Simple piece of medical gear saving lives in Philly

Philadelphia police are now equipped with a simple piece of medical equipment that is saving lives. 

The department decided last year to issue basic tourniquets as a way of stablilizing gunshot victims.

The goal, said Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, is to transport shooting victims to hospitals in the back of police cars when medic units aren’t on the scene quickly enough.

“We have excellent trauma centers here, excellent trauma centers,” Ramsey said. “If you can get them there with a heartbeat, they stand a chance of saving them. So our goal is to get them there while they are still alive. That’s just reality.”

The commissioner, who called the practice “scoop and run,” said it’s been successful many times in the past year.