Step 1 of 6 · now
Get out of the kill zone
If you are still being shot at or in danger, drag the person to cover first. The only care under direct threat is a tourniquet on massive limb bleeding. Full assessment waits until you have cover.
1 h to careBuddydelayed
Life threat — do the NOW steps before anything else.
When this applies · do not
- Blood spurting or pooling
- Soaked clothes in seconds
- Missing limb or deep cut on arm or leg
- Person is getting pale, confused, or sleepy from blood loss
Red flags
- Bleeding continues after one tourniquet — apply a second
- Bleeding from groin, armpit, or neck is not a limb bleed — switch protocol
- Person becomes unresponsive — control bleed then open the airway
Do not
- Do not put a tourniquet over a joint (elbow, knee, wrist, ankle).
- Do not loosen a tourniquet once bleeding is stopped unless a medic tells you to.
- Do not waste time looking for a ‘perfect’ spot under fire — high and tight, then move to cover.
- Do not use a narrow string, wire, or shoelace as a tourniquet if you can help it — they cut tissue and often fail.
Reassess every 5–10 minutes. Do not convert or loosen unless a trained medic is doing it.
Field aid tool — not a diagnosis, not a medic, not your unit’s official protocol. When a trained medic or doctor is there, follow them.