Are You Prepared to Survive and Help Others Live?

Emotions are raw and hearts are heavy.

Another school day in America ended with screams, blood, and gunfire.

Since our paid-off government isn't doing anything about updating our gun laws and I wasn't in the mood to have those kinds of conversations today I decided to focus on a different issue that doesn't get talked about enough.

I wondered aloud if people I knew were prepared to deal with and survive an incident that involved injuries around them.

Doesn't matter if it is a car accident, a natural disaster or an attack. Do you have the skills, equipment, and mindset to help save yourself and those around you until professional help arrives?

In my head, I suspected that the answer from most would be no. In my heart, I hoped that it would spark some to realize that they should know these things and to go out and start making changes.

I firmly believe that everyone reading this should know the basics of first aid and CPR with a first aid kit in your house and in your car.

Go to https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class and you can quickly search for classes in your area. You and your kids should take them.

Want to learn more? Search for "field medicine" or "tactical first aid" classes near you. Many outdoor retailers will also know where to find these classes and some offer them.

Personally, I also carry a mini trauma kit with me almost all the time. In it are the usual band-aids, wipes and other "boo-boo" type of treatments. But, there is also a compression bandage, QuickClot sponge, and tourniquet.

Want to just buy a kit and have everything at once? My buddies at ITS offer a variety of options. The one shown here is what I keep in my car.

The key is that I know how to use all of these products in addition to having them with me. Surviving and helping others is more about having the proper mindset and knowledge than anything else.

My kids have called me paranoid more than once, but I prefer to believe I'm just being prepared.

We talk openly about what to do in a variety of stressful situations in the hopes that if they ever have to go through it that they'll know what to do and remember those conversations.

I know there are a million things to worry about every minute of the day, but knowing how to help and save others is worth the time.

I'm glad I asked this question earlier today because it has sparked a lot of conversations with friends asking for more information and thanking me for lighting a fire under them. That outweighs any of the other frustrations that came from me asking a simple question.

I'm here to help whenever possible. That is always my motivation even if others don't realize it.

Stay safe out there.