Don't spend time searching when seconds count

I've learned that no training goes to waste. In the military it's ingrained into you not just what you need to do, but exactly how you need to do it. You're trained that way, and so is the person next to you. You make your bed the same way as everyone else, you tie your shoes the same way, and when you go out into the field, your kit is packed precisely - there is one right way, and a million wrong ones. You learn to pack your bag the same way each and every time, so you don't have to think about where you put something, you can imagine it in 'it's spot'. 5S principals for workplace organization are based on the same concept.

Working as a paramedic reinforced this mindset, and on a daily basis I saw the importance of a properly stocked and organized medical bag, with working and properly cleaned and maintained equipment. In over ten years of teaching basic first aid, first responder and EMR courses, I have used a lot of medic bags for training purposes, and experienced the best and the worst: Old/new, fully stocked/missing equipment, the best equipment/broken equipment, dirty/clean.

When I started my own company I made a decision not to cut corners, to provide the highest quality of equipment for training, matching the best of what professionals are using in the field, and organizing it in a standard, methodical way. Training for the real world means training with the right equipment, and part of that training is putting time and precision into how you organize your kit so that you're not fumbling during an emergency situation.

So how important is it that a medical bag is organized, complete and with equipment that is in good working order? The result is knowing what you have available, you can trust it, and you know where to find everything you need without having to think about it. It may seem simple, but makes a huge difference when seconds count.