Today’s professionals push themselves when it comes to winning a gun fight. Many invest countless hours and thousands of dollars attending training courses put on by professionals training academies on how to shoot move and communicate but that is usually where the training stops for most people. Is it a good thing to know how to win in a gun fight? Sure, what about after the fight is over; what is the logical next step? Law Enforcement and military move right into the Secure and Assess phase and most times this is going to involve trauma aid for victims regardless of what side they were on in during the fight.
In emergency medicine, the golden hour refers to a time period lasting from a few minutes to several hours following traumatic injury being sustained by a casualty, during which there is the highest likelihood that prompt medical treatment will prevent death. Most times this treatment is not done by doctors in a hospital but by first responders like EMTs or combat medics. Though the military has long since had an approach which is where it teaches Soldiers life saving first aid through training and making sure every Soldier carries an Individual First Aid Kit, commonly called an IFAK.
Companies like RSKTKR Medical have developed their own version of the IFAK. Justin R., the CEO of RSKTKR Medical, looked at the basics of trauma medicine first and planned the RSKTKR Down kit accordingly. There are three priorities when it comes to combat casualty care: Airway, Pulse, and Bleeding. Without these three things, the human body just doesn’t work. So it’s no surprise when you open up the kit you find the following materials:
• HALO Chest Seal
• Quickclot ACS
• OALES bandage
• SOFT-T Tourniquet
• NPA
• Nitrile gloves
• Casualty Card
On the Outside.
All of these items are closed up in a clam-shell pouch that is available in several colors like Multicam, coyote, and black. Built by ZULU Nylon Gear, the carrier was made to RSKTKRs specifications using high quality nylon, tough YKK zippers, and industrial grade stitching that will take abuse dished out by the military and law enforcement community it was designed for. The carrier is extremely well thought out with its back covered in MOLLE webbing for attaching to an assault pack, body armor or any other piece of gear with PALS webbing. The front Velcro panel allows for the attachment of an identification patch and a bright red lanyard that can be used left or right handed for quick deployment of the kit. The design of the inner pockets is such that when the kit is opened, both pocket openings are facing up so the contents of the kit don’t spill out on the ground and become contaminated.
What’s Each Item For?
The OALES bandage contained in the kit goes one step above the standard Israeli or “Izzy” bandage. It offers a pressure dressing but also the ability to treat a second wound with the extra gauze and even sucking chest wound with the included occlusive material. In addition to these uses, the bandage also has Velcro impregnated into the roll itself to facilitate closure and prevent it from rolling uncontrollably.
With a plethora of hemostatic agents on the market, settling on just one can be rather difficult. The tried and true products of Z-Medica have a long history with public safety and the military and this was what helped influence the decision to go with the Quickclot ACS. The sponge is very effective it getting as close to the wound as possible without being messy or too rigid. Though earlier versions of Quickclot transmitted a lot of heat when used, the newer products produced by Z-Medica do not which makes it a much safer product to use on a casualty.
Halo Chest Seal is the best on the market. Used by medical professionals around the world it has gained a winning reputation its hydrostatic gel which is some of the strongest securing since the time of using the old defib pads. In addition to the securing properties, inside each package there are two seals to treat separate wounds. The entire HALO package can roll or fold up nicely making it very compact for separate storage in any small pouch or pocket.
The SOFT-T is one of the most reliable and strongest tourniquets on the market. Made of the highest quality of materials-including an aluminum windless for bleeding control-it is a key piece of equipment that can save not just an arm or leg but a life. Though the Gen 1 Down kit has the SOF-T attached with heavy duty retainer bands, the Gen 2 kit has it attached to the face of the kit in a very secure elastic sleeve that will ensure that the tourniquet is ready if you ever need it.
The included face shield is one item that many companies do not put in an IFAK kit. Justin from has a very simple reason for including in the RSKTKR down kit: “CPR is important-simple as that. By providing a mask, we feel that this may take out the hesitation that we have found individuals to have. This is not only the case with the lay person but also the rescuer. With heart disease being prevalent in public safety, having this may prove important and be the difference between saving a life and watching as one slips away”. This same logic is also applied to the included set of Nitrile gloves that help protect the user from bloodborne pathogens.
The nasopharyngeal airway, also known as an NPA- is designed to be inserted into the nasal passageway to secure an open airway. This simple little device is responsible for saving countless lives by ensuring that a casualty can breathe. As we all know, without breath there is no life.
The last item is the RSKTKR Casualty Card that is specifically laid out to make information fall in a logic sense when writing down patient information. The card layout was designed by Justin to keep patient and treatment information readily available for reference to any medical facility that will receive the casualty. The card itself is plastic coated to prevent it from being rendered unreadable due to rain or even blood.
The items in the RSKTKR Down kit have the potential to save a life but without proper training they can be useless. That is why RSKTKR Medical not only develops IFAK kits but also conduct trauma training courses ranging from simple adult CPR to their Gunfighter First-Aid course which offers specific training geared towards combat injuries. So as you are mapping your own personal training plan, don’t just plan for a class on how to fight but think forward about what will come after the fight. Get the right equipment like the RSKTKR Down kit and seek training on how to properly employ it. A gun fight isn’t just about the life you take; it’s also about the life you save.
Check out the RSKTKR by visiting them by clicking their logo or email Justin at: justin@rsktkrmed.com
