It’s coming! First Aid and Self-Care for Cyclists

Expecting to have a first run of the zines in time for the Seattle Anarchist Bookfair. Here’s an excerpt, we’re still sweating away at the rest (in between riding our bikes, of course!):

Who we are, why you’re holding this in your sweaty, bikey hands:
The Seattle Street Medics are a loosely-based collective who seek to dedicate themselves to the health and well being of our communities by providing on site and grassroots-based first aid and medical support within the Seattle area. Our members range widely in experience and scope, from 20-hour medics to Wilderness EMTs and nurse practitioners. Many of us have trained or worked with Portland’s Rosehip Medic Collective at one time or another. Our utmost principle as medics is always thus: FIRST DO NO HARM. As individuals we are very diverse and have a wide range of ties to many communities, including the cycling community. Many of us rely upon cycling for recreation and transportation, and we have spent a lot of time caring for cycling-related injuries. This zine and training focus on self-care and first aid, primarily from an allopathic (Western medicine) perspective, with some very basic herbalism. We teach from the breadth of our experience the methods we have used on the streets, with hopes that you will put this information and training to use in your own communities, making cycling more accessible for everyone. Additionally, we hope to help you and others in deciding when to seek emergency medical attention when it is most crucial. Remember, an ER bill is nothing in comparison to the loss of life or limb. That ER bill can be written off by the hospital or fundraised for, but your contribution to your community is unique!