Street medic

Street medics, or action medics, are volunteers with a minimum of first aid medical training supplemented by specific protest-related training, who attend protests and demonstrations as support or mutual aid roles to provide medical and wellness care. Unlike emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or paramedics, who have undergone education for professional medical care, street medics usually operate under Good Samaritan clauses. Good Samaritan clauses are laws that offer legal protection for individuals who voluntarily give their assistance during medical emergencies that happen outside of normal circumstances (i.e. in a hospital). These laws aim to encourage people to help in urgent situations without fear of legal repercussions. They also use methods learned through specific protest-medicine training programs which individuals are required to undertake in order to be recognized as a trained street medic.

Street medics may treat trauma injuries, animal attacks, and ailments resulting from crowd control weapons such as chemical agents. They may also provide general care for general well-being, as well as for other critical health events such as heat stress, cold exposure, or seizures. Street medicine, often practiced at protests or in underserved areas, intersects deeply with issues of racial equity and justice. In particular, it highlights the disparities in access to healthcare for marginalized communities.