Police Medic Kit - BH Spec. Ops. Medic Bag

[Riggs]

Hello,

I’m just posting my kit for your critique. I’m a police medic with a UK force and use this bag when on operational duties and also as my personal family kit. My core role is uniformed response but bring my medic training to calls as required…mostly patching up drunks unfortunately. I always seem to be tied up somewhere when a decent trauma comes in
Medications are conspicuously absent as I am not permitted to administer any other than helping the patient with their own.
I also have access to an AED and oxygen therapy equipment which are not pictured as they are a shared kit so stay in the station for all the medics to use.
Let me know what you think guys.


The bag is a Blackhawk Special Operations Medical Pack which was bought out of pocket as I only get issued a medic vest which is not practicable to use for regular duties. On the compression straps on the outside of the pack I have added a couple of trauma shears and a roll of duct tape.

The front of the bag houses a flat zip pocket which holds the following;

Medic Forms, pens and some laminated aid-memoirs.
Nitrile gloves (x loads)
Alcohol hand sanitiser
Biohazard bags
Additional trauma supplies:
- 3x SP Services T4 trauma dressings
- 4x NA Rescue S-Rolled Gauze for wound packing

Opening the bag reveals my catastrophic bleed section and general wound dressings pouches.

The zip pouches contain the following items;


Top Left
2x CAT tourniquets (Orange)

Top Right
4x NA Rescue S-Rolled Gauze for wound packing

Middle Pouch
2x SP Services T6 trauma dressings
2x 6” ‘Israeli’ ETD
1x CELOX 35g Granules

Bottom Pouch
ABD pad dressings
- 5x 10x12cm
- 2x 20x20cm
- 1x 20x40cm
4x 10cm Conforming bandages
4x 7.5cm Conforming bandages
5x 7.5x7.5cm 5 pack Sterile Non-Woven Gauze Swabs
Minor wounds pack – Various plasters, Steri-strips, non-adherent pad (telfa) dressings

Folding back the the airway/equipment board allows access to the main compartment.


I have set up the airway/equipment board in my bag as follows;


Oralpharyngeal Airways
- 2x Size 4
- 2x Size 3
- 2x Size 2
- 1x Size 1
- 1x Size 0
- 1x Size 00
As a side note I am aware the number of OPA's may seem excessive but I use them quite frequently as a 'screening' device for the surprisingly large number of people (read: drunks, bums and general muppets) who want to be silly and act unresponsive when I am pretty sure they are well aware of what's going on...pretty hard to feign unconsciousness with a size 4 OPA in you

Argyle Nasopharyngeal Airways w/ Surgilube sachets
- 1x 26Fr
- 1x 30Fr
- 1x 34Fr

10x Tongue depressors
2x Asherman Chest Seals
2x Petrolatum Gauze dressings
1x Nonin GO pulse oximeter
1x Adult Magill Forceps
1x Pen light
1x High Intensity white chem lights
1x Permanent black markers
1x 0.3L sharps tube

The main compartment of the bag is not particularly segmented with a large fold over bag at the top and a flat, hydration bladder sleeve to the rear.


I use the fold over bag for bulky airway items and further diagnostic kit.

Diagnostics

Welsh Allyn DS54 sphygmomanometer
Optium Xceed Glucometer
Littmann Master Classic II stethoscope - All black edition
Also pictured but kept with airways Nonin GO Pulse Oximeter
Tape - 2.5 and 5cm Transpore, 2.5cm Durapore, 2.5cm Micropore

BVM/Suction

Ambu SPUR II Adult BVM
Suction Easy Aspirator

The bag can fold back to expose the whole of the main compartment


I carry the remainder of my kit in this area

2x Foil blankets
4x CAS STRAPS (1x restraint, 1x long, 2x short)
1x Roll cling film
4x Burnshield gel dressings (2x 20x20cm, 2x 10x10cm)
1x 500ml NS IV bolus - for irrigation, dressing moistening and burn cooling.
2x Tubes of GlucoGel for hypoglycaemia
4x Calico triangular bandages
Assorted phials and sterets of normal saline and Tisept.
1x Laerdal Stiffneck Select Adult Cervical Collar
2x SAM splints
Not shown but also have a 12x30" multi trauma dressing in the back of the main compartment.

I think that about covers it. I keep changing the bag contents around but I'm quite happy with the layout for now. I would love a STOMP 2 but at the moment I'd have difficulty justifying the price having spent a fair bit on some of the contents, mainly the diagnostics. I'll probably pick up a STOMP end of the year but for now I'm very happy with the Spec Ops bag.

Let me know what you think guys, I welcome constructive criticism

Cheers,

Sam

[TacAir]

Well done.

Do you have a headlamp for hands-free light? Didn't see one listed.

One question, honest curiosity
Are the (or your) Police depts so poor as to force you to pruchase duty items out of pocket? Or is the Ambulance Service is to provide the 'high end' trauma care?

[Riggs]

Thanks

Yes I have hands free light attached to my equipment vest which I will always have on operationally. Also carry an IFAK with a CAT, 4" ETD, flat rolled duct tape and combat gauze on my person whenever on duty.

Well the budget cuts are running deep but to be fair bar the nicer diagnostic kit most of the contents was either issued or procured from the local Ambulance station as we work as co-responders with them so have a really good relationship.

Obviously nearly all stuff will come to the ambulance service at some point as it's their core role and I have but a fraction of the skills of a fully qualified Paramedic but I pro actively look to assist them when I can as they are often stretched pretty thin. It's a lot better for me to say triage a minor injury and drop them to the emergency department than tie up an emergency ambulance when someone else may genuinely need the advanced care they can provide. I can often get on scene in an immediate response vehicle before ambulance or in situations where it is too dangerous to put unprotected ambulance staff such as public disorder where missiles are being thrown, this being the key point of training police medics.

However I'd say police medics are far better equipped to deal with certain major trauma, namely catastrophic bleeding than the ambulance service as tourniquets or haemostatics are not in their protocols, nor do they appear to carry pressure dressings or rolled gauze for packing.

To be honest I go out of pocket for a fair few things as the kit provided by the job is only adequate and I prefer to have items that make me as effective as possible. Just me being a bit elitist I suppose lol

Cheers,

Sam

[Quad-Response]

Nice kit Buddy, seems to have all angles covered

I too use the OPA route to determine if a cas. is faining or really is out for the count - simple but effective

I have to ask as I am sure others are thinking it, do you have:


Only Joking Buddy

On a serious note, things to maybe consider should you get near the Ambulance store cupboard:


A Small bottle of burn gel, handy for spot treating of burns without having to crack open a dressing pack.


Clinell Hand wipes, I see you have gel but if your hands get soiled then these are great for properly cleaning your hands. Also great for a proper freshen up after wearing nitrile gloves for a while. I have only seen them being sold in 8 x 100 packs for around £50.00 but if you want I can send you a hand full to stick in your bag to save you having to buy 100's, I have erm 8 boxes of 100 so can spare some for you if it helps. I use a lot of gel but find these bloody handy to have about too.

Nice kit though, getting a Special Operations bag in the next few weeks so good to see them being used by you guys too.

As I said, joking about the wellness stick (doesn't want pulling over/arresting randomly any time soon haha )

[Riggs]

Thanks mate.

Yeah OPA is the way forward for sorting out the genuine cases from the time wasters that said we have some alcoholics in my area who I have seen tolerate a size 4 OPA though their bodies are so wrecked it's not too surprising.

I do indeed have a wellness stick same as in the picture use the same Arktis medic vest too.

I'll look at picking up some burn gel as like you say most stuff probably isn't worth cracking out a full dressing.

Good shout on the hand wipes, got a fair few wipes stashed away I'll add them to the kit. Thanks for the offer on the wipes mate

Let me know if you want any extra details on the bag or more photos seeing as you are thinking of getting one.

Cheers

[Quad-Response]

Thanks mate.

Yeah OPA is the way forward for sorting out the genuine cases from the time wasters that said we have some alcoholics in my area who I have seen tolerate a size 4 OPA though their bodies are so wrecked it's not too surprising.

I do indeed have a wellness stick same as in the picture use the same Arktis medic vest too.

I'll look at picking up some burn gel as like you say most stuff probably isn't worth cracking out a full dressing.

Good shout on the hand wipes, got a fair few wipes stashed away I'll add them to the kit. Thanks for the offer on the wipes mate

Let me know if you want any extra details on the bag or more photos seeing as you are thinking of getting one.

Cheers

haha Good Sport on the Stick buddy

May take you up on the extra info on the bag too mate, cheapest I have found it at the moment if £154 and pennies. Would like the Stomp II but cannot justify the extra as this could be spent on more kit. Special Operations back it is. Does it come with any extra pouches for Obs stuff etc. I know the Stomp II does but not sure about this one.

Stay Safe Bud

[Riggs]

PM sent mate.