SAN ANTONIO – Law enforcement officers from across the state met at the Holiday Inn River Walk on Wednesday for a medical training session.
The nonprofit Hope Shield Foundation sponsored the training session for members of the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas, or CLEAT.
The session was offered as part of the 38th-annual CLEAT Convention, which takes place in the Alamo City through Nov. 8.
This training session teaches officers what to do if someone suffers a traumatic injury, such as a gunshot wound or a stab wound
"This is life-saving information that will help the officer be able to stay alive, survive on the street and perhaps save someone else's life as well," said Charley Wilkison, CLEAT's executive director.
"What we're really looking at is getting that care within the first 10 minutes of a traumatic injury," said Officer Richard Smith, San Antonio police's tactical medical coordinator.
Every officer who took part in the training took home a traumatic injury medical kit, to be used in case of an emergency situation.
It's a perk that's extremely valuable for smaller police departments.
"Some of these departments don't have the funds to provide these kinds of kits, so it's beneficial every way you look at it," said San Marcos police Officer Danny Arredondo.
The training course was optional but counts as credit towards state-mandated ongoing education hours.
It also gives officers an edge.
"In today's world, you just never know when a traffic stop is going to go sour, when a domestic disturbance -- which is something we respond to for a majority of our calls -- you don't know when that's going to turn sour, you don't know when a person that's compliant is going to turn on you, so this type of training is critical to officers in our line of work," said San Antonio police Officer Ervey Banda.