NEMT First Aid Kit Checklist: What Each Van Carries, With a Monthly Check

Inspectors check the kit item by item. In Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, as of September 2026, a van missing any listed item fails its inspection, with a $50 penalty the first time and $100 the second. Virginia lets DMAS or the broker pull a vehicle that falls short from service until the gap is fixed, and Georgia requires it to stay out of service until the state approves its return in writing. This checklist holds the items state and broker rules name most often, with a column for each month so every check is on paper.

How to use this template

1. Print one sheet per vehicle. Every state and broker rule on this page puts the kit in the vehicle, not at the office. Each sheet covers six months of checks.
2. Fill in Part 1 and write the months over the columns. Write the month names over Month 1 to Month 6 before the first check.
3. Write your counts in the Keep column. Most rules name items, not amounts, so choose how many of each item the van carries and write it down. Then every check has a number to count against.
4. Check every kit once a month. Open it, count each item, and read every expiration date. Mark OK when the item is there and in date, R when you restocked it, and X when it is missing and on order. Virginia requires every first aid item to be unexpired, as of its May 26, 2026 requirements.
5. Restock after any use. Have drivers tell dispatch at the end of the shift whenever they open a kit, and refill it before the van goes out again. If a rider was hurt, the ride also belongs on an incident report.
6. Check the extinguisher and tools with the kit. Part 4 lists what to look at: the gauge, the pin and seal, the service tag, and the mounting.
7. Sign Part 5 and file the sheet. Keep it with the van’s vehicle inspection checklists, so you can show a broker a full year of checks.
8. Show every new driver the kit. Georgia requires first aid training and training in spill kit use and biohazard removal before a driver takes NEMT trips. Mississippi requires yearly proof that each driver is trained on the safety equipment in the vehicle they drive.

The template

Part 1: Vehicle and sheet details

Field	Write the entry here
Company name
Vehicle or fleet number
Plate number
Vehicle type (sedan, minivan, wheelchair van, stretcher van)
Months covered (for example, January to June)
Where the first aid kit is kept
Where the spill kit is kept
Extinguisher location, weight, and rating (for example, 5 lb ABC)
Extinguisher date of manufacture
Extinguisher last service date (from its tag)
Person who does the monthly check

Part 2: First aid supplies

Item	Keep	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3	Month 4	Month 5	Month 6
Container: dust-proof, labeled “FIRST AID,” closes tight
Adhesive bandages, small
Adhesive bandages, medium
Adhesive bandages, large
Sterile gauze pads or dressing pads
Conforming (roll) gauze bandage
Triangular bandage
First aid tape
Antiseptic cleansing wipes or pads
Triple antibiotic ointment or cream
Insect sting relief pads
Instant cold pack
Oval eye pad
Sterile eyewash
Cotton-tip applicators
Scissors or blunt-tip safety shears
Tweezers
Disposable gloves, several pairs
Emergency blanket
Pocket CPR mask with a one-way valve

Mark each month OK (there and in date), R (restocked), or X (missing, on order). Circle any item that will expire before the next check.

Part 3: Gloves, spill kit, and infection control

Item	Keep	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3	Month 4	Month 5	Month 6
Spill kit container, labeled
Liquid spill absorbent
Disposable gloves for the spill kit
Red biohazard waste bags
Scrub brush
Disinfectant
Deodorizer
Face mask with eye protection, or a face shield
Fluid-resistant gown
Disposable shoe covers
Hand sanitizer
Emesis bags (stretcher vans)

Part 4: Extinguisher and safety tools

Item	What to check	Month 1	Month 2	Month 3	Month 4	Month 5	Month 6
Fire extinguisher	Gauge in the green, pin and seal in place, no dents or rust, locked in its bracket within the driver’s reach
Extinguisher tag	Yearly service not past due
Seat belt cutter	Mounted within the driver’s reach
Seat belt extenders	On board, as many as your rules require
Flashlight	Works, spare batteries on board
Reflective triangles	Three, clean, no flares
Blanket	On board
Phone or radio	Charged and reaches dispatch

Part 5: Monthly sign-off

Month	Date checked	Checked by	Items restocked or ordered	Extinguisher OK (yes or no)	Initials
Month 1
Month 2
Month 3
Month 4
Month 5
Month 6

What each state and broker requires

CMS says in its Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide (SMD 23-006, September 28, 2023) that federal Medicaid law sets no basic vehicle standards beyond a few driver checks. States and their agencies set them, and brokers add their own. The table compares programs with written kit rules, as of September 2026. Your state or broker may differ, so check the lists you actually work under and your state’s vehicle rules.

Program and document	First aid kit	Spill or infection control kit	Fire extinguisher	Other items it names
Virginia DMAS, fee-for-service requirements (May 26, 2026)	13 listed items, all unexpired	Liquid spill absorbent, latex gloves, hazardous waste bags, scrub brush, disinfectant, deodorizer	Class A, B, C, secured within easy reach of the driver	Belt cutter within easy reach; one belt extension in newer vehicles, two in older ones
Georgia DCH NEMT manual (July 1, 2026)	Bandages, gauze, sterile gauze pads, antiseptic pads, scissors, tweezers, latex gloves, antibiotic cream, instant cold pack, first aid tape	The same six items as Virginia	One or more, each at least 2.5 pounds and 5 pounds in total, current inspection tag, within the driver’s reach and visible to riders	Belt cutters mounted above the driver’s door, two belt extensions, three reflectors on stands, no flares
Texas Medicaid health plans, UMCM 16.4 (effective August 1, 2021)	Must hold latex gloves, hazardous waste bags, scrub brush, disinfectant, personal protective equipment, and deodorizer	Part of the first aid kit	Secured within the driver’s reach and visible to riders	“How is my driving?” sticker with a phone number
Minnesota Rules 8840.5925	Dust-proof container labeled “FIRST AID” with sterile gauze pads, soft roll bandages, adhesive tape, and scissors	Body fluids cleanup kit in its own labeled, dust-proof container	Dry chemical, at least 5B:C, with a charge gauge	Flashlight, three warning triangles, a blanket, a strap cutter with no exposed sharp edge
Wisconsin DHS 105.39, specialized medical vehicles	Required	No separate kit named	Serviced as the local fire department recommends	Working flashlight; loose equipment stored so it cannot fly in a crash
Oregon OAR 410-141-3925, with CareOregon’s manual (February 2024)	Required	Disposable gloves; CareOregon adds a bloodborne pathogens spill kit and non-latex gloves	Required; CareOregon wants the right type and size for fires that could start in the vehicle	Warning devices, flashlight, traction devices when needed; CareOregon adds belt cutter, belt extender, spare tire or repair kit, and jack
Mississippi MSDH NEMT rules (posted July 2026)	Required	No separate kit named	Required	Belt cutter, belt extender, pocket CPR mask, a phone that can reach 911
MART in Massachusetts, Attachment G (July 1, 2025)	Meets the Red Cross family first aid kit standard, plus a biohazard bag, checked every year	The biohazard bag in the kit	Multipurpose A-B-C with a gauge: 2.5 pounds in sedans and minivans, 5 pounds in larger vans and wheelchair vans	Belt cutter within arm’s reach, flashlight, three triangles, chock blocks in larger vans
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana (parish permit, as of September 2026)	Gauze, bandages, rescue blanket, medical tape, safety shears with blunt ends	Face mask with safety glasses or a face shield, non-latex gloves, red waste bag, liquid-proof gown, shoe covers	Not expired and no more than 1 year old	Pocket CPR mask with a one-way valve in a plastic case, hand sanitizer
Illinois stretcher vans, IDPH form IOCI 15-659	Not on the form	Red biohazard isolation bags, nonporous disposable gloves, an emesis container	5 pounds, ABC type	CPR mask with a safety valve, flashlight, pillows, sheets, and blankets

The strictest version of each item usually satisfies the looser lists. Gloves are the exception: Virginia, Georgia, and Texas name latex, while CareOregon and Jefferson Parish require non-latex. Louisiana’s Medicaid manual (section 10.3, issued July 14, 2025) has brokers photograph the belt cutter, the extinguisher, and its gauge reading at each inspection, before the vehicle starts and every year after. For stretcher vans, see stretcher van requirements.

Where each item goes in the van

• Extinguisher. Virginia, Georgia, and Texas want it within the driver’s reach, and Minnesota wants it in a bracket. Georgia and Texas also want riders to see it, and Georgia says why: so it can be used if the driver is incapacitated. Minnesota lets a passenger car that is not a van keep it in the trunk if the dashboard says “A fire extinguisher is in the trunk of this vehicle.”
• Seat belt cutter. Georgia wants cutters mounted above the driver’s door. Virginia, Louisiana, and MART want one within the driver’s reach, and Virginia allows exceptions only with DMAS’s written approval.
• Both kits. Wisconsin requires removable equipment to be stored so it cannot injure anyone if the van crashes. Strap or bolt the kits down where the driver can reach them without climbing over a rider.

How often to check the kit and the extinguisher

Kit rules name contents more often than schedules. Virginia requires every first aid item to be unexpired, and MART requires the kit to be checked every year to replace missing and expired items. A monthly check on this sheet keeps you ahead of both.

Extinguishers have clearer schedules:

Rule	Regular check	Service and replacement
OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.157 (extinguishers an employer provides for workers)	Visual check every month	Maintenance check every year, with the date recorded and kept for one year after the last entry; stored-pressure dry chemical units that need a 12-year hydrostatic test are emptied and serviced every 6 years
CareOregon manual (February 2024)	Visual check monthly recommended, at least yearly	Brokers check extinguishers at inspections, audits, and pop-up checks
MART, Attachment G (July 1, 2025)	Daily, gauge in the green	Replace if dented the size of a dime or larger or punctured, and every 10 years from the date of manufacture
Georgia DCH (July 1, 2026)	A current inspection tag or sticker	Not set
Wisconsin DHS 105.39	Not set	Serviced periodically as the local fire department recommends
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana	Not set	Not expired, no more than 1 year old

In a May 18, 1990 letter, OSHA said extinguishers on private school buses must be serviced the same way as the extinguishers inside the school building. Where you provide extinguishers for workers to use, OSHA also requires training on using them when a worker is hired and every year after (29 CFR 1910.157(g)). MART and CareOregon both want drivers trained on the extinguisher in the vehicles they drive.

Gloves, blood, and OSHA’s rules for your drivers

OSHA’s first aid rule requires adequate first aid supplies to be readily available, and someone trained in first aid where no clinic or hospital is close to the workplace (29 CFR 1910.151(b)). Its appendix, which is guidance rather than a rule, points to the ANSI Z308.1-1998 kit as an example of minimum contents. It tells employers to reassess their needs from time to time and add to the kit.

The bloodborne pathogens rule (29 CFR 1910.1030) applies when a worker’s duties bring reasonably anticipated contact with blood or certain other body fluids, including any fluid visibly contaminated with blood. In a January 16, 2007 letter, OSHA said an employee trained in first aid and responsible for giving it as part of the job is covered. If your drivers are expected to give first aid or clean up spills, the rule requires:

• A written exposure control plan, reviewed and updated at least once a year.
• Protective gear at no cost, such as gloves, gowns, face shields or masks, eye protection, and pocket masks, with hypoallergenic or powderless gloves for anyone allergic to the usual ones.
• Training at no cost and on paid time, when the driver is first assigned and at least once a year.
• A free hepatitis B vaccine, offered after training and within 10 working days of assignment, unless the driver already had the series, is immune, or cannot take it for medical reasons.

Some programs require the training before the first ride. Georgia requires spill kit and biohazard removal training. CareOregon’s manual lists the Oregon Health Authority’s minimum training, which includes Red Cross approved first aid, CPR, and blood spill procedures courses, or equivalents, before a driver carries members. For the wider set of OSHA duties, see OSHA rules for NEMT companies and NEMT driver training.

What the kit is for

A NEMT van is not an ambulance, and the kit is for basic first aid while help is on the way. Mississippi requires a placard on each door and the rear saying the vehicle is a non-emergency medical transport vehicle and that the service does not provide medical care. Georgia lets drivers touch riders only to help them in and out, with seats and seat belts, or to give first aid or assistance they have been trained to give.

Some rules pair the kit with trained people. Mississippi requires the pocket CPR mask, current CPR certification for drivers, and at least one person trained in adult and pediatric CPR to attend the patient. Wisconsin requires first aid and CPR training before a driver starts, with a first aid refresher at least every 3 years. See CPR requirements for NEMT drivers and, for what to do when a rider collapses, medical emergencies during a ride.

If your vans are commercial motor vehicles

Federal motor carrier rules add their own emergency equipment when a vehicle is a commercial motor vehicle: one used in interstate commerce that is rated at 10,001 pounds or more, or is designed or used to carry more than 8 people, driver included, for pay (49 CFR 390.5). As of September 2026, 49 CFR 393.95 requires:

• An extinguisher rated 5 B:C or more, or two rated 4 B:C, labeled with its UL rating, showing whether it is fully charged, and mounted so it cannot slide, roll, or bounce.
• Warning devices: three bidirectional reflective triangles, or at least 6 fusees.

A 5-pound dry chemical ABC extinguisher with a gauge, whose label shows a B:C rating of 5 or more, meets the size and rating rules on this page and the federal one. For when the federal rules reach a passenger van, see FMCSA vehicle inspection rules.