quote:

Originally posted by pace40:

Since I'm the idiot that mentioned the decomp needle, I have to ask why not if you know how to use it? (if so trained) D

Because more likely than not it isn’t covered under your states good Samaritan exemptions. Just like if you “knew” how start a line and did so without a scope of practice. Given that most medical response to ranges are based up where the paramedics are eating at (lol, I know same as cops), this idea that we need all this cool guy stuff is baseless.

I would highly suggest that instead of having the needle, I would delete it and add another chest seal. Because sealing the entrance wound, and the patient developing a pneumothorax from the exit sorta defeats the point.

I carry a needle in my kit. And train on it regularly. And there’s a really very narrow scope that I’d use it in.

Gotcha...I carry Hyfin doubles (enter/exit), so I'm covered there. I'll keep the needle though. They really are great for digging out splinters.

The goal is to stop the bleed and keep someone alive until medical help arrives.

A lot of the ready to go kits have the "cool guy" stuff in them for fantasy saves when it's not needed.

You can build your own without much effort. In mine for the range I have:

A pair of gloves
Chest seals
TQ
Izzy or similar bandages
compression gauze
nonstick absorbent pads for lesser problems
Frog tape

I'll add a needle once I have some deeper training and good comfort with it.

It's just stopping the bleed and not trying to be a field hospital.

It also depends on how long it will take for help to arrive. Two blocks from an available ambulance, no problem. 20-45 minutes away from competent help arriving, a big issue. Surviving a hurricane but completely cut off from any emergency assistance for hours, days, or more with injured family, friends, and neighbors; yep knowing more and having more is better. I have a basic IFAK on me or on the outside of my work bag. I have a much more capable kit in my truck and another one buried in the bottom of my work bag. Knowing how to use it, well that makes me more comfortable.

Yes, stop the bleeding is basic cub scout stuff. More training can make you more capable. Never miss an opportunity to be Batman.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: jsbcody,

My club has a pretty well defined emergency response protocol - a retired cop/ paramedic manages things. When we have a match each squad bucket that holds the target paint scoring equipment and timer has a boo boo kit and ifak
We have a full trauma kit and AED in a plastic tote in the target shed and each shooting bay has a metal sign outlining the process of calling 911 what to say etc. as part of that system, someone drives a golf cart from the range to the paved road junction to flag down the medics as we are pretty remote.

While I do have the experience and training to do a lot of things and have in austere environments it won’t be needed 99% of the time.

Yes as a medical professional my in car kit is big but lots of the items are one off scenario things that thankfully need to be replaced when they expire rather than being used