The Minimalist IFAK / Blow Out Kit - 3 Essentials

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ironman8

As a single item for a single kit, no it's not a big deal. But if I wanted to stock multiple kits or a large kit for multiple ppl, then it adds up pretty quick when I can make 2-3 ace/gauze wraps per every one Olaes. I do agree overall though and will have an Olaes in my EDC kit.

---

Paul Howe advocates kerlix and coflex if you need quantity, he also recommends pulling it out of the factory wrap and staging them in small zip-lock bags to reduce that extra step in an emergency. Another advantage is that you can also use the same items for training and then just backfill it when training is complete. The only downside I've found is that its much more bulky compared to a flat Olaes dressing, if I'm mounting it to a war belt or plate carrier I'll use an Olaes, if I have some extra space such as a vehicle aid bag I'll double up on kerlix and coflex.

As for TCCC classes, check out www.conditionred.us - the instructor is tied in with a bunch of LE agencies in the NY area as well as the Air Force Pararescue community. Plus he's one of the few people outside the military with the ability to actually certify TCCC instructors and training sites for NAEMT.

I spoke with Caleb Causey, who runs Lone Star Medics and was teaching the medical side of the class this weekend. He's working on an online training course.

Nothing beats hands-on training with an experienced professional like Caleb or a few others. But not everyone can get away, and work often intrudes on planned training - it sure has for me.

Caleb also puts out a DVD, which I bought, and will post a review of.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SeriousStudent

Caleb also puts out a DVD, which I bought, and will post a review of.

---

This one? http://icestore.us/DVDs-Firearm-Trai...VD-C6188D.html

Really tons of good info on here. I work as a FF/EMT here in CT, it is purely amazing at the inaction of bystanders at any type of medical emergency let alone trauma or when someone is oozing red stuff. Good to see a back and forth between guys who "do" it and those who are trying to learn. There are a few classes that I have seen pop up around my area here, but for $525 it seems a bit pricey. The kit that the OP has mentioned is perfect for a range bag, and reasonably priced to keep a few in different places.

This is a great thread on a topic I really need to learn more about. I live just up the road from North American Rescue. I'll have to see what kind of learning resources they offer. I'll definitely be putting a kit together soon, but more importantly, I need to get some more knowledge on the subject. I'll start with the links that were posted on page 2.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HCrum87hc

This is a great thread on a topic I really need to learn more about. I live just up the road from North American Rescue. I'll have to see what kind of learning resources they offer. I'll definitely be putting a kit together soon, but more importantly, I need to get some more knowledge on the subject. I'll start with the links that were posted on page 2.

---

Awesome. I am really glad to see a genuine interest and overall positive reception among the members here for this type of conversation.

I think simple adages and memory aids go a long way when executing decisions in the hostile and disruptive environment. One of my respected instructors for "unconventional medicine" as he termed it at times had some good key points to drive home.

"Good medicine can equal bad tactics, and bad tactics gets everyone killed" This is a key point I took home from my first TCCC-week back in 2007. What this means, is that sometimes doing the best medical procedures, the most life saving interventions can result in a BAD tactical situation in the gunfight/scenario. The bad tactics can cause more casualties (team guys), hostage deaths and a compounding problem. An example often given is the raid on Entebbe where the IDF were rescuing Israeli hostages in Uganda and the Team Leader was struck by a soon to be lethal round only moments into the raid. Had the team stopped to render aid and provide for his care, there would have been a major change in the tactics (for the worse), slowing momentum, speed, and surprise likely resulting in the terrorists killing many hostages and more rescuers. Instead of providing good medicine, the train kept rolling into the airport and annihilated the terrorists by harvesting their souls. This truth of good medicine equaling bad tactics covers many areas. There are times where instead of retrieving a casualty, team members need to shout instructions to them to get them to cover or concealment, locate the shooter, encourage the casualty to stay low, rather than run to retrieve them and become a casualty themselves.

"The best medicine is fire superiority It kind of speaks for itself. Another key point. The best medicine is prevention. Prevent further hits on good guys by neutralizing the bad guy. In the CUF - care under fire phase of TCCC the only thing a casualty should do is get down, get cover, and place a tourniquet on the limb of injury. The team, and the casualty (if he can) need to focus on staying on gun and putting rounds on the bad guys. The days of screaming for a doc are over. That as one instructor put it, "Is straight out of hollywood and needs to stop".

Self Care - Get your kit out and work on yourself. Sooner than later. Practice and be able to access your kit, especially your tourniquet with either arm, one handed, and applying the TQ to each limb (DO NOT USE YOUR REAL TQ, GET A TRAINER). You need to do this in a minute. Casualties are their own first line of care. After the point of injury, any capable casualty needs to focus on surviving and be the first link in the chain of survival in a series of links .....
Buddy Care - Don't use your kit on your buddy. USE HIS. If he treated himself, continue using his kit. After the casualty's "self care" and the care under fire phase has progressed to TFC - tactical field care, (care in a more controlled/protected area e.g. like a room off of a hall) or it is otherwise safe to do so (neutralized the threat) a buddy can provide the necessary additional aid to the casualty. You need to stay alert and be prepared to react and move back into care under fire, should a new threat present or the situation change where you begin taking fire again. At that point you must abandon buddy aid and return fire protecting the casualty and YOU.
Team/Doc Care - As it states, this is where the team provides a team effort of care. In using communication, and reverting to the proper training, the team will be a major link in the casualties survival. It takes a team to often times move and evacuate an injured or incapacitated member. Often times it takes a team to provide interventions on a critical difficult to manage patient. It takes a team.

"Prevent additional casualties, complete the mission."

MARCH and THREAT

I teach my team members MARCH-

M-MASSIVE HEMORRHAGE
A- AIRWAY
R - RESPIRATIONS
CH- CONTROL HYPOTHERMIA

Civilian classes more often get THREAT-

T-THREAT SUPPRESSION
H-HEMORRHAGE CONTROL
RE-RAPID EXTRICATION TO SAFETY
A-ASSESSMENT BY MEDICAL PROVIDERS
T-TRANSPORT TO DEFINITIVE CARE

Of course there is more we could add and discuss here. My hope is that some of this helps some of you guys out there. Stay safe. Carry a kit. Know how to use it. Without the "Software" the "Hardware" is useless.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ST911

This one? http://icestore.us/DVDs-Firearm-Trai...VD-C6188D.html

---

Yup, that is it. I bought a second copy this weekend, so I have one i can loan out to friends.

I also have a pair of blue practice SOFTT-W tourniquets, and a couple of expired dressings for practice. I'm probably going to try and set up a practice session with some of the staff at my church after the holidays. We have an AED and several med kits, but I want to get more folks trained up.

TacMedic,

Great topic and outstanding information!

No doubt about it, this is one of the reasons I love this site. Important topic and conversation to go with it. I'm putting together a few more kits for our other cars and the three items listed are the basics.

Thanks for the feedback brothers. It is time we get more of a focus on this type of topic (IMO). Keep the conversation going. I wish there was more I could do aside from teaching my team and officers in my hometown. I would like nothing more than to have every officer in the country take at minimum a one day to two day course on this.