Everyday Carry Medical Gear
Snake Staff Systems is a Utah-based company specializing in medical gear for everyday carry (EDC). Now, EDC has come to mean a variety of things, some of which are realistic and others not. In this case, the items are actually viable for day-in, day-out use in your pockets. They don’t need a ruck or a sling bag. You can dress normally and still have them with you. As we have seen, a viable tool with [...]
Preparing For Medical Emergencies
When I went through the 1st Responder curriculum (a prerequisite for EMT), in 1987, we were taught A-B-C for Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Next was M-A-R-C-H: Massive Hemorrhages, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, and Hypothermia. I can’t recall hearing it in my second complete EMT class (2001) or in Combat Life Saver (2004). [...]
Training for the Small Town
Small departments are the norm. How do you provide the ongoing, recurrent training every cop needs? The best number I have seen indicates that there are over 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the country. Police departments, sheriff's offices, state police, parole/probation, and specialized agencies. It becomes interesting when you examine [...]
Stop The Bleed And More Medical Considerations
May is National Stop the Bleed Month. The goal of that program is to get as many people as possible, regardless of where their paycheck comes from, trained to stop death from hemorrhaging (bleeding) caused by traumatic injuries. Stopping the bleed regardless of what caused it. I'm fortunate that, as [...]
K9 First Aid: Stop The Bleed
In emergencies with a K9, knowing how to stop the dog's bleeding can be the difference between life and death. Whether you're a K9 handler, their partner, a pet owner, or you work around with dogs, understanding the basics of first aid is crucial. Standard tourniquets designed for humans [...]
Emergency Dental First Aid Kit
Suffering a dental injury is always stressful and often very painful. Having it happen during a crisis takes it to a whole other level. Being prepared for these events provides you with options and buys you time until you can get to a dentist. An emergency dental kit consists of [...]
TacMed Solutions 5th Gen SOF® Tourniquet
Current medical protocol considers the tourniquet an initial lifesaving intervention to control massive hemorrhage from an extremity. Tourniquets are the standard of care due to their ease of use, rapid application, and complete stoppage of blood loss. Research indicates that prehospital tourniquet use significantly enhances survival rates for those with [...]
Tactical Anatomy
In recent years, tactical anatomy has had a renaissance. Some instructors are again emphasizing it while integrating it into their coursework. Others (like this author) make it a primary focus. What we have lacked is someone with the authoritative background—medical, tactical, and instructional—to teach it. This is where Dr. Andy [...]
Survival Medications: A Review Of Jase Medical Base Case
(Editor’s note – making preparations like these for yourself and your loved ones allows you to be better focused on the task at hand during a widespread disaster or emergency.) In this article, we examine Jase Medical and review one of its better-known products: the Jase Medical Base Case. Why [...]
Triage: Prioritizing Treatment In Mass Casualty Events
Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) are unpredictable events that can result in a large number of injured or ill individuals, overwhelming the capacity of local healthcare systems. In such situations, first responders play a crucial role in assessing the severity of injuries and determining the order in which patients should receive [...]
Emergency Medical Response Is In Your Hands
In a world where uncertainty is the only certainty, medical emergencies occur without warning. Preparedness can be the difference between life and death. This is where the importance of first aid kits, trauma kits, and basic emergency medical training comes into focus. They act as the immediate response system, providing [...]