| By the nature of their job, medical personnel working in operational
environments frequently encounter military weapons.
Some personnel are issued
weapons and need to be proficient with them, to protect themselves and their
patients. Others encounter weapons while providing care to patients. The safe
handling of these weapons is important.
Recognition of common explosives is also important:
- Consider a wounded Marine
brought to your medical facility.
- In his right BDU pocket is a block of grey
putty-like material.
- In his left BDU pocket are three metal canisters, each the
size of a half cigarette, and each extruding two thin wires.
Many medical providers will not realize that these materials are
dangerous. Even those who recognize these objects will often over-estimate the
danger of the C-4 explosive (very stable unless detonated by an explosion) and
underestimate the danger of the detonators. (very unstable and may explode if
dropped, sat on, hit with a hammer, or taken apart to see what is inside) |
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