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street medic guide

We hope you find our resources useful but please note...
The information we provide on this page is intended to be used as reference materials for educational purposes only. Our online resources in no way substitutes or qualifies an individual to act as a street medic without first obtaining proper training led by a qualified instructor. We strongly recommend finding a trusted local health collective for both initial and continued training.

OUR STREET MEDIC GUIDE

Prepare yourself to assist.

Street medics, or action medics, are volunteers with varying degrees of medical training who attend protests and demonstrations to provide medical care such as first aid. Unlike regular emergency medical technicians, who serve with more established institutions, street medics usually operate in a less formal manner and often in support of local volunteer collectives.

FEATURING IN SOLIDARITY:

NORTH STAR HEALTH COLLECTIVE

Twin Cities, Minnesota – USA -The North Star Health Collective was created in response to the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul September 1-4, 2008. They coordinated and provided health care services, resources, and training to ensure the safety of our community over the weeks before, during, and after the RNC. Thousands of community members and families attended protests against the RNC.

They have provided a vital support role for various other movements and actions – both local and afar, as individuals and a collective mass – notably including the occupation of Minneapolis during the Occupy Wall Street movement. Today, they continue to provide health care and support to a diverse array of causes.

How To Become A Street Medic:

 1. If you have not been to a protest involving an adversarial police force before, it is advisable that you do so before trying to act as a street medic. Participating in a protest will give you valuable experience in terms of predicting the actions of both protesters and police. It is always advised to have an action buddy when maintaining a medic role.

2. Once you feel ready to show up as a medic, it’s a good idea to get some training. Street medics vary widely in terms of skills and experience, ranging from basic first aid practitioners to military- or professionally-trained medics. Basic First Aid certification will give you most of the skills you will need to use as a street medic, however it is advised that one attends a Street Medic Training course. These are available through your local action medic collectives. One should also shadow a trained medic at an action prior to maintaining the role.

3. Street medics often use an additional set of skills not taught in first aid courses, such as teargas decontamination and crowd assessment. Search social networking or activist sites in your area to see when street medic training sessions are being held, then do your best to attend. Bring food if you really want to make a good impression.

4. Assemble your gear, and keep it organized and ready to go. You don’t know when you’re going to hear about a protest action (especially with Occupy, which tends to have events spring up in moments), and the last thing you want is to have to scramble around looking for your first aid kit when you hear the police are launching gas at a march.

5. Do your research. As a medic it will be your job to keep an eye on the police, and being able to accurately determine the weaponry they’re carrying (and thereby the effects you should be prepared to treat) should be one of your most solid skills. This will involve looking at a lot of “less-lethal” manufacturing sites, as well as watching potentially troubling footage of protest injuries. We apologize in advance.

6. We have a street medic primer with a rough equipment list available on this page along with many other resources available online to help prepare medics for protest action. The best thing you can do is to get in touch with your local street medic group and ask them what it would take to join up. They will be able to give you a much deeper level of instruction than we will ever be able to accomplish through our website.

7. We welcome you to bookmark and share this page with your fellow comrades as a constant location of street medic resources. We invite you to contact us with any content corrections, revisions, or submissions. We strive to provide resources that are equitable to the standards and practices of street medicine today – but we are unable to guarantee the accuracy and legality or continuation of practices mentioned within each resource that we have available on this page, especially in regards to how street medicine in your specific location. Remember – first, do no harm.

Street Medic History:

Street medics originated in the U.S. in 1964 during the African-American Civil Rights Movement. They were originally organized as the Medical Presence Project (MPP) of the Medical Committee for Human Rights (MCHR), the voluntary health corps of the Civil Rights Movement. In the 1966 MCHR Orientation Manual, MPP is described.

Just presence of … health … personnel has been found extrordinarily useful in allaying apprehensions about disease and injury in the Civil Rights workers… There also seems to be a preventative aspect to medical presence – actual violence seems to occur less often if it is known that medical professionals are present, particularly when Civil Rights workers are visited in jail at the time of imprisonment or thereafter regularly. In addition, medical personnel should anticipate violence in terms of specific projects and localities and be present at the right place and the right time. Thus, medical personnel should be in intimate contact with the civil rights organizations at all times, and … be aware of any immediate planned activities.

The MPP evolved into the early street medic groups, who concieved of medicine as self-defense, and believed that anyone could be trained to provide basic care. Street medics provided medical support and education within the American Indian Movement (AIM), Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), Young Lords Party, Black Panther Party, and other revolutionary formations of the 1960s and 1970s. Street medics were also involved in free clinics developed by the groups they supported. The street medic pepper spray removal protocol was later adopted by the U.S. Military.

In the 1980s, “action support,” including medical support of long marches in the No Nukes and Indigenous Sovereignty movements, was provided by non-street medics. One of these action support groups, Seeds Of Peace, (formed in 1986), stopped offering medical support as the street medics re-emerged.

Street medics were active on a small scale during the protest activity against Operation Desert Storm (1990–1991). They were rejuvenated on a large scale during the 1999 Meeting of the World Trade Organization, when street medics attended to protesters who were injured by police and use of chemical weapons such as pepper spray and tear gas.

In the aftermath of the WTO Meeting, protest sympathizers and/or attendees organized street medic trainings nationwide in preparation for the next round of anti-globalization marches. The parents of the post-WTO street medic boom (1999-2001), who trained thousands of medics in a few years, were the Colorado StreetMedics (the direct descendent of the first MCHR StreetMedics), Black Cross Collective, and On the Ground.

Information About Street Medics:

Street medics, or action medics, are volunteers with varying degrees of medical training who help provide medical care, such as first aid, in situations frequently neglected by traditional institutions – protests, disaster areas, under-served communities, and others. Unlike emergency medical technicians (EMTs), who work for state-sponsored institutions, street medics operate as civilians and are not protected from arrest.

Street medic organizations also run low-income herbal health clinics, wellness clinics for migrant workers, and temporary family practice clinics to support people who are organizing for self-defense or advocating for their rights. A group of street medics founded the first health clinic to open in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Street medics work under the philosophy of “first do no harm” (i.e., the Hippocratic Oath), meaning that medics employ treatments that must never harm the patient more than they help. Because medics have different levels of training, they will be able to provide different types of care. Street medic collectives representing cities or regions plan training programs focusing on treating demonstration-related injuries, and plan health, safety, and medical coverage of upcoming demonstrations.

Sometimes an affinity group will include one or more trained street medics to attend specifically to members of that group.

Many street medics have pursued further medical training, most commonly in nursing, emergency medicine, and herbalism. There are street medics employed in almost every field of medicine and rescue, including surgery, family practice medicine, psychiatry,research, both classical and traditional Chinese medicine, medical herbalism, first aid instruction, fire-fighting, and wilderness medicine.

Street Medic Directory

FIND & SUPPORT A STREET MEDIC COLLECTIVE NEAR YOU

We are actively working on updates within this portion of our website...
We recently made this information live upon our website, and it was derived from what  was once curated on the “Street Medic Wiki”. Our collective members are currently, actively working to reclaim, expound, verify, and add/correct the information within this section. This is an incomplete listing of autonomous groups acting throughout the world to serve as street medics. This list attempts to be inclusive. To add or modify to this list please feel free to reach out to us. These listings do not guarantee that these groups remain active nor does it necessarily reflect as an endorsement of their trainings and activities . Please visit this page again soon to see our progress or for more complete information.

Most trained street medics are independent. They work at actions with a non-medical affinity group, or only form buddy pairs or groups at an action.

However, some groups of medics have formed permanent groups. These groups often bottom-line actions, train new medics, support smaller local demonstrations, educate activists about traumatic stress, and promote free community-based healthcare between actions. Each street medic group is entirely independent. However, groups who identify themselves as “street medic” or “action medic” groups are expected to abide by similar codes of ethics.

This list of street medic organizations includes groups founded and run by street medics within the last 50 years, which have survived for more than 1 month/1 action. Many of these organizations are still active today.

United States Street Medic Directory

ALASKA

There are currently no known groups in this region…

CARIBBEAN

Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands

 

There are currently no known groups in this region…

MIDWEST & GREAT LAKES

MN, WI, IL, MO, IN, OH, IA, MI, NE

 

Chicago Action Medical (CAM) – Chicago, IL

Chicago Action Medical has been working in Chicago since 2002, providing medical support at direct actions for social change. Our current model of “street medicine” is based on work pioneered by the Medical Committee for Human Rights in the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960′s. We are part of a nationwide network of street medics with roots in the anti-globalization movement that coalesced in Seattle in 1999.

Website: http://chicagoactionmedical.wordpress.com/

 

Rockford Area Street Medic Collective (RASMC) – Rockford, IL

Rockford Area Street Medic Collective was formed in June, 2020, providing medical support and health and safety trainings to the public in the Rockford Area. Our street medics are qualified through trainings provided by other collectives as we grow our numbers.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/669829996915298

Northeast Ohio Street Medic Collective (NEOMC) – Cleveland, OH

NEOMC is a new collective in Cleveland Ohio that primarily does direct action support and harm reduction. They currently offer trainings on police weaponry and tactics as well as skill shares for eye flushes, carries, and protest safety.Founded circa 2018 the Northeast Ohio Medical Collective is based out of Cleveland and is committed to supporting various area movements, actions, along with focusing upon community health.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CleNEOMC

 

Central Ohio Street Medic Collective (COSMC) – Columbus, OH

COSMC was founded in April 2017, Providing Medical support at direct actions, and disaster relief.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CentralOhioStreetMedicCollective/

 

Madison Community Wellness Collective (MadCWC) – Madison, WI

The Madison Community Wellness Collective provided medical support during the 2011 occupation of the Madison capitol building. Their website and social media accounts have since become unavailable to the web and this group seems to be inactive.

 

Iowa City Mutual Aid Collective Medics – Iowa City, IA

The founders of ICMA medics provided first aid skill-shares and support during the 2011 Occupation of College Green and supported at Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Standing Rock). They also support the community outreach to those without homes, individuals done by ICMA, and most recently have been running with the Iowa Freedom Riders in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Email: medics(@)iowacitymutualaid.com
Website: https://www.iowacitymutualaid.com/mutual-aid-medics.html

 

North Star Health Collective – Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

The North Star Health Collective was created in response to the Republican National Convention (RNC) in St. Paul September 1-4, 2008. They coordinated and provided health care services, resources, and training to ensure the safety of the community over the weeks before, during, and after the RNC. Thousands of community members and families attended protests against the RNC. They also performed a vital role during the Occupy Minneapolis movement and continue to attend and ensure safety during events within the Minneapolis/Saint Paul areas to this day.

Email: northstarhealth(@)gmail.com
Website: https://www.northstarhealthcollective.org/

 

Freedom Street Health – Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN

Freedom Street Health was founded during the 2020 uprising by a small group of medics who recognized the importance of collective, quality community care and medicine. In the years since our founding, Freedom Street Health has grown to include more than 20 medical professionals at various certification levels, including WFR, TCCC-CLS, EMT-B, EMT-P, RN, BSN, and medical students. Freedom Street Health believes that all comrades past, present, and future should feel empowered to care for themselves. FSH democratizes education and resources, making care not just accessible but available, empowering those historically disenfranchised by the medical industrial complex. We affirm that care is a culture that communities engage in and practice daily – from preventative care, to harm reduction practices, to crisis response.

Website: https://www.freedomstreet.health/

 

Gateway Region Action Medics (GRAM) – St. Louis, MO

Organized in October 2014 in response to protests originating in Ferguson, MO after the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown Jr. by a police officer. GRAM is currently offering bridge trainings to local health care workers and health & safety trainings.

Website: http://www.gramedics.org

 

Omaha Street Medics – Omaha, NE

Organized in response to the Black Lifes Matter Movement in June 2020. OSM is currently providing trainings and a collective for all levels of experience. Contact: OmahaStreetMedics@gmail.com

Email: OmahaStreetMedics(@)gmail.com
Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/601666983783817/

 

Mutual Aid Street Medics – Northeast, OH

Street medics in the eastern U.S. formed Mutual Aid Street Medics in 2009. MASM provides 20-hour street medic trainings, 12-hour disaster workshops, herbal first aid, community health worker support, wellness support, and logistical medical support for mobilizations, convergences, and emergencies. They assisted in logistical medical support, street medic trainings, and set up of a first aid and wellness center for the G20 protests in Pittsburgh in 2009. Four members went to Haiti to provide disaster relief. MASM hosted a Street Medic Conference 2010 in NE Ohio in 2010.

Email: MASM(@)riseup.net.

NORTHEAST

PA, NH, VT, CT, DE, NJ, NY, RI, MA, ME, MD, DC

 

Baltimore Street Medic Collective – Baltimore, MD

Founded in 2017, currently active Baltimore Street Medic Collective provides first aid and medical solidarity in both the Baltimore, MD and Washington D.C. areas.

Email: baltimorestreetmedics(@)gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmorestreetmedics

 

Boston Area Liberation Medic (BALM) Squad – Boston, MA

The BALM Squad was founded in 2001. Members of the action-medical community have responded to the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina by going to Algiers, a neighborhood of New Orleans, and helping to set up and staff the Common Ground Health Clinic. Donated supplies and volunteer medical personnel have been put to good use helping the people of Algiers and surrounding areas. They continue to be active to this day.

Website: https://www.bostoncoop.net/~balm/

 

Broome Street Street Medics – Chinatown/New York City, NY

One of its founders, Doc, later co-founded the Colorado Street Medics (CSM). This group was founded in 1967. Although it disbanded by 1980, one of its former members (Doc) remained as an active street medic to his death in 2007. Another founding member (Annie) is still an active street medic to this day as well..

 

District Action Medical Network (DAMN) – Washington, DC

The District Action Medical Netowork (DAMN) was founded in 2003, and continued to be active throughout 2006. Their website has been down as of January 12, 2018 and they are presumed to have been disbanded.

 

DC Street Medic Collective – Washington, DC

Formed in 2017, the DC Street Medic Collective provides community-based healthcare support for the DC area, and their neighbors.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dcstreetmedics

 

Medical Activists of New York (MANY) – New York City, NY

Once an active group, they are seemingly no longer active. Many of their original individual members are still active within the street medic community and available for trainings.

 

Northeast Action Medics Association (NEAMA) – Northeast US

The Northeast Action Medics Association (NEAMA) is established to provide preventative health care, emergency first aid, and aftercare to those involved in militant demonstrations, especially in the Northeastern US and Eastern Canada. It is NEAMA’s intention to aid in social change by caring for the health and safety of activists involved in the social change process who employ methods of protest, direct action and militant agitation. The Association upholds the rights to free speech and assembly of all those bearing grievances toward the establishment and status quo, and vows to aid those involved with radical and progressive causes for the eradication of all forms of oppression.Their website has been down for several years and they seem as if they may have disbanded.

 

On the Ground – Syracuse, NY

Formerly a street medic organization based out of New York. Their website is down and they appear to have disbanded.

 

Rochester Street Medic Collective – Rochester, NY

Initially formed in 2016, they host monthly meetings, regular trainings, and skill-shares.They practice health as self-defense and support healthy communities of resistance.

Email: 585streetmediccollective(@)gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RocStreetMedics

 

Star of Resistance Medics (STORM) – New York City, NY

STORM-NYC was initially founded in 2004 to support their local community.They continued to be active into 2006. Their website has since went down and they are presumed to have disbanded.

 

Susquehanna Medics Action Collective (SMAC) – Lancaster, PA

SMAC was founded in 2018 to support the actions of Lancaster Against Pipelines. The group provided first aid, direct support and jail support for LAP, as well as camp support at Camp White Pine. SMAC aims to be present for actions throughout the south-central PA region and beyond.

Email: susqmedicsactioncollective(@)gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SusqMedics/

Three Rivers Action Medics (TRAM) – Pittsburgh, PA

TRAM was founded in 2003, after a street medic training in Pittsburgh. The group provided first aid coverage for local actions, including labor, anti-war, counter-recruitment, and anti-police violence. They sent a team to Miami for the protests against the 2003 FTAA meeting, and provided local aftercare to protesters returning to Pittsburgh. They sent clinical and first-aid teams to Washington, DC for the 2004 March for women’s lives. They also taught first aid to protesters and homeless people. TRAM is associated with the Pittsburgh-based Thomas Merton Center. This group provided first aid, urban and wilderness first response, sanitation/disease prevention, health and safety training and first aid training. TRAM was active from 2003 – 2005. They are currently inactive, and may have disbanded.

 

Vermont Street Medics – VT

Vermont Street Medics consists of many volunteers: we are street medics, clinical herbalists, medical professionals, midwives, and self-taught first aid helpers. Most recently we have come together to support people in Central Vermont without reliable shelter with COVID-19 questions and general health concerns that can’t be handled when the hospital system is overwhelmed. We offer this service in the spirit of the Good Samaritan law. Our operators will not give any advice that is outside of their scope of practice & training.

Website: https://vermontstreetmedics.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vermontstreetmedics/about

 

Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) Medics – NY

VVAW was originally started in 1970 with help from Annie and Doc from the Broome Street Collective. They have been inactive for a while but were heavily involved back in the 1960’s throughout the 1980’s.

PACIFIC ISLANDS

Hawaii, Guam, & American Samoa

 

There are currently no known groups in this region…

PACIFIC NORTHWEST 

WA, OR, ID

 

Black Cross Collective – Portland, OR

Black Cross Collective (NOT “Anarchist Black Cross,” a political prisoner support and defense group) formed after the protests against the WTO Meeting of 1999 to provide health care specific to the needs of political radicals. Composed of nurse practitioners, nurses, EMT’s, clinical herbalists, and unlicensed street medics, the group offered first aid trainings (in Los Angeles, Vancouver B.C., Seattle, Olympia, Portland, and Eugene), medical support at local and national demos, temporary clinics, and clinical trials. The group was very active from its founding in 1999 to 2005. Since 2005 it has been inactive, but not disbanded.

Website: http://www.blackcrosscollective.org/

 

Cascadia Health Educators (CHE) – Portland, OR

Founded in 2001, CHE provided Wilderness First Responder, Herbal First Aid, Basic Health & Safety, and CPR courses.

 

Medicine for All Seeking Herbal Healing (MASHH) – CA/MO/NM/OR

Formerly: Medicine for Activists Seeking Health and Healing

Initially North California/Southern Oregon based,  MASHH was founded in 1997. The MASHH Clinic Collective supported large outdoor gatherings with an off-grid herbal first aid and wellness clinic, including massage therapy, and other healing modalities. Recently re-branded as “Medicine for All Seeking Herbal Healing”, MASHH supports environmental and social justice campaigns by repackaging donations and sending first aid kits to activist groups. We also provide Wilderness First Responder courses for herbalists, herbal first aid workshops and maintain a “Michael Moore Memorial Medicinal Herb Garden”. They continue to be active to this day.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mashhclinic

 

Olympia Street Medic Collective – Olympia, WA

The Olympia Street Medic Collective was founded in 2006 after a training headed by Doc Rosen, in response to police violence against Port Militarization Resistance activists. Oly SMC provides protest safety workshops, coverage for actions and concerts, and holds street medic trainings twice a year in Spring and Fall. There are several members that hold Wilderness First Responder or EMT training. OSMC is active as of 2009.

Website: https://olympiamedics.wordpress.com/

 

Portland Action Medics – Portland, OR

A loose network of 20-hour(+) trained street medics in the Portland area. They provide trainings, resources, and protest support.

Website: https://linktr.ee/portlandactionmedics

 

Puget Sound Medic Collective – Seattle, WA

Founded during the West Coast port shutdown, PSMC is a group of educators, social workers, and healthcare professionals from various backgrounds, united to provide inclusive healthcare support for direct action regarding social, economic, healthcare, and environmental injustices. We provide first-aid support, de-escalation, holistic/preventative care, and solidarity for such events. An active group of street medics in Seattle, WA. Previously ‘Seattle Street Medical Collective’.

Website: https://pugetsoundmediccollective.noblogs.org/

 

Rosehip Medic Collective – Portland, OR

An active group of street medics in Portland, Oregon, formerly the Portland Street Medics. The Rosehip Medic Collective is a group of volunteer Street Medics and health care activists active in Portland, Oregon. We provide first aid and emergency care at protests, direct actions, and other sites of resistance and struggle. We also train other street medics and put on community wellness trainings. We believe in democratizing health care knowledge and skills, in reducing our community’s dependence on corporate medicine, and that strong networks of support and care are essential to building a sustainable, long-term movement for collective liberation.

Website: https://www.rosehipmedics.org/

 

South Sound Street Medics — Olympia, WA.

An active group of street medics in Southwest WA providing support for community and direct action.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthSoundStreetMedics

ROCKY MOUNTAINS & GREAT PLAINS

MT, WY, CO, NE, SD, ND, KS

American Indian Movement (AIM) Street Medics – SD/CO/MN

AIM—the American Indian Movement—began in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the summer of 1968. It began taking form when 200 people from the Indian community turned out for a meeting called by a group of Native American community activists led by George Mitchell, Dennis Banks, and Clyde Bellecourt. Frustrated by discrimination and decades of federal Indian policy, they came together to discuss the critical issues restraining them and to take control over their own destiny. Out of that ferment and determination, the American Indian Movement was born.

AIM’s leaders spoke out against high unemployment, slum housing, and racist treatment, fought for treaty rights and the reclamation of tribal land, and advocated on behalf of urban Indians whose situation bred illness and poverty. They opened the K-12 Heart of the Earth Survival School in 1971, and in 1972, mounted the Trail of Broken Treaties march on Washington, D.C., where they took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), in protest of its policies, and with demands for their reform.

The revolutionary fervor of AIM’s leaders drew the attention of the FBI and the CIA, who then set out to crush the movement. Their ruthless suppression of AIM during the early 1970s sowed the seeds of the confrontation that followed in February, 1973, when AIM leader Russell Means and his followers took over the small Indian community of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in protest of its allegedly corrupt government. When FBI agents were dispatched to remove the AIM occupiers, a standoff ensued. Through the resulting siege that lasted for 71 days, two people were killed, twelve wounded, and twelve hundred arrested. Wounded Knee was a seminal event, drawing worldwide attention to the plight of American Indians. AIM leaders were later tried in a Minnesota court and, after a trial that lasted for eight months, were acquitted of wrongdoing. AIM members and medics have been an integral part of social justice movements since the 1960’s, were present at Standing Rock, and continue to exist to this day.

AIM Grand Governing Council Website: https://www.aimovement.org/
AIM Patrol Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AIMTwinCities

 Colorado Street Medics – Denver, CO

The Colorado Street Medics was founded in the aftermath of Wounded Knee. This group taught the “health and safety around deployed tear gas/chem weapons” training prior to the Battle of Seattle. One or two members have provided action support at most US anti-globalization / global justice actions since Seattle. They provided street medic trainers, first aid, disaster relief and clinical Traditional Chinese Medicine action support. This group was founded in the mid-1970s, and was quite active as of 2008. Since 2012 their social media feed has dissipated and their active status is unknown.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coloradostreetmedics

Denver Action Medic Network (DAMN) – Denver, CO

In 2016, the Denver Action Medic Network took shape with a strong POC leadership. They can be reached through the [FaceBook page] or by email. Their focus includes: “Caring for our community as we resist together. We participate in the global effort for justice and positive change by providing on-site support of activists and community groups who are doing front-line work. We do this by providing whole-person care, holistic healing, and free medical assistance such as first aid and emotional support. We also serve in situations frequently neglected by traditional institutions – protests, disaster areas, under-served communities.”

Email: denveractionmedics(@)gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damn2017/

 

Seeds of Peace Collective – Montana

Formerly Montana Medics Collective

Montana Medics Collective regularly supported the Buffalo Field Campaign. They have also co-sponsored wilderness first responder trainings in 2003 and 2005, and provided medical support at the 2004 Republican National Convention. They were last known to be active around 2017.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seedscollective

SOUTHEAST & APPALACHIA

AR, LA, KY, TN, MS, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC, VA, WV

Atlanta Resistance Medics (ARM) – Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Resistance Medics meets regularly for skill practice, report-back, and looking ahead. They serve as medics during actions in Atlanta and beyond. They also share skills and supplies with people who live on the streets. ARM began as a loose group of individuals functioning as the medical committee of the Occupy Atlanta encampment. They staffed a volunteer medical tent 24/7 and organized volunteers to provide first aid for demonstrations. The group wanted to see these efforts transform into something larger and independent of the Occupy movement. ARM was officially formed on November 20th, 2011, after a 20-hour street medic training provided by members of Mutual Aid Street Medics. It developed into a non-hierarchal, consensus-based organization of trained medics of various backgrounds. We taught medic trainings as well as organized medical response for a variety of events in the southeast. ARM disbanded in 2013, and revived in 2017. Since 2017, the collective has actively held regular trainings, provided medic support at actions, and participated in community health projects in Atlanta.

Email: atlantaresistancemedics(@)gmail.com
Website:
http://www.atlantaresistancemedics.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtlantaResistanceMedics/

 

Common Ground Health Clinic (CGHC) – New Orleans, LA

While not a street medic group, CGHC was founded by street medics from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, California, Montana, Montreal, and across the US. This free integrative primary health care clinic is still sustained and regularly staffed by street medics. A local street medic is the clinic coordinator. A group of medics loosely associated with the clinic also provides first-aid support at protests in New Orleans. Common Ground Health Clinic was founded in 2005, and is very active as of 2011.

Website: https://www.cghc.org/

 

Common Ground Relief Medic Cave – New Orleans, LA

Street medics provide the majority of primary clinical and first-aid support for the tens of thousands of people who have volunteered with Common Ground Relief. Volunteers are provided with safety gear and education, but still experience respiratory infections, wound infections, emotional distress, and other health problems. Just as like protesters, disaster volunteers put themselves in danger to protect the safety of others. Several groups of street medics were active in Common Ground Relief during 2005 and 2006.

Website: https://www.commongroundrelief.org/

 

Morgantown Area Resistance Medics (MARM)- Morgantown, WV

MARM recently organized to assist in covering to gap in the upper Appalachia region and West Virginia. Our long-term goal is to not only assist in times of protest and demonstration but also work as a community outreach providing services to our house-less neighbors, assist with NARCAN trainings and harm-reduction events, and provide after-care services for activists following emotionally straining events. Training is provided for volunteers in de-escalation strategies and first-aid. Their social media feeds have since disappeared and they have been believed to have been disbanded.

 

Appalachian Medical Solidarity – Southern Appalachia

Formerly Katuah Medics

Appalachian Medical Solidarity has provided the medical presence at Mountain Justice training camps and other anti-Mountain Top Removal events. They have also supported Earth First!, anti-Klan and anti-fascist organizing in the Southeast. They have sponsored many street medic and general first aid trainings over the years as well as a Wilderness First Responder training in 2006. This group is active as of 2017.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/applemedsolid/
Katuah Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katuahmedics
Katuah Website: https://katuahmedics.blogspot.com/

 

Latino Health Outreach Project (LHOP) – New Orleans, LA

This group was founded in 2005, and was active as of 2007. They may have either disbanded or grouped with the Common Ground Health Clinic to join with their collective mission.

 

Medical Committee for Human Rights (MCHR)

Created in the early ’60s to provide medical coverage for the civil rights workers in the south. MCHR became much more and created:

  • the Mental Health Project which was responsible for changing the way patients were treated in MH facilities -among other actions one of our docs was responsible for bringing a local reporter named Geraldo Rivera into the back wards of Willobrook causing a major shakeup
  • Prisoners Project which was responsible for framing the concept of basic medical rights for prisoners
  • another project created the original Patients Bill of Rights
  • others were involved in Industrial standards
  • and the list goes on.

MCHR changed the face of medicine in the US and was responsible for many of the medical rights folks now take for granted. The Medical Presence Project (later to become the Street Medics). They started out as doctors, nurses, and medical students who up until 1968 (Chicago DNC) wore white lab coats to demonstrations. By ’68 there were a bunch of individuals who were not comfortable with the elitist nature of the MPP. When a new director was elected as the NYC MCHR MPP director, they (along with Annie, Doc,  Laurie, Joe, Jan Stephanie, Jos, and others) changed; the name. Those who were recruited, the trainings (adding role plays for the first time and turning it into a two day training) got rid of the lab coats, and created MOfibA. The MHCR was dissolved in 1980. Many members remained active in the movement.

Medical Committee for Human Rights (MCHR) Medical Presence Sub-committee

Unlike street medic groups, since the founding of Broome Street in 1967, this group was almost entirely licensed medical professionals (MDs, RNs, medical students). The group was very visible at actions because they wore white lab coats and stethoscopes. They frequently argued with Broome Street over the latter’s use of helmets in very violent demonstrations. This group was formed in 1965. It is disbanded, but at least one of its medics is an active street medic as of 2007. Another (Doc) remained an active street medic to his death in 2007.

 

Seven Cities Medic Collective – Hampton Roads, VA

Formed in August 2017, they are a group of activists with varying levels of training dedicated to providing medical care at direct action events and protests around Hampton Roads.

Email: sevencitiesmedics(@)gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevencitiesmedics/

SOUTHWEST


AZ, NM, TX, OK

 

Desert Action Medic Network (DAMN) – Phoenix, AZ

DAMN formed in May 2020, to support Black Lives Matter protesters in Phoenix. Since then, DAMN street medics have attended every single progressive action in the Valley of the Sun. In addition to treating protesters, DAMN provides basic medical care to our unsheltered neighbors and does twice-weekly distribution of hygiene products, food, water, and Gatorade (the most requested item during summer). All of our medics have formal training as EMTs, paramedics, and nurses and we are working to create a training course for prospective members without medical backgrounds. DAMN recently sent a trauma-experienced medic crew to Portland to assist local medics during the federal occupation.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/desertactionmedicnetwork
Facebook: https://linktr.ee/desertactionmedicnetwork
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desertactionmedicnetwork/

 

Home Front First Aid (HFFA) – Dallas/Fortworth, TX

HFFA is an association of street and action medics dedicated to serving activists, homeless persons, event attendees, and prisoners. They have been active since June 1, 2020. HFFA was formed in response to local protest violence, primarily police use of “less-lethal” weaponry against peaceful protesters.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HFFADFW

 

Phoenix Urban Health Collective – Phoenix, AZ

The Phoenix Urban Health Collective (PUHC) is a team of medical professionals who are committed to providing a radical public health presence for marginalized communities in the greater Phoenix area. PUHC has been very active in the local immigrants rights struggle. PUHC was first formed in the lead-up to an anti-Arpaio mobilization in January 2010. Since that time, the PUHC has provided medical and logistical support for every major mobilization in the Phoenix metro area. Still active as of 2017. As a training collective, PUHC has led 20 hour training’s in many cities nationally, including Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Prescott, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Austin, Pittsburgh, and others.

Website: https://puhc.wordpress.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/PUHCMedics/

 

Phoenix Allies for Community Health (PACH) – Phoenix AZ

Phoenix Allies for Community Health (PACH) runs a socially conscious free-clinic in Phoenix Arizona. PACH is a registered non-profit, not a true street medic collective. But it was founded by Street Medics and as of 2014, the entire board of directors were all still active members of PUHC. Still active as of 2017. Phoenix Allies for Community Health (PACH) is a nonprofit dedicated to improving health outcomes in marginalized low income communities of working poor who have minimal access to primary care.

Website: https://azpach.org/

 

Albuquerque Black Cross Health Collective – Albuquerque, NM

The Albuquerque Black Cross Health Collective is a group of street medics in Albuquerque. The Black Cross has been providing healthcare support to political actions since 2011. As of 2017, the Black Cross is active in Albuquerque and provides additional support across Central New Mexico.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/abqbc

 

Chukson Area Resistance Medics (ChARM) – Tucson, AZ

The Chukson Area Resistance Medics is a group of street medics in Tucson, AZ. Founded in 2017, Ch.A.R.M. is focused on supporting and keeping community resistance healthy in Chukson and the surrounding area.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/ChuksonMedicCollective/

WEST

CA, NV, UT

 

Bay Area Radical Health Collective (BARHC) – San Francisco, CA

BARHC was founded in 2001, and seems to have ceased being active in 2007.  The Bay Area Radical Health Collective (BARHC) provides medical support for activists and promotes efforts to achieve accessible, high-quality health care for all. We encourage all activists to learn basic first aid to care for themselves and for their friends, coworkers, and communities. We welcome those who wish to obtain more in-depth training or use their existing medical skills and experience to support grassroots health and wellness efforts.

Website:
http://barhc.w2c.net
(Website Currently Inactive)

 

Bay Area Street Medics Alliance (BASMA) – San Francisco, CA

BASMA was founded in 2020 as a direct response to the uprising against police brutality and racial injustices. They provide first aid and emerge in support of various actions and causes within the San Francisco Bay Area.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BASMAlliance
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bayareastreetm1

 

Berkeley Free Clinic – Berkely, CA

The Berkeley Free Clinic was founded in 1969 as a “street medicine” clinic that quickly found a niche and a permanent home in the Berkeley community.

Since the Clinic opened, there has been an ever-present need for its services, albeit a dynamic need, as social conditions have undergone shifts and changes. It has become something of an icon in the area, and has served countless thousands in a variety of ways during its 50-year history. Its founding principles and structures survive to this day: “Health care is a basic human right and should not be linked to profit…”

Website: https://www.berkeleyfreeclinic.org/

 

Queers United In Community Care (QUICC) – Oakland, CA

QUICC was formed in May 2020 to help support the protests against police brutality and racism. QUICC’s members are volunteer street medics and community supporters with various training and experience in medical, mental health, security, and community action organizing. In addition to providing first aid, transportation, and supplies to protestors, QUICC’s goal is to help promote communication and connection between collectives and individuals in the Bay Area to create a robust, loving, anti-racist mutual aid network. Queers United in Community Care is a queer-led mutual aid and street medic collective. Based in Oakland and Brooklyn, we work together to provide first aid, food, and supplies to communities in the Bay Area and NYC. We stand in solidarity with movements working to liberate and center oppressed lives and voices.

Website: https://www.quicc.org/

 

Las Vegas Street Medics (LVSM) – Las Vegas, NV

LVSM was formed in May 2017. LVSM provides first aid and medical care in uprisings, protests, occupations, marches, civil disobedience, and direct actions. They also help with the medical needs of people who live on the streets and people experiencing mental health crisis. Additionally, they hold training for individuals who would like to become street medics, as well as conduct training in deescalation and first aid.

Website: https://lasvegasstreetmedics.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LasVegasStreetMedics/

International Street Medic Directory

AUSTRALIA

High Valkyrie Action Medic Australian Branch (HVAM)

Only multiorganizational right-Wing Street medics operating in Australia. Even though it is a global organization they provide medical training and services to a multitood of rallies.

 

Melbourne Street Medic Collective (MelbSMC)

Started during Occupy Melbourne as the 24/7 onsite First aid team. It has since become an affinity group in its own right and actively attends as many actions in Victoria as possible. The group are all qualified First Aiders and have also trained as Mental Health First Aid Officers (although not all group members are required to act in actions as MHFA officers)

The group has recently under gone a name change to fall in line with other collectives around the world. Previously known as Melbournes First Aid and Care Team (MelbFACT) the group has updated their logo and name to Melbournes Street Medic Collective. However the street medics are still often affectionately referred to as FACToids by members of the community.

twitter.com/MelbSMC

facebook.com/MelbourneSMC

melbsmc.org

 

NSW StreetMedics – Sydney

Trained with Colorado Street Medics.

BELGIUM

Street-Medic Brussels

Website: http://www.street-medic.be/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/streetmedicbxl/

Contact: contact@street-medic.be

CANADA

Occupy Vancouver Medics (still active as of November 2012)

 

Activist Health Collective of Ottawa (AHCO) – Ottawa, Ontario

After experiencing the FTAA meetings in Quebec City, a few activists from Ottawa went to Toronto for a 24 hour training being offered by BALM. They returned and formed AHCO. After covering a few small protests the growing collective requested the BALM squad to come to Ottawa for another training, having lined up 30 trainees coming in from across North America. This was part of the lead up to the G20 meeting in Ottawa. After treating 33 people at the G20 protest for police dog bites, a broken tibia from a plastic bullet, a few concunsions, uncounted pepper spray and tear gas injuries and many cuts and bruises, AHCO spoke with media about what really happened, leading to a series of town hall meetings, the Ottawa police force being reprimanded and the creation of a police/protestor liason group (Major Events Liason Team).

The next major action for ACHO was the Take the Capital protest June 26/27 2002. The meeting location had been changed from Ottawa to Kananaskis but a large protest was still held, number around 50,000. The protest culminated in the openning of the Seven Year Squat. AHCO members and other medics provided medical aid and took turns being bariccaded in at night. After 7 days the squat was brutally raided with 22 people barricaded inside. The building was demolished because it was so soaked in tear gas. 17 of the charged signed government documents that they were wrong and let go. 5 stood trial for indictable offences. The judge threw out the case. Common Law case precedent, anyone?

http://eng.anarchopedia.org/Ottawa This collective was active until at least 2004.

 

Medics/MedimilitantEs, Québec

Français: (http://medimilitante.blogspot.ca/ Official web])

English: http://streetmedicqc.blogspot.ca/

FRANCE

Street Medic Nantes

Founded in March 2016 in Nantes, France, Street Medics from Nantes are students, young workers, unemployed, healthcare workers, employees, of all age. They gathered as an independant group during protests in France againt Labour Law Reforms which took place from February to June 2016. Working horizontally, they are mostly anarchist and leftists activists who decided to stand against police brutality during protests and actions, causing multiple wounds, and death in certain cases. From now, they are also involved in Nantes with organizations and associations struggling for Refugees’ Rights and most precisely Underage and Isolated Foreigners, and also groups fighting against police-related violences such as “Assemblée des Blessé.es”.

They deliver training to whoever feels interested in becoming a member of the Medic community or simply wishing to improve their knowledge of first-aid acts to deliver while protesting.

French: https://www.facebook.com/streetmedicsnantes/

Contact: streetmedicnantes_at_riseup.net

 

Street Medic Paris

French: https://www.facebook.com/Streetmedicparis/

Contact: street-medic_at_riseup.net

 

Street Medic Bordeaux

French: https://www.facebook.com/streetmedicsbdx/?fref=ts

GERMANY

Demosanitäter – Sanitätsgruppe Süd-West e.V. – Stuttgart

– name used from 2003 up to now –

Formed in 1997 during preparation against a nuclear waste transport from the Neckarwestheim nuclear power plant to the Gorleben storage facility (Wendland area). Supports antinuclear and other environmental actions, antifascist actions and also festivals and camps of the political left scene.

Always runs mobile paramedic rescue teams, sometimes during bigger and longer actions also a medic station and a crisis intervention if necessary. The team offers a wide variety of street medic training. It was part of the implementation team for advanced rope rescue training in the german climbing activist scene.

Members are certified as a paramedic, EMT or at least ambulancier. Many of them work on ambulance units or in hospitals. They are widely known for the use of fluorescent-yellow-with-red ambulance “uniforms” in the past, now fluorescent-red “uniforms” and heavy medical equipment in backpacks weighing up to 30 kgs.

(Official website)

 

Street Medic Berlin-Brandenburg

Contact: kontakt[at]streetmedic[dot]org GPG: pgp.mit.edu

Fingerprint: 438B 5FC7 B0AC 73E6 6913 190F 96BB 5C94 7B8D 70F1

(Official website)

 

Autonome Demosanis Frankfurt

Contact: autonome[dot]demosanis[dot]ffm[at]gmx[dot]de

 

Demosanis Köln

Contact: demosanis[at]riseup[dot]net

 

Autonome Demosanitäter Freiburg

Contact: a-demosanis-fr[at]riseup[dot]net

 

Demosanitäter Düsseldorf

Contact: https://twitter.com/demosanitater

Contact: https://www.facebook.com/DemosanitaeterDuesseldorf

Contact: https://www.instagram.com/demosanis_duesseldorf/

15 members All with Medical Background (EMTs,Nurses,Firefighters,Civil Defense Workers)

Full Medical BLS and ALS Equippment, Defibrilator, Strechers and Trauma Care

Operating since August 2019

GREECE

Greek Street Medics – Greece

Active in 2003, 2006. Trained by Amsterdam Street Medics.

NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam Street Medics – Amsterdam

Founded in 2001 after a series of trainings by StreetMedics Trainers Group (Doc Rosen)

Mentioned on Colorado Street Medics member’s web page.[13]

RUSSIA

Saint Petersburg Medics

Trained by UK Action Medics group in 2006. Little has been reported in their regard since.

 

Moscow Medics

Trained by UK Action Medics group in 2006. Little has been reported in their regard since.

CARIBBEAN – Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands

No known groups.

UNITED KINGDOM

UK Action Medics – Manchester, England

(Official website.)

 

Gloucester Street Medics – Gloucester, England

(Official website.)

 

Glasgow StreetMedics – Glasgow, Scotland

Trained by Colorado StreetMedics. Mentioned on Colorado StreetMedics member’s web page.[14]

SOUTH AFRICA

South African Street Medic Collective – Johannesburg

Modeled on the street medic groups which have been active in the US since the late 1960s, the South African Street Medic Collective was started in response to the #FeesMustFall protests and continues to support any protest action in the name of socio-economic rights.

(Official website)

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