Caleb Causey: Get Your Trauma Priorities Straight: Mindset, Education, Then Tools

Caleb Causey of Lone Star Medics:

If you have to ask, “What items should I keep in my Medical Kit?” or “Which IFAK is the best?” The answer is “EDUCATION!” Yes, I’m yelling. When you ask me these questions you’re telling me two things. First off, you don’t have a clue what you’re doing. Second, you probably don’t have a clue how to use a med kit even if you had one.

I’m not saying that you couldn’t figure it out eventually, but let’s be really clear about things. Waiting until a family member is lying in the ditch with a car flipped upside-down on the side of the highway is not the time to start trying to figure out how to use your med kit. Waiting until your fellow Officer is bleeding out in an alley is not the time to start trying to “figure it out.” I commend you on your efforts and the mere fact that you at least have med gear. However, your priorities are flawed. Let’s focus on three things and remember them in this order: Mindset, Education and Tools.

Having the correct mindset creates the foundation for accomplishing a task…

Continue reading at ITS Tactical