Tam over at View From The Porch made a very interesting observation about the whole SERPA holster kerfuffle: have a blowout kit and know how to use it. I’ve had at least one Tactical Medical Solutions IFAK on my range bag for more than two years now and always encourage people to make sure they have some kind of obvious, accessible blowout kit on their body or their range kit while practicing.
A well known forum dweller recently went on a rant about all the silly tactical gear that people buy and included in this list med kits along with the comment, “If you are Civy (sic), you REALLY don’t need any of the above. No, the Zombies/UN/Black Helicopters/ are NOT COMING!!!”
Tex Grebner was not attacked by zombies or the United Nations. He was shot while practicing on the range. Because he had a blowout kit and knew how to use it, he was able to stop his blood loss and dress his wounds before the emergency services people could even get to him.
How some people can be so dense as to think bullet wounds only “count” in a combat zone is beyond me. Of course, these tend to be the same people who sign up for Tactical Warrior Carbine IV seven times and never take a first aid or CPR class.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
The comments thread at my blog is so full of awesome ideas. People are tossing out first aid training resources whose existence I never would have guessed in a million years.
I took an “Emergency Response” health class at a local college. I got training on how to dress and deal with all manner of wounds and learned CPR. Now I have two Red Cross certifications, CPR/AED and Emergency Responder, and I carry a medkit to the range and it’s pretty much always in my car.
Well worth the time and money spent. Fortunately I haven’t had to use the skills I learned yet, but just like skills with defensive weapons it’s confidence inspiring to have the ability. Just another part of being a responsible citizen IMO.
Plus, if you have to shoot someone and you give them CPR afterwards, it’ll look good to the cops 🙂
Great post Todd. As I left for the range yesterday I made a note to check and see that my BOKs from Austere were in place both in the truck and in my range bag.
ironically, we had a backsplash injury from steel, for which I was NOT equipped, but knew that the club’s first aid kit was on hand and it proved to be stocked sufficiently to deal with the problem.
My only problem with these kits is they look at one thing a GSW. I would add a few bandaids, some bee sting swabs and such to them. Also when you get training get it not just on GSW’s but the full specturm. I sometimes worry more about some one keeling over due to a cardiac issue or something heat related.
You mean there are people who don’t keep just a basic first aid kit in your range bag? Huh.
How can you not have first aid supplies with you? Having bitchin’ cool guy gear doesn’t do you any good if you’re bleeding out and can’t stop it.
I’ve carried some kind of BOK with me since Iraq in ’03. I guess it falls under the “common sense” category, and we all know how “common” that is…
My former combat medic brother-in-law recommends tampons for a quick fix to bullet wounds. Presumably non-military ammo, with its greater expansion, might require an awfully big tampon..
I only run the Blow Out Kit in the range bag/gun belt/plate carrier. And an identical one in my car. Never know when you will need something out of it when you are NOT on the range. As for GSW specific, most BOK’s are not. They deal with massive blood loss, amputations (that can happen from a car accident for example), airway obstruction, etc. Look at the kit….there is more there than Tx for a GSW. If that is all you see, go get your hands bloody with one of those kits under instruction from people who know what they are doing.
As for tampons, I prefer to leave that stuff for stopping bleeding where it was designed to. QC Combat Guaze does a much better job. Right tool for the task at hand. If that’s all I have available, that says some weird stuff about me.
Owie’s and booboo’s are part of serious training. Super glue and riggers tape work great for that stuff.
I have the Tactical Medical Solutions IFAK and I hope that I never have to use it. I’m always the one encouraging friends to sign up for a Medical course so that understand how to use these things.
I’ve needed serious first aid gear just driving home, and into someone else’s accident scene.
I guess I could always just keep on driving, but I’d rather be equipped to help out.
There’s a thread here on kits, ranging from IFAK to “build your own on a budget”.
http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?125-Medkit-for-the-Range
Toys are no substitute for training, but you’ll be glad you have them too.
The folks at Wilderness Medical also make sure great field kits and will customize them for your specific needs. I have one with me in the field at all times.
ToddG,
I recently started a blog and first-aid and guns was a topic on my list. I just posted it today. Feel free to provide any feedback you think would be helpful:
First-Aid and Thinking Ahead with Guns
http://godgalsgunsgrub.blogspot.com/2011/07/first-aid-and-thinking-ahead-with-guns.html
Best,
Dann in Ohio
safety first!
As an instructor and RSO I’ve always had a pretty substantial medical kit – built in a rather large fishing tackle box – in the car during classes and matches. Fortunately, all it’s been used for so far is Band Aids, bug repellent wipes and sunscreen, and I sincerely hope it stays that way. I’m CPR/AED Instructor Certified, have a couple Red Cross courses under my belt, as well as a (expired) First Responder Certification from the county FD I got when I worked for the county SO.
Someone once asked me why I have a suture kit and airways in the box, and I pointed out a couple other things that I’m not qualified to use he hadn’t noticed; but, while I may go with butterfly bandages instead of sutures and use sanitary napkins as pressure bandages, there may be someone on the scene who has the medical training to use what I can’t. I’d much rather carry some extra stuff that may be useful in the hands of the right person than decide I wanted to save $25 on the kit contents.
Agreed completely. A GSW kit is useful for ANY kind of penetrating trauma…not just gunshots. I’ve also used them for motor vehicle collisions I’ve encountered. They’re versatile if you have the training.
In addition to the compact, yet substantial kit I carry in my range bag, I also keep another larger kit in my car, and another kit in my door, in the event I get stuck in the front seat of the car. I spend alot of time on the range but even so, call me silly, but I figure I’m much more likely to be injured in, or around my car than I am on the range.
Everyone’s case is different…plan accordingly.
Someone who thinks you need a 5.56 carbine but not a FA kit has…issues.
Hey I’ve only taken Tactical Warrior Carbine six times!
What’s shocked me is how there is no prominent bag at any of the IDPA or USPSC matches I attend. When I asked one of the IDPA big wigs at the match where the medical bag was he responded, “don’t get shot”. Needless to say, I now carry a well equipped kit is a blaze orange small pack. I let all the people in my squad know it’s the med kit. Numerous responses such as “that’s a good idea”. Everyone should be responsible for there safety.
A decent prepackaged kit for $25 can be bought from adventure medical kits.
“http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/product.php?catname=Sportsman&prodname=Trauma Pak with QuikClot®&product=247”
Supliment that with a CAT tourniquet tied around the bag, and you have a nice package that you can take with you, have on you and won’t kill your budget.
I read this article a while back and thought nothing of it. Read the comments, and again, thought nothing of it. I guess “young guy, invincible stupidity” kicked in. This last weekend I took some friends out shooting. They have little to no experience with real firearms, and too much with COD. I gave them a long safety speech while driving to the woods to shoot. I also closely monitored them for 30 minutes. Then I decided I needed to shoot. They started forgetting to lock open the firearms and pull the magazines out as well as putting the safety on (where applicable) when stepping away from the firing line. Then, discussing some different techniques and giving some recommendations to the one who had never shot, I hear a bang, fear the pressure, and see his hand recoil. Somehow a live round had remained in the chamber of my Sig and he shot it. Later, while watching this person manipulate the firearms, I noticed his trigger figure NEVER left the trigger guard.
First thing I did after getting back from shooting was get a blowout bag set up. I’ll never go shooting without it. Thankfully the good Lord kept all four of us safe during this accident but I plan to be prepared next time in case something bad does happen.
Smart to carry a med kit with you during training, competition or combat situation. One useful class for the shooter looking for basic to intermediate medical skills is “Medical Aid Under Fire”. Good for plugging a hole on yourself or a buddy.
http://www.defensetrainers.com/courses/medical/medical-aid-under-fire/