Recent events, including a surge in mass shootings, are underscoring the importance of self-reliance among law enforcement officers, in instances when Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are not immediately available, or are not allowed on the scene of the incident.
These incidents highlight the importance of first responders providing prompt lifesaving measures to persons who have been hurt, particularly to control hemorrhage and save lives. Although fire departments are looking at ways to access the warm zone and give medical care, law enforcement must be the first responders in the field until emergency medical services arrive or the environment is deemed safe for other emergency personnel to enter.
Carrying a tourniquet on the officers’ duty belt, and knowing how to properly use it, can spell the difference between life and death, in situations like a severed artery, where every second counts.
As more-and-more frequent news story show, police officers who know how to properly apply a tourniquet are often the first (and sometimes the only) line of defense for a wounded individual. Law enforcement officers use tourniquets to save the lives of citizens, as was the case in this story, when an off-duty Indiana State Police officer used a tourniquet to save the life of a woman hurt in a motorcycle crash, as well as to save fellow officers’ lives, as this story explains.
What is a tourniquet?
A tourniquet is a device that applies pressure to a limb or extremity to prevent blood flow. It can be utilized in a variety of situations, including emergencies, surgery, and post-operative recovery. A tourniquet is particularly important in emergency situations, where the victim is suffering from a wound that causes profuse bleeding, which, if not stopped, can lead to death. A simple tourniquet can be obtained with a stick and a rope (or a leather belt). However due to their ineffectiveness when compared to a commercial or professional tourniquet, their use has decreased over time. Tourniquet placement and use is critical to avoid permanent injury: while the use of a tourniquet may stop the flow of blood, it also has the potential to cause soft tissue and nerve injury. There are three types of tourniquets: surgical tourniquets, emergency tourniquets, and rehabilitation tourniquets. In this article, we will refer to emergency tourniquets.Why do law enforcement officers need to carry a tourniquet?
While, several years ago, some debated whether or not law enforcement could effectively use EMS equipment like tourniquets, those debates have died out a long time ago, especially in the face of events that saw law enforcement in situations where tourniquet use was the only option, and officers were isolated behind the line of fire. Cops have utilized them to save their own lives, the lives of their companions, and the lives of citizens all across the world. Tourniquets have undoubtedly been used to save lives on city streets and battlefields. They have been instrumental in rescuing countless lives that would otherwise have perished. As a result, providing tourniquet training to all police officers will undoubtedly prepare them for a circumstance in which one of them, or a citizen, has been shot or injured in some way. Every officer’s equipment should include a tourniquet. It, like a flashlight or handcuffs, should be part of every officer’s standard carry, something they have with them on a daily basis, and on their belt. This is why, along with proper training, law enforcement should be provided with a tourniquet holder that fits on the officer’s duty belt.How do you apply a tourniquet?
Knowing how and when to use a tourniquet is as important as the use itself. Even when applied correctly, tourniquet problems can cause serious tissue injury. In the case of serious bleeding and life-or-death situations, however, appropriately applying a tourniquet can effectively stop bleeding and keep an injured person stable until medical help arrives.Steps to apply a tourniquet
Here are the steps to follow:Find the Source of the Bleed
You must first establish the source of the bleeding before applying a tourniquet. It may be visible in some circumstances, such as close or total limb amputation. Other injuries may not be obvious at first, especially if your view is obstructed by debris, wrecks, shredded clothing, or other things. Have the injured individual lie down if possible so you may assess them from head to toe. Keep cool and concentrated because you’ll need to discover the source of the bleeding as soon as possible.
