Be Brilliant in the Basics
The first time that I did Tactical Combat Causality Care (TCCC) was after an Afghan National Army vehicle directly in front of our truck hit an IED. It wasn't a little IED, either. Of the five occupants inside, two were still alive.
I pulled the first out and applied a tourniquet to his swollen leg. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was doing it, but I did it. I didn't really think about it, I just threw it on. By the time the medic got on scene and assessed him, he told me that I had done the right thing, even though there was no break in the skin. His leg had massive internal bleeding. The medic gave me a fist bump.
I threw a tourniquet on his leg because I had done it what felt like a thousand times in training. I had done it i the rain. I had practiced it in the dark. I had practiced it when I was tired. I had practiced it so much that I didn't realize I was doing it when it actually needed to happen.
That is what quality training is. Training that builds reputation, so that on your worst day, you can out preform the enemy. Brilliance in basic Soldier tasks is what keeps people alive.
@PC_DaybyDay Yes and no, we get the ELS training we deserve. I’d love to have a better stocked first aid kit and better scope of practice. But you can’t argue the fact that people can’t even do BLS correctly and treat the ELS refresher as a half day. Basics done well.
@PC_DaybyDay Good first aid is about ensuring air goes in and out and blood goes round and round. It’s the basics that matter most. FA training used to be ok, but it’s down it’s delivery. I’d say it’s much better now than it used to be.
Assisted response officers today with a medic related call - was greeted with a fantastic ATMIST from uniformed officers who were doing a great job. Nice to see good first aid drills being used by all departments now and officers keen to get involved. #thebasicdoneright
5/ Second, it has both individual and collective elements. This is important. Individuals must be ‘brilliant at the basics’ before they can fight as a team.
Learn how to use your kit, if you haven't had to get a bit of kit out for a while practice and make sure you are confident. Don't rely on 'I should be alright on the day'. A lack of confidence leads to errors, time lost and poor treatment. Do the basics well.
Every cop is trained in #TheBasicsDoneWellAlways.
We need to reinforce this message to give confidence to other officers, empowering them to save lives.
#TraumaCare2022