Let’s get the answers from an expert, Sydney Vail , M.D., a veteran trauma surgeon, former SWAT surgeon, and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve serving with the 628th Forward Resuscitative Surgical Detachment. He is also the former director and a deploying member of SWAT Tactical Medicine Program for the Arizona Department of Public Safety State SWAT Team.
He explains the importance of officers carrying effective medical gear, including multiple tourniquets, combat gauze, and QuikClot. Vail shares why it is crucial to practice with this equipment regularly and standardize it across a department for ease of use and consistency.
He also emphasizes that IFAKs and tourniquets should be easily accessible, ideally located centrally on the vest or belt.
In this video, he also covers:
Placement of your IFAK so it can be reached with either hand.
The importance of all officers having the same, or similar, IFAK setup.
The need for officers to carry two tourniquets, not just one.
Using training tourniquets for practice instead of duty tourniquets.
Why officers should continue training exercises with a tourniquet applied to learn their limitations on how long they can stay in the fight.
Learn More: 10 Tips for a Successful TacMed Program