Why I Carry a Pocket Mask (and You Should Too)

My keys are already a little bulkier than most, with car keys, house keys, work keys, and a key for my bike lock, but I also carry a little keychain pouch with a CPR face mask and a pair of gloves.

Yes, I know this is just one more thing to carry around, but it’s only one more little thing and it’s SO IMPORTANT.

I never want to be in the situation where I could save someone’s life, but I hesitated because I didn’t have any way to protect myself from their blood, vomit, or any other bodily fluids that might be around in an emergency situation.

I really truly WANT to help people, and don’t want to miss an opportunity to save a life, but I definitely don’t want to put my mouth directly on a stranger’s and end up sick or with a mouth full of someone else’s vomit.

I don’t want stopping someone’s massive bleed to pose any risk to my own safety.

I don’t want to sweep anyone’s mouth for an object they might be choking on without some sort of barrier between me and them.

And sure, I might still give breaths in CPR, or stop someone’s bleed, or sweep someone’s mouth without gloves or without a CPR mask, but I might hesitate. And that extra time might make all the difference.