At some point in your life, you will be someplace where you simply won’t have dedicated equipment available. In Army Special Forces, there is a PACE mnemonic used in planning: What’s the Primary plan? The Alternate plan? The Contingency plan? The Emergency plan? The Emergency Plan is sometimes referred to as the “Everything went to shit plan.”
If you have a fire in your house, it’s best to use a fire extinguisher to attempt to put it out while waiting for the fire department. However, you’ll settle for a bucket of water if you have to, rather than standing back watching the fire get out of control and potentially burn down your house.
Improvised techniques can save lives. The more you begin to see improvised equipment in your everyday surroundings, the quicker you’ll be able to respond and save a life without dedicated equipment.
The techniques posted here have some evidence and proof of concept to support their use in an emergency when better materials simply aren’t available.
Critics of improvised tourniquets say they are ineffective. Some claim, “if you’re planning to improvise, you’re planning to fail.” We disagree with this statement. Proper planning includes having a primary plan, in this instance a commercially available tourniquet, and an …
Proven commercially available tourniquets are always our first choice. Though many say improvised tourniquets don’t work, 12 students in a recent class all successfully made them work, when using appropriate materials, verified by Doppler ultrasound. The key to a successful …
Although dedicated medical equipment is always preferred, if the only thing that is going to keep someone from dying is a creative solution, you better get creative. Using everyday items, including a Zebra F-701 pen, we complete an improvised surgical …
Kneeling on the casualty’s groin for distal hemorrhage control When I was in the Special Forces Medical Sergeants course a very long time ago, I was taught a stopgap measure…
Never underestimate the power of an improvised litter to make moving casualties easier. This technique works best in residential structures because in many commercial buildings, the carpet is not “wall…
Moving casualties is always hard. Use a tool whenever possible. Even a folding chair makes it easier to carry casualties quickly and over distance. Humans are hard to carry. They do not fit into our hands well like a barbell …