I work for one of America's 25 largest cities.  Within the past year, a few patrol officers have been issued CATs.  I am not aware of any of them being used.  However, we have had numerous (5-10) uses of privately purchased and improvised uses of tourniquets going back to at least 2009.This includes an amputation of a leg when an electrical tower fell on a car and officers being shot.  

We had a sergeant shot in the leg during a raid, and a fire fighter applied a CAT to him, then pulled him to cover, which was exhausting.  However, either he didn't tighten it, or the windlass came out of the little u shaped part because he didn't secure it with the white Velcro strap.  The sergeant was bleeding pretty heavily from the leg wound when I got there, so I asked for a second TQ.  While they were digging one out, I double checked the original TQ, found it wasn't tight, and cranked down on it, stopping the bleeding.  The sergeant later told me that the TQ hurt worse than the original wound.  I have heard that's common.

Just completed DHS's 3 day Tactical Medical course.  Focused on mass bleeding, hemostatic products, pneumothorax (open/closed)/sucking chest wounds, and nasopharyneal airway/tube applications.  As is said ad nauseam, know how to use what you carry.  We carried (until last week) CAT's.  Yesterday I ordered 60 Soft T/Y's to add to their kits.  I still believe that the CAT is fast and can be self applied quickly to upper limbs, however during practicals we were having a bitch of a time getting them on victim's legs who were unconscious or unresponsive.  The T/Y's can be disconnected and re-attached (IMHO) around a leg quicker in these situations.


Also found out that the CAT's we are currently carrying are not the new gen 7's so they are not as long as the new ones.  On that note, to anyone who has practiced with them or utilized them CAT's can and do break.  We broke 3-4 in class.  They say the new ones are much more robust.


 

ETA:  We have TEMT Instructors in our area who teach to any agency interested.  Our kits are designed to treat the individual carrying it, secondary would be someone else.  My city's FD's medical control reviewed our kit and instruction for liability reasons.

Our current medical issues trainer is an EMT
The last guy who has since retired was an AEMT

I don't recall any training we received on any of the items in our blowout kit.

That's just asking for trouble in the long run.
Issued gear with no training?

I've been trained in the use of tourniquets and Quik-Clot, but I don't think most of us have.  I'm pushing for more advanced training on several topics, medical being one of them.

This has not been our experience with the version of the course I teach for DoD. How many times had those CATs been used and reused? We only see failures on very rare occasion in our oldest and most beat up tourniquets. We do multiple real world scenario based excercises  in a dynamic high stress environment. I have had thousands of them applied properly and under stress with almost no failures.

I hope you don't mean the quick clot powder. They stopped selling that for a reason. Make sure all you guys have in circulation are the impregnated gauges/ bandages.

CATs are supposed to be a one time use thing; the plastic windlass' do break if used over and over again.

My agency issues them and had our tac team medics (firemen asigned as medics) teach a 4 hr block on applying them and on improvised chest seals.

We have tourniquet training 2 times a yr now.

Originally we had CATs now we are issued new tourniquets which have aluminum windlasses. (Can't remember the name, something like SOF tactical tourniquets)
During training we assess the injured apply dressing and tourniquets, call in back up and drag the injured to cover and then to a vehicle. We've broken a few plastic windlasses during this more realistic training.

This is after engaging supects with sims. Excellent training and a good time.

as someone who walks a little on both sides of the street, (T3C) instructor etc, but lives life mostly in the first responder/EMS/Trauma world. I can absolutely say that the FF who managed to not only very very quickly locate the site of this bleed which was the result of one of numerous AK rounds to a female deputy, while the incident was still technically wrapping up and she came to a stop in her vehicle and went LOC outside the FD is proof that this FF is an absolute-fucking-stud. Not only to locate that wound in the clusterfuck of what used to be her femur, but on top of doing everything else to try to save her, to actually have the presence of mind to realize that he actually could apply a TQ that high on the thigh with good effect instead of just taking one look down and saying fuck it and moving on to whatever was next is the sign of damn good Medic.




 

Yeah we had a mix of both types in country while I was there and still prefer the SOFs because of that issue

 
Broke 4 total.  2 were worn out.  Instructor replaced them with 2 new ones (not Gen7) fresh out of packaging.  Broke them during scenarios when Adrenalin kicked in.


 

ETA:  After the class, I added Soft T Tourniquets to my blow out kit, my MCI bag and have a couple thrown in my go bag along with my CAT's.  During instruction/course, found that they were easier to apply to legs of uncooperative/unconscious victims.  Everything is pre-loaded the way I want them.


Took the course outline to our FD's medical control.  He was more than happy to sign off on it.  Just submitted a line item for em gear and updated training for our guys.  We will most likely supplement our in-house training and have the FLETC guys come in and do their one day version for our road guys.

Is anyone carrying them on your duty belt? If so what are you using? Our agency issued them but gave no method of carry. Some guys stuff them in a pocket and many leave them in the car. I'm a detective and don't wear a duty belt so it rides on my tac vest. I have been working with some of our road guys and designed a carrier out of kydex for the belt and vest depending on what attachment is used. Just curious as to what others use and if the carrier is issued as well?

http://www.1110gear.com/tourniquet-cases/

 
When in a suit, mine ride in a blow out kit we keep in all of our cars.  Same kit, same place every car.  

I carry a CAT tourniquet in an Eleven 10 rigid kydex case on my duty belt.

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