IFAK and Training

[hal_5555]

Ok, I dont post much but I have been reading a lot of "rate my IFAK" and "what should I have in my IFAK" threads that keep getting rehashed. Some of this info is awesome and some is very wrong or just dumb.

I will keep this short and simple but there are tons of information that is free and can directly translate into your IFAK and training. Don’t forget the "training" that is most important. There are several places that do this and do it well, check them out and learn!

Dark Angel Medical (http://www.darkangelmedical.com/Training.html)
Lone Star Medics (http://lonestarmedics.com/)

One of the best resources for what most gun people can use is the Army's Tactical Combat Casualty Care. It is doctrine and is not "dogma". Med information in this applies to ballistic trauma and not your general blunt force trauma (Car accidents, etc.). You want that, go elsewhere.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v203/HAL_5555/57.jpeg

Tactical Combat Casualty Care (http://www.health.mil/Education_And_Training/TCCC.aspx)

That is the link to the main page with a huge amount of info.

What it boils down to is that there should be different levels of dealing with injuries. These levels are (as I have been taught): Care Under Fire, Tactical Field Care and Tactical Evacuation. In these levels one must understand that some injuries are not fixable and exposing yourself to that fire just takes one more out of the fight. If you are the one injured try and get cover and take care of you. Return fire if possible.

The best medicine in a gunfight is a superior firepower.

TCCC Guidelines (http://www.health.mil/Libraries/120917_TCCC_Course_Materials/TCCC-Guidelines-120917.pdf)

These are the note sheets for tasks that you should be familiar with for you and IFAK. Knowing these tasks is the difference between having a nice kit that does nothing to saving a life that may be your own.

An IFAK does not need to contain everything a surgeon’s office has. A great down and dirty kit that will handle the main causes for life-loss in a fight (Hemorrhage from extremity wounds, Tension pneumothorax, and Airway problems) are the following items:
-Oales 6" bandage or Izzy
-CAT Tourniquet
-S Gauze/Combat Gauze
-Decompression catheter 14gaX3.25"
-Nasal Airway sixe 28 with lubricant
-Petrolatum Gauze 3"x9"
-Combat medic tape/small roll of duct tape
-EMS Shears or I prefer a webbing cutter/strap cutter
-Mini Sharpie marker
-Med gloves
-Alcohol wipe/Iodine wipe
With these things you can rock and roll. If you want to add some HALO chest seals and extra dressings that’s cool, but the above is a good kit.

I carry two tourniquets on my gear and always at least one in my EDC. (think Boston there is relevance). There are some great kits already out there for both your kit and EDC.

Austere Provisions Company (http://www.austereprovisions.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=4)
Warrior Wound Care (http://www.warriorwoundcare.com/trauma-and-med-kits/)
ITS Tactical Medical (http://www.itstactical.com/store/?c=medical)

Try not to get caught up with the minutiae. I have heard “make sure to size your NPA to you” or “pre fab chest seals are the best” or “don’t ever do a chest decompression because you will get sued”. This is a sheep’s thought pattern. Why carry a kit at all if you are worried you are going to get sued if you use it. Displace the noise with common sense and carry what you need to carry to possibly save a life. You know what size NPA someone will stick in your nose at the ER? The same ****ing size as the next guy. If you treated someone for an open chest wound and you now think that they are suffering from tension pnemothorax then why would you not stick them to save their life? The point is to learn your tools and be more confident with them. With simple training you will know where to stick the needle. Will you be a super ninja combat medic? NOPE. But you will have an understanding and will to make a difference. Its all part of the Warrior Mindset.

Hope these tools help get you started.

Thanks to Doc S and the Health.mil for helping me with this. If you ever stop learning then its time to go.

[starlight_cdn]

An IFAK does not need to contain everything a surgeon’s office has. A great down and dirty kit that will handle the main causes for life-loss in a fight ...

Totally agree. That is a great general purpose list. I have found from my multiple deployment that your IFAK must mirror your specific tactical realities. For example, what a convoy tasked soldier will need would be different from an embedded combat advisor. I wrote a couple blog articles The Gunfighter's Guide to Medical Kit, Part 1 (http://starlightcdn.blogspot.ca/2013/02/the-gunfighters-guide-to-medical-kit.html) and The Gun Fighter's Guide to Medical Kit, Part 2 (http://starlightcdn.blogspot.ca/2013/02/the-gunfighters-guide-to-medical-kit_18.html). These are intended for armed professionals but the legally armed citizen could draw from it too. For example, a rural land owner on Texas border may want to pack a little different. Though, I would add "get some training!" Training creates not only a based of knowledge and practical skills; it is a rehearsal for real life incidents. Well, good training anyway..

Hope this helps too...

[Arctic1]

@hal_5555:

Excellent post.

Just want to add a few observations re tourniquets and gloves.

If you only have one tourniquet, make sure it is easily accessible by you, with either arm. If you keep a tourniquet in Your IFAK, it should be a secondary or tertiary tourniquet. I always carry two tourniquets on my kit, and more in my aid bag.

Re gloves, I prefer to have them in my uniform, usually a shoulder pocket. This is so I always have gloves available, regardless of the casualty I am treating. IFAKs are meant to be used on you by your buddy, so carry spare gloves on your body in case you have to render aid to someone without a proper IFAK.

One other important thing to make sure of is to do PCC's and PCI's of your medical gear regularly, ensuring that sterile items have not expired and that items are intact and not broken. TQ's that have remained unused should be replaced after a time, to make sure the ones you carry are unaffected by being carried on your gear that is being put through it's paces.


@starlight_cdn:

Good blog posts, mind if I link to them on a Norwegian military board I frequent?

[starlight_cdn]

Good blog posts, mind if I link to them on a Norwegian military board I frequent?

Not at all, the primary focus of the blog is information sharing within the tactical community. Please feel free to share.

And thank you for the feedback