Recently I attended Kembativz Brand Active Incident Workshop. At that workshop, a good part of the day was dedicated to medical response actions the average person can do at the scene of an active incident. The instructor for that block of instruction Doc John Duncan former Navy Corpsman assigned to Force Recon mentioned using a fanny pack for fast access to critical first aid items.
Now I know what a lot of people are thinking a fanny pack, they went out 20 years ago. I have used fanny packs for years where other pieces of kit just wouldn’t work for me. My go-to for fanny packs has for years been Mike McMillan (AKA Doc Mike) of CSM Gear. Mike was also a career Navy Corpsman assigned with Force Recon. Even though I already had a fanny pack of his on hand I wanted one dedicated to my first line medical gear.
With that in mind, I ordered a new one with a sheath for EMT shears sewn onto the top flap. If you are interested in ordering a similar one simply order a fanny pack and EMT shear pouch separately and in the notes part of the order form note that you want it sewn onto the fanny pack.
I received my order within a few days of submitting my order and as usual, received one of CSM Gears bombproof products. Quality is top notch and you would have to intentionally attack this pack to destroy it. YYK zippers, solid stitching and materials.
The fanny pack features an outer pocket covered with Velcro to attach a patch. The main pocket is large enough for basic trauma items Battle dressing, tourniquet, Quik Clot, gloves, and the shears on the top. There is a flat pocket on the back side that’s perfect for a notebook, pen, extra cash.
I’m very happy with this option for carrying my first line medical items. It’s easy to wear at my center line for access with either hand and it is also something that can be used professionally and personally. In this day and age, it makes no sense to me not to have basic medical items on your person. We don’t know when or where the next active incident will occur but we know that it will. Get trained, get equipped, and be prepared to save a life. It may be your own.
Author – Art Dorst is the owner of A. Dorst Consulting & Training Services and is a Senior Consultant for LaSorsa & Associates. He served in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserves and eventually retired as an NCO from The Army National Guard. He is also a retired municipal Police Officer, a Certified EMT, NRA Instructor, and is currently a security provider/trainer.