Via Art Dorst, 20+ Security Professional from New Jersey.
“LaSorsa & Associates Individual Protective Agent’s Kit (IPAK) Review
I recently assisted Joe LaSorsa in teaching his 7 Day Executive Protection Agents course. The course is broken down into three components: Three days of Executive Protection, one day of CPR/AED, First Aid and trauma medical response basics, and three days of security driver training. I had seen his posts about the IPAK on line but had not had the chance to see one in person.
During the course I had the chance to check one out and see how it fit into the trauma medical portion of the class. My medical background includes 19 years as a NJ Certified EMT. Combat Life Saver Course graduate (Back in the 90’s when it was developed.), and almost 15 years as an American Red Cross Emergency Medical Responder Instructor. Back when I was in the National Guard an IFAK consisted of one battle dressing as opposed to today’s much more advanced IFAKs carried by military personnel. As a police officer we usually didn’t carry anything more than band aids unless you were a member of the EMT Unit (that is where I became and EMT). I recall watching the North Hollywood Bank robbery shoot out and seeing the LAPD officer wounded and trapped behind vehicles with no medical gear. That was an “oh shit” moment and at my next Guard drill I got a few extra battle dressings and kept them with me. That was considered high speed back then.
Back to the IPAK . There are many good IFAKs out there on the market but for those of us work low profile executive protection and security jobs they are too big and obvious for most clients liking for us to be carrying around on our person. The IPAK bridges that gap between a full blown IFAK and a band aid in your pocket. It fits into a Smart phone case and doesn’t attract any attention to itself.
The contents include the following (List taken from the LaSorsa & Associates website.):
Kit Contents:
1 x Covert Case with Belt Clip
1 x Nitrile Exam Gloves (1 pr. Latex Free)
1 x SWAT-T® (Stretch, Wrap and Tuck Tourniquet)
1 x QuikClot® Clotting Sponge
1 x Gauze Pad 5″x9″
2 x Antiseptic Wipes
Dimensions:
Packaged Size: 5.5″ L x 2″ W x 3″ H
Weight: 6 oz
With the recent terrorist attacks and active shooter incidents one thing that is clear is that emergency medical services (EMS) are going to be delayed getting to the victims due to the nature of the incidents. In most areas EMS will not enter the hot zone until it has be declared secure by law enforcement depending on the size and scope of the incident this could be hours. Therefore it will fall upon the victims and or their security providers to start lifesaving actions as soon as possible. That is where the IPAK comes into play the main ingredient in the kit is the SWAT-T tourniquet. It can be used as a tourniquet for extremity wounds or as a compression bandage on other wounds. I‘m not going to go into the how’s to do this, as opposed to saying that you can (Seek training for a full understanding.). When using the SWAT–T in conjunction with the other items you have a kit that will buy you or a victim time that would not be available without them. This is not the end all be all of kits but what it does is provide the basics to buy time in a critical situation when carrying a larger kit is not an option. This is a great option for anyone looking for a low profile trauma medical option that requires minimal training.”
Art Dorst, EMT,
Security Professional