medical/trauma kits

[Geo]

Does anyone carry a medical bag with them on jobs?. Interested to see what people carry vs what i do. All the best.. Geo

[SonnyPI]

Does anyone carry a medical bag with them on jobs?. Interested to see what people carry vs what i do. All the best.. Geo

Absolutely, basic FA supplies along with special needs items of my client, meds, list of meds, doctor contact information.
Cordially, Sonny

[kevbarand]

As LE I carry a GSW trauma kit on my active shooter/high risk tactical vest and a tourniquet in my pocket. In my opinion, anytime you carry a firearm you should be prepared to deal with the potential injuries. It will probably be a thing you just lug around for your career but not having it could be fatal.

[SonnyPI]

As LE I carry a GSW trauma kit on my active shooter/high risk tactical vest and a tourniquet in my pocket. In my opinion, anytime you carry a firearm you should be prepared to deal with the potential injuries. It will probably be a thing you just lug around for your career but not having it could be fatal.

Roger that Kev.
Cordially, Sonny

[Local Talent]

First Aid Kit in the trunk of my car, but Murphy says that I'll be far from it when I need it of course. In urban areas and with cells, help can't be too far away, though - I know it doesn't sound too boyscoutish to say that...

[SonnyPI]

Ah, and I keep a girl scount in my trunk when traveling through those urban areas.;)
Cordially, Sonny

[Local Talent]

I was just thinking that I need me some tampons for GSW, but the girlscout could do the trick instead... :devil:

[Geo]

Hey Kev,
I agree with you as being active le as well. But for ep purposes what do you carry on your person or in a trauma bag. With all the search warrants we do a year, we have a dedicated small trauma kit on each operator that have easy access. Point being if one guy has a kit and there is multiple gsws, there could be problem. Also most of us are emt's and can self treat if needed. Geo

[Geo]

Over the past few years, I have gotten supplies from Chinook, Voodoo tactical and Black Sheep Training (Kent O Doneall is a retired Marine and active Le in New Mexico). They also have great prices. Does anyone else have some good good companies for supplies?. All the best Geo

[Secfor]

This kit is carried by all my guys in Mex. Also, we have extra kits stashed around the vehicle. You should also include a boo-boo kit (Band-aids, Advil, Meds, etc, etc) but this is my trauma kit designed to handle multiple wounds and concentrating on bad bleeds. If going somewhere remote we include shock blankets, sam splints, combat pill pack, and other materials that we may need for prolonged patient stabilization and comfort.


SOFT-T Tourniquet- Military grade tourni. Can be applied one handed

Combat Gauze- Guaze with quikclot

Power Balls- Home made cloth knots that assist in making pressure bandages. Much more effective than commercial pressure bandages.

Kerlix Gauze- To pack

Ace bandage-To Wrap

SWAT-T Tourniquet- Can be used as a tourni or a bandage

NPA – Nasal Airway

HALO Chest Seals – We found that these were the only ones that stick reliably. One-way valves are not needed and generally don’t work in the field

Trauma sheers- Obvious

Small headlamp - Obvious

Sharpie Pen - Obvious

Small Cric Kit – Surgical Airway Equipment/You never know

Small roll medical tape - Obvious

Rick

PS- I put the kits together myself. This way I get better pricing, and exactly what I want inside. I use standard molle utility pouches or self-modified full-sized organizer shells for a lower profile when crossing the border or for the occasional domestic gig.

Secfor International (http://secforinternational.com/bodyguard_medic.htm)

[kevbarand]

Hey Kev,
I agree with you as being active le as well. But for ep purposes what do you carry on your person or in a trauma bag. With all the search warrants we do a year, we have a dedicated small trauma kit on each operator that have easy access. Point being if one guy has a kit and there is multiple gsws, there could be problem. Also most of us are emt's and can self treat if needed. Geo

I pretty much carry the same thing but in a zip up pouch (about the size of a ream of paper) that can be easily stored in a car door or front passenger floor board.

[Geo]

until I saw your website. I was confused about why your talking about tac vest while doing ep. Good stuff partner. Keep up that tough work down there...All the best Geo

[Local Talent]

Yep. Humbling.

[Secfor]

Just to clarify....I do keep our vehicle kits in molle utility pouches stuffed in seat pockets, glove boxes etc, but I don't wear a molle rig (Down South). I use the molle pouches because:

- I got them cheap
- They are tough
- They were the right size
-I can snap link them to a belt in a pinch

I was just trying to give a size reference. They are small compared to what most would consider a paprmedic-style trauma bag. The gear carried away from the vehicle will be in pockets or modified organizers in our civvi back packs, brief cases, or whatever the detail may call for.

We generally go with complete civilian attire down here. No vests, No ear-buds, no 511 attire. It's always good to be able to blend in (as much as I am able), in the restaurants, stores, office areas, malls, hotels, etc.

There are a lot of "point A to point B" details down here, where they rarely if ever go out into town; for the trip in, they are in lvl 4 vests, ear buds, 511 gear, etc.

We are always out-and-about, and just can't roll like that without drawing unwanted attention from good and bad. With a very minimal amount of equipment and a few days training, security pros can save lives. Unfortunately the civilian medical protocols put security professionals and law enforcement on the wrong end of a learning curve for years.

Thankfully, LE and Security are now following the military's lead into the tactical medicine arena. I had to figure it out myself after showing up in Iraq in 2004 and not knowing how to use half the stuff in our vehicle med kits. I had already done EMT, wilderness first responder, as well as soldier first aid (before it evolved), but was not prepared to add real medical value to our missions in a tactical environment. This frustrated me so through a little research I figured out what gear I should carry, what training I should receive, and how to prioritize medical vs tactics in difficult situations.

Rick

Secfor International (http://www.secforinternational.com)

[Local Talent]

[...] through a little research I figured out what gear I should carry, what training I should receive, and how to prioritize medical vs tactics in difficult situations.
This caught my eye. I think it would be a very interesting topic in a general sense: how do all of our best plans, gear favorites, or stuff we learned in EP courses hold up to the real, real world, ya know?

[Lone Wolf]

This caught my eye. I think it would be a very interesting topic in a general sense: how do all of our best plans, gear favorites, or stuff we learned in EP courses hold up to the real, real world, ya know?

As a former SWAT Team Paramedic I will say that I carried a little bit of everything on me... IV's quick clot even sutures.. a small trauma kit holding Kling and steril Bandages as well as some tape and some plastic tubes as well as airway gear...

[Local Talent]

Without taking Geo's thread too off-topic (because it's not just a med kit issue), what I meant was that Rick's point that some things have to give way to others in a practical sense (the field) is a very interesting one to me.

The decision-making process ("prioritizing") is key.

In the thread on batons (http://www.socalbodyguards.com/forum/showthread.php?t=521), you mentioning not carrying one working EP (like me) was an example.
I've worked for clients who preferred to hide some medical conditions from their protectors, and the med kit and protocols we had needed to be adjusted to work around that. That's another example of how reality gets in the way of preparation and how decisions have to be made.

Cost-benefit analysis is yet another factor.
Probably stuff to explore in a dedicated thread, however.

[LMT]

HALO Chest Seals – We found that these were the only ones that stick reliably. One-way valves are not needed and generally don’t work in the field



Secfor International (http://secforinternational.com/bodyguard_medic.htm)


Secfor,


do these chest seals allow pressure that may have built up inside the check cavity to be relinquished???


vie seen a vasaline bandage with a foil backing and 3 sides taped down be used. seemed like a pretty KISS medical item.

also any thoughts on hemcom bandages ???


Thanks
E

[Secfor]

The Halo is just a seal. My first priority is to make sure air is making it into the inside of the lungs by sealing the hole(s) in the chest. Since these days I usually work in areas not far from medical attention, I am not as worried about Tension PTX. If I go to a remote area or delayed comprehensive medical care, I would consider a chest dart if required. You'll find that the one-way-valves usually botch up and don't normally work in field conditions.

I haven't used the Hemcons. I carry Combat Guaze and it may add a few points to my pack. If you learn how to pack a wound properly, you can do wonders with an $2 ace wrap and a $2 pack of kerlix.

R

[LMT]

Good stuff R.

Very good point about priorities.

Do you have any favorite medical and trama treatment material?? Books DVDs or courses.

I'll be at esi for 2 months for there ep/psd classes. There psd course seems to have a lot of good medical treatment material in it but I'm a firm believer of never knowing too much and want to learn as much as I can even befoe the class.

Just seeing if you had any suggestions on material for treatment and assbly of medical supplies.

Thanks.
E

[Secfor]

For trauma (this does not include the boo-boo kit)...

- SOFT-T or latest CAT Tourniquet- Military grade tourni. Can be applied one handed
- Combat Gauze- Guaze with quikclot
- Kerlix Gauze- To pack
- 2 Ace bandages-To Wrap
- 1 commercial bandage (H or Israeli or similar)
- SWAT-T secondary Tourniquet- Can be used as a tourni or a bandage
- NPA – Nasal Airway
- HALO Chest Seals
- Trauma sheers- Obvious
- Small headlamp - Obvious
- Sharpie Pen - Obvious
- Small scalpel – For Surgical Airway , You never know. NPA works as your air hose
- Large safety pins
- Small roll medical or duct tape - Obvious
- 14g needle/catheter - For chest vent

Put TCCC into Google and you will get entire power point courses on the latest trauma care system used by military and security teams in austere environments.

We do classes down in San Diego and up in LA with BTI. We are probably due a course this Summer.

R

[LMT]

what size pouch do you use for your med kit??

im putting together one for a molle vest mounted to a tear away handle.

picked up some halo seals to check them out. do you store them in the original package with the zip lock seal or do you removed them and roll them up. not a bulky item just awkward to store if you cant roll it up.

thanks
E

[Secfor]

what size pouch do you use for your med kit??

im putting together one for a molle vest mounted to a tear away handle.

picked up some halo seals to check them out. do you store them in the original package with the zip lock seal or do you removed them and roll them up. not a bulky item just awkward to store if you cant roll it up.

thanks
E

I keep the HALOs in their original packaging usually. You can roll them and bend them, just try not to crease them. For my PSD rig, I had my med kit in a MOLLE utility pouch. All of the above fit perfectly. I would prefer a tear open system but I was working with what I could get when I was there.

Now, I try and keep it lower profile and keep kits packed into organizer shells with pockets and elastic straps customized into it. I get less attention traveling down south when I have what looks to be an organizer in my pack. They also slide nicely into seat pockets and briefcases. And I always carry a few key pieces in my pockets as well. Its not easy trying to be low profile and hide your gear.

[Secfor]

Looking into the latest MET (gen 3) (http://www.tqsresponse.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16269) tourniquet. Looks like they may have taken care of some past issues.

[Rock]

What do you use now and why are you considering changing?

[Secfor]

What do you use now and why are you considering changing?

I've got SOFT-Ts and CATs with some SWAT Ts for back ups. The new design of the MET seems to have fixed their past problems. The Gen 3 is quick and easy to apply, wider band, extremely light, aluminum windlass (no breaking that), unlimited throw.

Definitely worth a look

[Rock]

We use the SOF-Ts and are phasing out the CATs as the
windlass breaks

[Secfor]

We use the SOF-Ts and are phasing out the CATs as the
windlass breaks

All tourniquets have their short-comings, the old CATs broke , the SOFT-Ts sometimes don't secure properly, the SWATs, are difficult to place one handed under other than optimum conditions. Check out the new METs. They have taken care of old problems and look to be the front runner.

Rick

Secfor International (http://www.secforinternational.com/bodyguard_medic.htm)