EPISODE 85
Bright Lights and Cold Steel
An Introduction to Tactical Combat Casualty Care and Pre Hospital Trauma Medicine
Learning about emergency medical care is more complicated than knowing how to slap on a tourniquet and a chest seal. Understanding the importance of getting your patient to a trauma center (“Bright lights and cold steel”) is a good first step in establishing priorities of work when minutes and seconds matter to a person who is seriously wounded. This episode is a starting point to help steer your training and treatment philosophy for trauma medicine. Listen now to learn more.
Links:
Like what we’re doing? Head over to Patreon and give us a buck for each new episode. You can also make a one-time contribution at GoFundMe.
Intro music credit Bensound.com
CLICK BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE NOW ON YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! PLEASE GO CHECK THEM OUT
Recent Episodes
Guardians and Warriors: What type of Cop are you?
Let’s talk through common policing archetypes—Guardian, Warrior, Enforcer, Crime Fighter, Cynic, Power Seeker, and Pragmatist—not as fixed identities, but as adaptive responses to situational demands. The central argument is simple but challenging: effective policing requires the ability to shift modes deliberately. Leaders must know when to assert force, when to prioritize consent, and when to lean on others to stay grounded. This episode is a call for self-awareness, professional maturity, and dynamic leadership—not slogans, costumes, or rigid identities.
Don’t stand in front of cars! And other Pet Peeves
Mike talks about tensions such as balancing officer safety with legal justification, the false tradeoff between sound tactics and the pursuit of a “perfect” plan, and how communication quirks can undermine clarity under stress. The discussion also covers practical issues in arresting and searching people, along with how over-technical language or “sounding like a nerd” can erode rapport, credibility, and command presence in the field.