Silence is shattered by the deafening sounds of radios crackling to life and voices bellowing: “War is declared!” —World War I, also known as The Great War, had begun. This conflict, often described as “the war to end all wars,” would cost the United States hundreds of thousands of lives and immense financial resources. History recorded the events, tactics, and lifesaving first aid techniques that emerged, introducing new technology and emphasizing the importance of self-aid and buddy aid. Yet, America would unknowingly find itself embroiled in another costly conflict: World War II.
As leaders prepared for WWII, they reviewed lessons from WWI, including handling combat trauma, gunshot wounds, airway management, and chest injuries. They quickly concluded that medical treatments from The Great War were largely outdated and insufficient for the demands of modern warfare.
At the conclusion of WWII, a comparison of lifesaving tactics from both wars revealed minimal progress in applying lessons learned. Many lives that might have been saved were lost due to a failure to adopt effective strategies. While technology had advanced, the fundamental ways humans perish in combat had not.
The Relevance to Modern Policing
You might be asking, “What does this have to do with modern-day policing?” Here’s the connection:
- How many police academies require lifesaving first aid to be taught and learned prior to graduation?
- How many departments offer any lifesaving first aid training, let alone refresher training for these very perishable skills?
- How many of your officers are entering harm’s way without the skills to treat themselves, their partner, or innocent victims?
This lack of emphasis on self-aid and buddy aid not only costs officer lives needlessly, but it also creates a liability that can permanently damage your department’s reputation.
Imagine This Scenario:
- An officer pulls over a vehicle, approaches, and is shot multiple times in the chest, arms, and legs. The officer returns fire, calls for backup, dives behind their squad car, and waits for help. But time quickly runs out and the officer dies from their injuries before medics arrive.
- An officer pulls over a vehicle, approaches, and is shot multiple times in the chest, arms, and legs. The officer returns fire, calls for backup, dives behind their squad car, and immediately assesses their injuries. This time they self-apply a lifesaving tourniquet and a chest seal within seconds. The officer then realizes the gunman is down and not moving. A baby is screaming, and two other people in the vehicle have been shot but are yelling for help. The officer treats the two victims saving their lives before the medics arrive.
Which option do you prefer? You want to live. So why aren’t you taking the time to learn how to survive this very possible scenario?
The Call to Action
Would you go through a door with a partner who doesn’t know how to shoot or is likely to shoot you in the back? Then why go through the door with someone who refuses to learn how to save a life, even if it is their own?
Does someone in your department need to die before you see the value in providing the tools to save lives?
To those who see the value in lifesaving treatment, we will begin self-aid and buddy aid training and spend the next few articles giving you the tools to do just that.
Let’s function check the weapon we are working with—you, a human being. We are all “containers” walking around; some of us are bigger than others, some have container issues while others don’t. You have approximately 5-6 liters of blood in your body. Remember, the body does not read the book; we are nuanced.
You have pipes (vessels) and a heart (a pump). One of your largest vessels is the femoral artery, approximately the size of your thumb. Let’s say you get shot in the upper leg, and shrapnel tears that artery apart. How long do you think you have before those precious 5-6 liters of blood are empty (i.e., you are dead)? Answer: 120 seconds, not long.
I recently spoke to a law enforcement agency and asked the crowd about their preparation for this scenario. While some had a tourniquet, every single person told me they were handed a tourniquet and told to “figure it out.” I asked if they were handed a gun and told to figure that out too.
Every person on earth can learn the skills of self-aid and buddy aid, no matter what you do for a living or who you are. And if you are carrying a weapon, you do not get a choice—you must learn how to save a life. It may be your own life you are saving.
