "street first aiders" who help provide preventative education, emergency first aid and aftercare to demonstrators working to resist oppression.

As protests throughout the world increase in frequency and intensity, so too do the violent responses on the part of the agents of undemocratic regimes and capistalist elites. Those engaged in fighting for a better tomorrow take great risks. The job of the action medic is to curb those risks by caring for the physical and mental well-being of warriors in the streets and forests.

On this site, you will find resources for activists concerned about health and safety; for medics looking to develop their skills and network with others; and for people interested in getting involved with or supporting action medical services, in whatever capacity.

Right now AM-NET is in its infancy, but we are hard at work building a truly interactive online "community" for action medical activists. Please return again soon to register as a member of this site and begin taking advantage of the offerings we have planned.

Check out our new Frequently Askect Questions (FAQ) document, in progress.

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Updates

6/21/01 -- playing with new animation on Splash Page
6/18/01 -- added link to Action Medical Bulletin Board
4/26/01 -- posted beginnings of AfterCare/Detox page
4/26/01 -- WebSlinger back from QC... added link to "Healing Trauma" site
3/30/01 -- new link to Montreal Street Medics site
3/15/01 -- added new splash page
3/15/01 -- added some links to educational programs/organizations
3/12/01 -- several links to first aid/ems sites added
3/12/01 -- Action Medical Field Radio Protocols document added (HTML)
3/11/01 -- interactive AM-Net FAQ started
3/8/01 -- interactive AM-Net Events Calendar added
3/7/01 -- Action-Medical.Net site released

documents | calendar | links | photos | faq

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Communication

Join the action-medical listserv. Just submit your email address here and you'll be subscribed to the primary resource for action medics in North America.

To contact the AM-Net webSlinger, write to brian at bad@rootmedia.org.

NEW! Action Medical Bulletin Board for topical discussions.

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Documents

There are a few documents, available both online and in a downloadable print format. Several more have been or are being produced, and will be posted here shortly.

Health and Safety at Militant Actions
Some tips and suggestions to help ensure personal and collective well-being in the face of police violence (and other adversities) [updated 3/7/01]
Web Version | PDF (Pamphlet)

Aftercare / Detox Page
Work in progress, better late than never, this document is intended to help people recovering from critical incident stress and chemical weapons exposure.
Web Version

Basic Street First Aid Training Supplements
Hand-outs to accompany the 8-hour Basic Street First Aid training offered by On the Ground and other NEAMA-related instructors [updated 3/7/01]
PDF Version

The principles of Action Medical Patient Care
Article by Brian Dominick, discusses ethical concerns, quality improvement issues, and more.
Web Version | PDF Version

Affinity Group Medic's Field Guide
Pamphlet which explains the role of, and offers suggestions for, affinity group medics and medical monitors; goes with Basic Street First Aid training [updated 1/14/01]
Web Version | PDF Version (Pamphlet)

Complete Street Medic's Supplies Checklist
All the personal and medical gear an action medic could dream of carrying (well, almost...); in a handy format [updated 3/7/01]
PDF Version

Action Medical Field Radio Protocol
Suggestions and tips for using two-way radios to coordinate street medic teams.
Web Version

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Links

Action Medical Organizations

NorthEast Action Medics Association (NEAMA)
A network of clinicians and street medics which provides organizational infrastructure, standards for education, treatment protocols and operations
http://zena.secureforum.com/ontheground/action-medical/northeast

Black Cross Health Collective
Highly active direct action health practicioners based in Portland Oregon; lots more good documentation on this site
http://www.blackcrosscollective.org

Montreal Street Medics
A really cool, new, bilingual site, brought to you by some of the same people who are organizing medical for the anti-FTAA demos. Good info on hypothermia, too.
http://medicalmontreal.n3.net

Palestine Red Crescent Society
EMTs under fire... These folks are where it's at, quite literally. Any medic who wants to see our work in context, and perhaps get a taste of what's to come, check out this (well-done) website -- at your own risk. These images and stories are powerful. http://www.palestinercs.org

Allopathic First Aid / EMS Information

Active First Aid Online!
One of the best basic first aid guides on the Net. Well-presented and essentially consistent with action medical protocols, this Australian manual is lacking in some areas but really presents the best guide we've found.
http://www.parasolemt.com.au/afa

About.Com: First Aid / Emergency Medicine
Not bad for a corporate portal page. Lots of links. Most of them either commercial or crap, and most of those are both, this is still an okay launching-off point.
http://firstaid.about.com/health/firstaid/mbody.htm

EMS Village
Sort of the straight medic's version of what AM-NET is going to become. You have to join the site to get to the good stuff, but that's free.
http://www.emsvillage.com

EMS Magazine
A bit more basic than JEMS, EMS Magazine has a ton of articles online.
http://www.emsmagazine.com

JEMS Magazine
The website of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, the premiere EMS monthly. Mostly geared toward paramedics, there are rumored to be useful jewels within its pages.
http://www.jems.com

First Aid Skill for Life
Irish site with a very large amount of information. Cute illustrations and very handy hyperlinks between articles, taking advantage of the web's potential to link subjects to one another.
http://firstaid.eire.org/Firstaid_index.html

HealthWorld Online First Aid Info
A well-organized resource with injury/illness-specific information. Very nice.
http://www.healthy.net/clinic/firstaid

Educational Programs/Organizations

American Red Cross
Well, you know their reputation, so here's their (newly revised) website and how to seek training in your area in any number of pertinent skills.
http://www.redcross.org

Wilderness Medical Associates
One of the leading groups providing courses and standards in wilderness and remote emergency response/rescue. Great site.
http://www.wildmed.com

Wilderness Medicine Society
Another group providing education in wilderness medicine and first response.
http://www.wms.org

American Safety and Health Institute
A partnering association dedicated to designing and delivering superior instructional programs.
http://www.ashinstitute.com

EMS CE Solutions
Online continuing education reosources. Some good material to download, and an interesting training process, for those lacking the funds or time to take an EMS class.
http://www.ems-ce.com

Other Useful Sites

Healing Trauma
All about the psychological effects of violence, specifically in mass demonstration circumstances. Definitely worth a look for anyone who has seen or been victimized by police violence at actions.
http://healingtrauma.protest.net

snake & fist graphic by Anne Cook
action medical first aid graphic by Brian Dominick