Chase safety
Storm chase first aid
If you chase for a season, you will be first on scene at a tornado. Being useful takes skill and a real medical kit. Here is what to carry, what to do, and what to leave to EMS.
The uncomfortable ethics
You are not required to render aid. Good Samaritan laws protect you if you do. But if you're competent and equipped, the first minutes after a tornado are life-and-death for victims.
Do not attempt what you're not trained for. But basic bleeding control, CPR, and airway management are skills every chaser should have.
The trauma kit that actually helps
- CAT tourniquet (Combat Application Tourniquet) — bleeding is the #1 killer of trauma victims.
- Israeli bandage x 2 — pressure dressings.
- Chest seals x 2 — for penetrating chest wounds.
- Hemostatic gauze (Combat Gauze or Celox) — for wounds tourniquet can't reach.
- Trauma shears — for cutting clothes off victims.
- Nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) — for unconscious victims.
- Compact BVM (bag valve mask) — if trained.
- Emergency blanket — hypothermia is fast even in warm weather.
The soft kit
- Nitrile gloves x 20 (fresh pair for every patient).
- Face shield (blood spatter is universal).
- CPR barrier device.
- Sam splints x 2.
- Athletic tape.
- Various bandages, 4x4 gauze pads.
- Water for wound irrigation.
- Instant cold packs (crush activated).
- Sharpie for triage marking.
The classroom training that pays off
Stop the Bleed
Free 90-minute course. National standard for bleeding control. Bleedingcontrol.org.
CPR certification
Red Cross or AHA. Renewable every 2 years. $35 online.
Wilderness First Aid
For chasers far from EMS. WMA or NOLS. Weekend course.
Wilderness First Responder
80-hour course. Serious. About $1,000.
EMR (Emergency Medical Responder)
State-level certification. First formal medical credential.
EMT
Higher tier. Requires ambulance clinicals.
The first-on-scene priorities
- Confirm scene is safe. Downed wires, gas leaks, unstable debris.
- Call 911. Give exact GPS coordinates. Cell service may be spotty.
- Triage: how many patients? How bad?
- Move only if scene is dangerous.
- Address life-threatening bleeding first (tourniquet, pressure).
- Airway/breathing for unconscious.
- Signal your position to responders: hazard lights, road flare, GPS.
- Do not attempt spinal stabilization unless trained.
- Cover victims to prevent hypothermia.
- Reassure — even unconscious patients can hear.
The tourniquet decision
Modern doctrine: tourniquets save lives, don't cause harm if applied correctly. Old fears about limb loss are largely outdated.
- Apply high on limb, 2-3 inches above wound.
- Tighten until bleeding stops.
- Note the time on the tourniquet band.
- Do NOT remove until surgeon does — decompression can trigger fatal reaction.
- Do NOT use over joints.
- CAT-brand is the field standard. SOF-T is second-line.
The specific injuries
Crush injuries
Common. Do NOT move heavy debris without EMS — crush syndrome can be fatal on decompression.
Impaled objects
Do NOT remove. Stabilize in place.
Puncture wounds from wood
Debris in tornadoes is often wood, nails.
Head trauma
Common with debris strikes. Assume spinal injury too.
Amputations
Real risk. Tourniquet + bag amputated limb in cold pack.
Chest injuries
Chest seal for penetrating wounds. Tension pneumothorax risk.
Fractures
Sam splint for stabilization. Elevate.
Blast injuries
Rare in tornadoes. Assume internal injuries.
When not to render aid
- Scene is still hazardous (fire, gas, active tornado, unstable debris).
- You're not trained.
- EMS is on scene.
- Patient explicitly refuses (competent adult can refuse care).
After
- Restock consumables before the next chase.
- Debrief mentally. First-on-scene trauma is real for you too.
- Peer support helpline: (800) 942-1636 (First Responder).
- Consider counseling for repeated exposure.
- Note lessons learned in your chase log.