One of the best and most satisfying trends in the tactical/self-defense/firearms training community is the move to understand the importance of medical care.

While carrying a firearm and training it its use is important, the fact is that for non-professionals who follow noted trainer John Farnham’s (modified) dictum of “don’t go to stupid places at stupid time and do stupid things with stupid people”, the fact remains that the chance of having to use one to defend your life is pretty small. On the other hand, it is fairly likely that we will all either face an emergency medical situation to ourselves or to someone we know and being able to handle that situation deserves the same effort and thought that we put into working our defensive handgun or hand-to-hand fighting skills.

Fortunately, there is a surge in courses that teach “dirt medicine” and dealing with traumatic injuries, and a concurrent rise in the carry of specific gear. For the most part, the piece of equipment most often seen is some kind of functional tourniquet. For those who dive a bit deeper, you will sometimes see a pressure bandage, chest seal, or some sort of blood clotting agent. All terrific trends and it makes us all a bit safer.

There is one thing however that is sadly underplayed along these lines. That too often overlooked topic is CPR (and the related aspect of running an AED machine). I am not so sure why these things are rarely, if ever, mentioned, but I suspect part of the reason is that there is no way to virtue signal that you know how to do CPR the way you can show by carrying a TQ that you are “in the club”.

The sad part is that we are far more likely to need CPR or an AED machine that a tourniquet. That is not arguable in any way. The numbers – most likely cause of death in the US – prove it. I think we need to prioritize CPR and AED by reframing how we think of them. They are to the heart and lungs what a TQ is to bleeding. Like the TQ, CPR or even an AED machine is not the cure, or the final fix, but it may keep someone alive long enough for the higher level of medical professionals to come into play.

If you know how to run a tourniquet or a pressure bandage, but can’t do CPR, or operate an AED, please rectify that. Now. Ac