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We held a Stop the Bleed class at our congregation yesterday. Very good information and hands-on training. If a person is squirting bright red blood they only have about 3 minutes to live.

Very simple and the equipment doesn't have to cost a lot. Sure, the CAT (or similar) tourniquets ($30.00ish) are nice but just having a $2.00 package of gauze (4.5" x 4 yds) will work just as well and treat up to 2-3 people. Our crew even stressed the ability to think and improvise with materials that you have if you're caught without a TQ or gauze or you have multiple casualties.

The CAT TQ is compact, fast, and easy to self-apply. The gauze is just as effective but is a little slower and a little more difficult to self-apply.

I would encourage you to find or host a class. It was 2 hours well spent and very well could save someone's, or your own, life.

Who was the presenter?

sailor2000 wrote:Who was the presenter?

Our presenters were 4 EMTs from our local EMS service. Our EMS is operated by University Medical Center in Lubbock.

About 1971, age 15, Head Lifeguard/pool manager at a hotel's swimming pool in Houston, I stole a drunk man's leather belt as our first aid kit only had one tourniquet and a person had slipped through a plate glass door and window cutting arteries in both legs. Ambulance arrived about 20 minutes after the incident. The person's life I saved called me a couple years ago, he owns a large cleaning service in Los Angeles now.... I owe an anonymous drunk a cheap belt ...

Everyone should learn Stop the bleed, a better class than what we had in the 1970s

I just looked at Amazon for CAT TQ .

They ranged in cost from about $10.00 to about $28.00.

I haven't a clue as to which to buy.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

Abraham, I have been told that any CAT tourniquet for less than around $25 is likely a knock-off or fake and is likely not made with the same materials or to the same standards as the real deal.

Abraham wrote:I just looked at Amazon for CAT TQ .

They ranged in cost from about $10.00 to about $28.00.

I haven't a clue as to which to buy.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

There are many cheap fakes on the market. It is best to go straight to the manufacturer or a reputable dealer. I prefer the SOFTT-Wide Gen 4 as it is wider and I find it easier to apply. Costs about $30.
https://www.rescue-essentials.com/softt ... ourniquet/

I was certified as a Combat Lifesaver in the Army. Since retiring, I've had training in CPR and treating penetrating trauma.

Knowing how to use and carrying a tourniquet is much more likely to save a life than carrying a handgun, and it is easier to do. Just as I carry my M&P every day, I carry my SOFTT-W every day.

I recommend training with Lone Star Medics. They are based in Ft Worth.
http://lonestarmedics.com/lsm-schedule/

Your local fire station/EMS is a good place to start looking for training.

I took a 2 day course with Caleb Causey (LSM) last year in Bastrop. I've signed up for another 2 day class next month. Caleb is one of the presenters. KR Training east of Elgin.
https://www.krtraining.com/KRTraining/C ... kable.html

Being able to improvise is a good skill. Have good equipment and training is much more effective. Planning to improvise is planning to fail, it seems to me. Being well trained and equipped is not that hard.

Abraham wrote:I just looked at Amazon for CAT TQ .

They ranged in cost from about $10.00 to about $28.00.

I haven't a clue as to which to buy.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

As mentioned, the low dollar are likely fake. Stay with a reputable company. Rescue-Essentials.com is one such company.

I’m not sure how much easier a Soft-T could be but I’ll check them out.

troglodyte wrote:

Abraham wrote:I just looked at Amazon for CAT TQ .

They ranged in cost from about $10.00 to about $28.00.

I haven't a clue as to which to buy.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

As mentioned, the low dollar are likely fake. Stay with a reputable company. Rescue-Essentials.com is one such company.

I’m not sure how much easier a Soft-T could be but I’ll check them out.

The CAT is a good tourniquet. I find the windlass on the SOFTT-Wide Gen 4 to be stronger than that on the CAT and easier to manipulate, but that may just be a style issue. The SOFTT-Wide Gen 4 is wider than the CAT and I like that. Either or both are good to carry. Both are much more efficient at stopping arterial bleeding in extremities than gauze and direct pressure.

Hemostatic gauze (QuikClot) works where tourniquets do not and is easy to carry, as are chest seals. A pressure dressing is great to carry, if you can. I prefer the OLAES, but there are several good ones.
https://www.tacmedsolutions.com/OLAES-Modular-Bandage

Gen 7 is the current version of the CAT. Can be applied w/ one hand in a crunch.

Stop the Bleed is a recently launched, national program.

https://www.bleedingcontrol.org/

Here are links for Texas. Program still growing.

http://www.stopthebleedtx.org/

Thank you one and all!

I'd rather pay a much higher cost for much higher quality every time, especially when it comes to little things like 'bleeding to death'!

Thanks again.

oljames3 wrote: I prefer the SOFTT-Wide Gen 4 as it is wider and I find it easier to apply. Costs about $30.
https://www.rescue-essentials.com/softt ... ourniquet/

Just as I carry my M&P every day, I carry my SOFTT-W every day.

Have good equipment and training is much more effective. Planning to improvise is planning to fail, it seems to me. Being well trained and equipped is not that hard.

#me-too

COMPLETELY

Regarding TQs, I bet my life on SOFTT-W Gen 4 for a number of technical reasons compared to commercially available CAT, RATS, and SWAT TQs.

Abraham wrote:I just looked at Amazon for CAT TQ .

They ranged in cost from about $10.00 to about $28.00.

I haven't a clue as to which to buy.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

I suggest buying from a reputable company. No dig at Amazon but a lot of stuff there is sold by third parties, even things "fulfilled" by Amazon. I buy from skinny medic. Maybe not the cheapest but it subsidizes the good videos.

I wish there was a financial "stop the bleeding" class for politicians.

Caleb Causey from Lone Star Medics recommends either the SOFFT-W or the CAT. I believe both are given the green light by TCCC. I find the SOFFT-W easier to put on others, and the CAT easier to put on self. Just from practicing with them both.