Tac Med Tuesday “Planning Is Everything” It’s 0400 and you’re in the midst of some of the most relaxing sleep you’ve had in a while. You’ve been moving out of your old house and into a new one and you’re smoked. You are catapulted into consciousness as you hear glass shattering and the booming and cracking sound of the wood on your door frame of the front door giving way as it’s being kicked in. It’s an all-out auditory assault as the security system siren blares next to your room, your youngest daughter screaming and crying as she runs into your room in terror. You reach over and unlock your pistol safe and grab your pistol and an extra mag as your spouse grabs their pistol from their side of the bed. They take the kids, who are all in the room by this time, and the cell phone and calls 9-1-1 as the kids go into the closet and lock the door. Your spouse maintains rear security by the closet door as, with your heart in your throat and your legs shaking, you lock the bedroom door and get down behind the bed on the opposite side of the room facing the door, pistol at the ready. Just as you get into place, the door splinters and slams inward revealing a dark figure in the doorway. You blast 500 lumens of white light at the silhouette and you quickly identify a black pistol in the right hand and a flashlight in the left hand of the intruder. Your heart is pounding in your chest, the grip of the pistol suddenly feels slick and your mouth is as dry as the desert as your body’s ‘fight or flight’ response kicks into overdrive. Somehow the words come out of your mouth, “Stop! Drop the gun! Don’t move!” As you yell, the intruder bounds into the room while raising the gun. You hear several muted ‘pops’ and notice strobe-like flashes as the intruder crumples to the floor at your feet. Your spouse is moving to you and yells to you if you’re okay. You yell, “Good to go.” Your spouse gives the password to the kids who unlock the door but stay where they are. You kick the gun away from the invader’s hand and you are surprised as you notice smoke coming from the muzzle. At the same time you feel a sharp stabbing pain in your upper left chest and you are having trouble catching your breath. You transfer your weapon to your support hand and raise your right hand to your chest and it comes away covered in blood as you notice a distinct sucking sound. You yell at your spouse to grab the D.A.R.K. (Direct Action Response Kit) that’s kept in the bedroom as you remember your training and place pressure with your weapon hand over the entry and have your spouse check for an exit wound. There is one high in the left upper back. Your spouse places a HALO seal over each wound and performs a blood sweep and notices a large laceration/burn on your left side from a bullet graze that you previously hadn’t noticed. They grab the 4” Emergency Bandage out of the kit and apply pressure to the wound to control the bleeding. You cover your spouse as they move to the intruder, kick the weapon away and check for a carotid pulse and chest rise and fall. There are no signs of life present. Around this time, LE, Fire and EMS all roll up to your house and your very long day has just begun. What did we discuss in this scenario? Disorientation, body alarm response, home invasion, threat identification, communication, wound treatment and triage of multiple patients. This family had a plan. Unfortunately, we live in a day and age where we don’t just need to do fire drills in our homes. We need to plan for home invasion and understand your state’s laws concerning use of force. Ignorance is not a sound defense. Get the proper training to utilize your firearm. Make a plan with your family. Get a trauma kit and the proper training to utilize it effectively. Make every day a training day. Train. Equip. Win. Until next time, stay safe. Simplicity Under Stress darkangelmedical
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 16:31:47 +0000