Medical Security International, LLC

Let me tell you a bit about Medical Security International, LLC,  the business I started with my partner Chris.  About 2 years ago I thinking about starting a training and gear company focused on the integration of emergency medicine and security principles and tactics. My background as an ER doc, flight doc and SWAT doc had convinced me of the benefits of combining these concepts and bringing them out of the military and special operations world to the general public.   I figured I would start by creating a training program and gear website to make it easier for people to access both.

On several different occasions, near perfect strangers would mention a guy named Chris, a former Navy SEAL medic and physician assistant.  In each case they told me I should tell him about my idea.  The funny thing was that none of them actually knew Chris or had his contact info.  At first I was skeptical and figured I didn't need a partner since it was just an idea.  Finally, one day I was speaking with a friend when she mentioned a phone call she had received.  She said a guy she grew up with had called her out of the blue to ask about some random thing.  She mentioned that the guy had taught a class at her gym a few years ago.  I asked "what kind of class?"  She said it was "The Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge" and the guy's name was Chris.  I paused, and quietly asked her if she had his contact info.  She did.  

Shortly after that I called him. I was quite unsure he would even take the call.  He did.  I shared how I was led to him and told him the idea.  He was in.  In fact he had just finished talking with his buddy from the army about doing something along these lines.

So, what is the point of Medical Security International?  In essence, we take the best in emergency medicine, tactical medicine, and combat medicine,  and integrate the most effective security practices to create "medical security".   The joke is "what do get when you cross an ER doc with a Navy SEAL?  Medical Security".    Simply put, if you are in a medical role we teach you security methods you can integrate into your medical practice to preserve your ability to provide care no matter what happens around you.  And if you are in a security or law enforcement role, we train you to provide the latest in tactics and care under fire, to max out your chance of surviving a deadly force encounter.

Here are a few values Chris and I share which we have built into MSI.

1.  We believe people on the front lines deserve the best training and the best protective equipment. We will advocate for those in harm's way whether they are medical folks, cops or soldiers. We will be sharing quite a bit of detailed information about major issues affecting our front line protectors.  Both Chris and I understand the consequences of traumatic brain injury.  We also know the benefits of protective equipment.  We will share quite a bit of information about the best in protective equipment. We train all of our students to use the best tactics and rely on medicine in case injury occurs.

2.  We want to provide for the reintegration of soldiers returning to civilian life.  The culture of our company and the nature of the work we do provides a natural step down from the intensity of military service while still allowing the returning soldier to do familiar things and share their experience in a healthy manner.  We believe they possess the mindset and experience our communities need to respond to a changing world.

3.  There have been significant advancements in life saving technology related to trauma in recent years.  We know that a few simple actions taken in the first 30 seconds after a severe injury can dramatically improve a person's survival.  The U.S. military pushes the latest in life saving medical care out to the front lines (where injury occurs) while civilian healthcare keeps the advanced stuff locked away in hospitals and ambulances.   These advancements often take a decade to reach civilian healthcare practice.    This is unacceptable to us.  We train first responders in the latest hemorrhage control and evacuation techniques.   We promote aggressive hemorrhage control and rapid evacuation to advanced care.  We promote the use of tourniquets in severe hemorrhage from arms and legs and hemostatic dressings and pressure for severe external hemorrhage from the rest of the body.   We even have a course that demonstrates how advanced critical care (vasopressors, ventilator therapy, complex care) can be delivered in an austere environment when necessary.

4.  Current american first aid training is focused on the diseases of a first world western culture in peacetime. Unfortunately, our nation is at war both abroad and on our streets.  The violence encountered on a daily basis in our schools, public places and homes requires a new strategy if we are to save lives.  Our products and training equip and empower people of all ages to be protectors in a time of crisis.   In addition to knowing CPR, AED use and the heimlich maneuver, everyone should be able to stop major external bleeding.  Interestingly enough, the technology needed to stop major hemorrhage has been available over the counter for nearly 5 years yet most hospitals and doctors don't know about it and most don't use it.  We aim to fix that.

5.  We believe the best security is provided by PEOPLE trained to pay attention to specific indicators of threat.  Instead of blindly relying on technology or profiling people using assumptions of guilt based on race or attire; our techniques focus on common indicators and behaviors that ALL human beings display when they are trying to hide something or getting ready to cause harm.   Our training incorporates the latest techniques in reading people's behavior, not their profile.  In most cases our training serves to develop the latent skills that most people possess simply because they are human beings with the instincts to survive.

6.  We adhere to the age old principle of Keep It Simple.  In times of severe stress or chaos, all people revert to their lowest level of training. The natural stress response creates a specific set of capabilities and precludes certain complex tasks.  We train people to recognize their own stress response and then work within it to modulate their arousal and perform the tasks they need to succeed.

 That's enough out of me for now.

upcoming discussions will include TBI, helmet technology, body armor, warrior mindset, hemostatics, tourniquets and probably a bunch of other stuff.

Thanks.  This blogging thing is fun......