Empowering Self-Defense: The Crucial Role of First Aid Training

Most people who decide to purchase a firearm often only take the mandatory training classes. They do this to legally carry. But what happens if you ever need to use that firearm in self-defense? What is your first aid plan?

The Importance of First Aid Training

Do you think it’s possible that you might need first aid training just as much, if not more than firearms training? We’re not just treating ourselves; we’re treating victims of violent offenders, accidents, and natural disasters. Our ability to stop the bleed and save a life can be accomplished in seconds. Without this vital training, a friend, family member, colleague, or loved one could perish due to the delayed arrival of trained personnel.

Remember, first aid does not only apply to gunshot wounds. It also applies to traffic accidents, natural disasters, and a wider array of other high-risk circumstances.

Scene Safety: The First Step in Emergency Response

Activating the emergency response system and providing first aid is missing a critical step: scene safety.

As a Special Forces medic, I’ve seen my share of chaos and confusion. During the high-stakes environment of combat, many things need to happen at once. Before you can provide first aid to someone else, you must ensure that the scene is safe. You don’t want to become a victim yourself. This means eliminating the threat or getting your loved ones to safety is paramount before initiating first aid procedures. Scene safety might also mean removing someone from a fire or stabilizing a vehicle.

The Art of Stopping the Bleed

Seal and apply pressure. Often, combat medics have to seal a thoracic wound or apply pressure to an arterial bleed on an extremity while engaging the enemy at the same time.

The Essential Tourniquet

Keeping a tourniquet close to your firearm is a wise decision. It should become part of your everyday carry (EDC). When it comes to applying the tourniquet, there are often misleading instructions that require complex thought while your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) is engaged.

You can forget complex thought and fine motor skills. We do not rise to the level of the occasion; rather, we fall to the level of our training. This includes repetition because everything we’re talking about is perishable and forgettable.

Go High, Go Fast

Your lower arms and legs have two bones. In the forearms and calves, an artery runs between those bones. If you try to apply a tourniquet to your distal extremities, you’re simply trying to force two bones together. At best, you will slow the bleed. At worst, you will think you have treated it and move on to something or someone else, while that person is still bleeding.

When applying the tourniquet, secure it as high as possible on the affected limb. Make it as tight as you can. You must know how to apply it properly before an emergency or crisis occurs.

Conclusion: Be Prepared for Anything

In summary, don’t become a victim. Ensure the scene is safe, and if you cannot do that, then go somewhere that is safe. Be prepared to provide first aid care under fire. Train before a life-or-death situation occurs.

Empower yourself with the skills you need to protect yourself and those around you. The world can be unpredictable, but with the right training, you can face it head-on.