High Threat Cover

Active threat incidents are incredibly dynamic and can pose unique challenges that the regular patrol officer might not consider. Aside from tactics, proper equipment, including weapons, plate carriers, and accessories, need to be considered. One of these vital pieces of equipment is the active threat response bag.

What do I need in my bag?

Before we begin with product options, lets discuss what I absolutely need in my bag. As with most things, I believe keeping a response bag simple is the best route. A patrol officer typically isn’t a medic, so medical supplies should be limited to at least 5 tourniquettes (we will discuss the options) and 5 packages of quickclot combat gauze. I also pack North American Rescue Hyfin chest seals as well due to the simplicity of use and how valuable they are for wounds in the abdomen and chest. If you have never trained with a chest seal, they are incredibly easy to learn and can be taught with only minor direction.

The next essential item is loaded magazines for your firearms. 6 AR magazines, as well as several handgun magazines, are the basic loadout. Why so much ammunition? The North Hollywood shootout is enough evidence for me to bring more ammunition than the bad guy.

The medical supplies and ammunition are only the basic necessities to include. Other items that could be included is based upon users needs. For example, if you have asthma or type 1 diabetes bringing those necessary medical supplies can be a lifesaver if you find yourself sitting on a barricaded subject.

What bag do I choose?

With the proliferation of quality nylon bags in recent years, finding the first piece of this essential kit has become easy, and afforable. Most major manufacturers now offer bags for this purpose, or a bag that can be readily requisitioned for that purpose. Below are my personal favorites separated in three categories, best budget option, mid range workhorse, and alternative style.

All images used are from the manufacturers websites with links to the products.

Best Budget Option

LA Police Gear has had a large presence in online law enforcement sales for quite some time now. For several years, they have been heavily expanding into the manufacturing role by offering house brand gear such as bags, boots, packs, duty bags, and clothing. I’ve had several jackets and bags from LAPG and they have all been quality items. The only issue I ever had was a faulty zipper on a jacket, and customer service quickly fixed the issue by shipping a new jacket.

One of their earlier products was the bugout bag which offers a portable storage solution that is more than adequate for this role. The bag is made from a decent 600 denier nylon construction and measures 16″ x 11″ x 6.5″ externally and 15″ x 10.5″ x 6″ internally, and has numerous outer pockets to store just about anything you would need. A shoulder strap is also included (and necessary). Some might scoff at the rather thin and lightweight nylon used to construct the bag, but I have personally owned this bag for over a decade now and I have had zero issues with zippers or nylon integrity. This bag retails for $29.99 to $39.99 and can be found here. They also offer larger option if you desire something girthy.

The Mid-Range Workhorse

5.11 offers a similar option to the LAPG bugout bag but in a sturdier 1050 denier construction and a 9 liter size. Pockets are rather limited and mostly dedicated to magazines but it still offers adequate storage for everything you would need to include in a response bag. I have used this bag as my main response bag for several years and have found it to be more than adequate for its role. The bag comes with a slightly higher price tag of $62 but that is still reasonable enough to eliminate cost as an excuse to not be prepared. More information can be found here.

Alternatives to Shoulder Carried Bags

Man, Esstac offers some of the best nylon on the market, without a doubt. I own and use their plate carrier, magazine bag, .50 cal range bag, handgun and rifle magazine pouches, shooters belts, and probably more products that I’m not remembering. I truly believe in this company and the quality of their products.

If you are looking for a bit more storage and a more secure carry option as opposed to a shoulder slung bag, the Mini Pack from Esstac might be the best option. As the name suggests, the Mini Pack is essentially a small minimalist backpack, that is dedicated to carrying magazines and small supplies. The bag measures 6″ wide x 5.25″ deep x 13.5″ tall, making it smaller than a rear armor plate. The pack itself comes at a much higher price tag, $130, than the other bags listed but sometimes quality is worth the price. For more information and to order, visit the Esstac website here.

Medical Supplies

When purchasing medical supplies, it is always recommended to purchase them from reputable sources. North American Rescue is my first source. They offer the most comprehensive kits such as the Individual Patrol Officer Kit and they are the manufacturer for most field medical supplies. One of the tourniquets I use is manufactured by Tac Med Solutions and will be listed.

The most valuable medical supply you can carry is the tourniquet. An arterial bleed in the arm or leg can lead to death in as quickly as 2-5 minutes but a tourniquet is designed to place pressure on the artery to eliminate the blood loss. A simple and quick tourniquet application can lead to a life saved.

There are many tourniquets on the market and sometimes its hard to differentiate between what is a functional, effective, and valuable tourniquet and what is not. No matter your ultimate choice, always make sure it is recommend by the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care. These have been, quite literally, battle tested. I have been trained in and use only two tourniquets that are on the market, the Tac Med SOF-T and the North American Rescue CAT. Both tourniquets offer similar “manual of arms” and have the same mechanical parts, such as a windlass, windlass clip, and strap with the only major difference is the materials (SOF-T is seatbelt material with no velcro, a different style buckle, and metal parts, while the CAT was the nylon with velcro attachment, and plastic parts). Either are good options that most officers are trained in using (remember you might bring the tourniquets in, but someone else might have to use them).

I always pack at least 5 spare tourniquets in my response bag, but wouldn’t object to carrying more. These are too effective, cheap, and virtually weightless so there is no excuse not to not pack as many as you can. These tourniquets undoubtedly have the best return on investment when it comes to saving lives.

The next medical supplies I pack are NAR Hyfin chest seals and QuickClot combat gauze. The combat gauze is used for packing wounds in junctional areas, i.e. the hips, groin, and shoulders, while the chest seals are used for preventing collapsed lungs due to air entering the chest cavity. All three of these medical items cover the options of what your average patrol officer can treat on the scene of an incident, as well as covers the three main wound areas (limbs, junctional, and thoracic).

Conclusion

Properly loaded response bags are a necessary item in order to be prepared for an active threat. These bags are designed to be loaded up, and left in a cruiser until they are needed. But when they are needed, a proper loadout, as well as effective training, can be valuable in saving precious lives.