In a world that’s always moving, where every moment counts, the knowledge of basic first aid is more than a skill—it’s a societal necessity. Here’s why every American, regardless of age or profession, should be equipped with basic first aid knowledge.

1. Emergencies Don’t Discriminate

Emergencies can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Whether it’s a minor cut from kitchen utensils or a more serious situation like a heart attack, being prepared can make a significant difference in the outcome. Basic first aid knowledge enables individuals to respond effectively to a wide range of situations, potentially saving lives.

2. Bridging the Gap Before Professional Help Arrives

In many emergencies, the first few minutes are critical. Basic first aid knowledge can help bridge the crucial gap between the occurrence of an accident and the arrival of emergency medical services (EMS). Simple actions, such as applying direct pressure to a bleeding wound or performing CPR, can significantly impact the victim’s survival and recovery.

As a 29-year veteran of law enforcement I have been exposed to the best and worst that life has to offer. Most of my career I worked special assignments that were team based. As a canine handler, task force officer and over 16-years in SWAT taught me teamwork on a variety of fronts. As crucial as the teamwork is, what is just as important is the supervision aka “leadership”.

The principles of leadership are timeless, but as most things in law enforcement, often it is the way we apply the tool that gets us in trouble. I can say with great certainty that things were vastly different in the early 90’s when I started, compared to now. The way we do the job in every regard has evolved significantly. The military style, hard-nosed approach works less and less in current times. The more trips around the sun I make, and the closer retirement draws near, the more I see the need to educate those coming in behind me. Yes, I am saying you must teach people how to lead. It is not an insurmountable task, but it requires investing time in and by people. A wise man taught me “People won’t care what you know, until they know that you care”. This truth has enormous power to achieve success.

I should begin by offering a fault of my own, I did not grasp how much caring about and for my people encompassed my sergeant role. When I got promoted one of my mentors called me to congratulate me. He told me, “Kid, take care of your people”. But he did not tell me what that looked like. Looking back, a little more information would have helped me navigate some conflicts and some heavy problems I encountered. The two instances that will always be with me are when one of my officers was shot and his canine was killed. The second was when one of my officers came to me telling he was just diagnosed with cancer. Had I let my old school upbringing dictate my response to these two incidents, I could have damaged them greatly. But instead, I led with my heart. My compassion and understanding helped us all get through those trying times. These two encounters helped me to understand what caring for my people really meant.

A second key point is a leader should see that once they are gone, they are leaving organization, the unit and most importantly the people in a place to take their role. Your job is to develop the next generation to fill your shoes. My motto is to ‘Always leave it better than you found it’. Once you are gone, should you cross paths with these folks, you want to know you have a seat at their table. You do not want to be the one they hide from. 

As a leader you will be tested by individuals and by the universe. Your people will come to you for guidance personally and professionally. You might be the only person in their life they can come to. That is an enormous responsibility that should be taken seriously because they are putting their lives in your hands, literally at times. You must be well-versed in the job and in life’s journey. You must be a warehouse of information so you can provide them a safe course of action. Here is a pro tip, even if you do not have the right way of doing something but you can give them ten different ways not to do it, that is success. That is humility at its finest. 

In the last couple of years, there has been a surge of Americans getting into shooting sports and taking tactical training courses. Since 2020, our company has doubled the courses we run annually and have added several new ones. 

Our new course, Mountain Ops, has shown growing interest. Three weeks after we posted it, we had five students sign up and the course was six months away. So why do you think that is? 

Is it the mountainous scenery, the escape from city life or the intense workout mountain terrain can provide? It’s these things and so much more.  Mountain training benefits shooters who normally train on flat ranges and those looking for a new workout. 

The health benefits of mountain training include all of the good elements you receive from training on a flat range — stress relief, elevated heart rate, multiple engagements— but it also has its own set of perks you may not be aware of. 

Flat range training can be relatively predictable. For the most part, your path to a target is clear and free of obstacles. If you choose to sprint to a target, you can just lower your center of gravity and just run. The benefits of mountain trails are you have less predictable nature of unpaved terrain.