Cat bleed course and AFA course teaching

Have to admit, that was how I read my own comment after typing it!

On a serious note, really positive step imv, but I don’t know if the medmod is the best vehicle if that’s the idea.

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Except the course doesn’t teach about packing, as that’s not in the medmod 69. As I’ve said before, it’s not really about stopping any cat bleed, it’s about being able to use what’s in the kit so you can run a range.

In its current form it’s not really suitable, or arguably useful, for cadets.

But a change to the syllabus that approached it from a regular first aid point of view would be good.

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The course I did we were taught how to use Celox gauze on penetrating wounds, blast injuries and traumatic amputations. Also, taught the use of chest seals.

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That was all removed from the course pretty quickly, as none of that equipment is in the medmod69, and the course was just about being able to use the TQ and trauma dressings. We basically didn’t cover any non-limb injury, other than put some pressure on it.

The public access trauma kits have lots of things you will not find in a normal HSE FA kit or the medmod69. They are designed for preventing catastrophic blood loss and not general FA and CPR.

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I’ve covered that (outside cadets). Useful to know, some of the videos on the course weren’t easy viewing.

Yep! This is why I really think the organisation should start teaching ‘proper’ catastrophic bleeding within first aid training. It would also then negate the need for a separate cat-bleeds course for the medmod69.

But they follow the St Johns stuff AFAIK, so it would be that that needs to change.

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Sound like an eminently sensible idea, so it will never happen

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yes totally agree with you.

anyone know if the hq first aid lead wing co uses this app at all?

The corp cat bleed training is awful… thankfully I got an exemption given by day job. But I had to go straight to the Corps FA officer to get it granted as our Regional FA Officer was refusing.

I carry my own cat bleed kit when shooting/fieldcraft etc and I’ll be using it regardless of what HQAC say.

First Aid and Medical in the Organisation is a joke - We’ve had an SO1 Med and National MSO for over 2 years now with no improvements or change, the national roll out of MSO’s hasn’t went anywhere and all the policies that were supposed to come out of it are non existent.

Although - the only useful thing I’ve seen come out of it is a Med Plan for a corps event saying we can give OTC meds to cadets now

I tried for ages to apply for an MSO position in my region and kept getting told wasn’t been advertised and delayed and nothing ever came of the position. As there are so many simple things wrong with the current training. likes of needing an educational qualification to teach silver is bad idea for a start and has hindered so many cadets from achieving this due to lack of trainers.

I always saw it as potentially far more useful in an AT environment. The chance of a cat bleed from sharp rock when climbing outdoors or mountain biking is higher than on a range. And you’ll likely be in an area with less immediate support.

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I always have a TQ in my firsg aid kit, I’m trained in its use and I’m not leaving it behind just because HQAC are years behind.

This was always my stance. I asked on the cat bleeds course if I could/should carry one when out and about in the hills. Was told absolutely not, this course is just for the medmod69. Madness.

This was actually discussed at length on VoV a while back. And from memory, the HQ FA officer said that carrying a TQ outside a range environment is actually fine if you’ve done the training. Just that they wouldn’t be scaled for use outside that environment.

I believe that this is a SJA stipulation. Less of an issue not that HQAC are offering L3 in Teaching and Education with the first course this half term at the command and leadership school.

MSOs and teaching FA are different parts off the org and a different group. Teaching is tied to SJA and their syllabus. While MSOs looks after FA provision on our larger activates and never the twain shall meet.

I have heard that a former wing FA officer made an ambulance technician do AFA as she in her words called him a glorified ambulance driver.

We need to modernise our FA provision and get it externally assured. We need to offer FAaW for silver and our staff who need an extended FA qual for their activities and Cadets with FAaW are more employable. Cat bleed needs to be proper cat bleed course that would be useful for more than just range work. Needs to cover things like a knife attack, traumatic amputation and mass terrorist attacks with bombs or vehicles.

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… as part of the FAAW course, not as extra hours.