In every mission encountered by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad (EOD), there’s a possibility something could go wrong resulting in serious, potentially life-threatening injuries. With the help of Spencer Bottomley, a deputy at the department, the team upgraded their medical gear to better respond to these types of emergencies. Spencer was able to provide insight into the best gear for an EOD and ultimately, the team decided to add four new custom TacMed™ R-AID® Kits and place them in multiple vehicles. Now, these easily accessible kits enable team members to provide life-saving treatment until medics can access a safe scene.
The TacMed™ R-AID® Kit is packed full of life saving gear to treat multiple casualties. For the department, the kits were customized from their original packing list to include the specific medical gear needed for their missions, such as the Phantom® Litter to quickly and easily move casualties to a secure location.
After the kits were acquired, Spencer led a training course for the entire EOD team on the kits’ components and how to stage components inside the kits for rapid use during an emergency. In addition to the EOD team improving their tactical medical capabilities, each deputy at the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office is issued a tourniquet after completing first aid training. Typically, a deputy will carry the tourniquet on their duty belt or pocket for easy access during an emergency. “I carry a SOF® Tourniquet in my cargo pocket on duty every shift,” said Spencer. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office continues to demonstrate how deputy and community safety is a top priority with each new initiative. Thanks to Spencer and the rest of the department, the bomb squad is better prepared than ever to handle life-threatening injuries on the job.
