SEIS Guidance

03/03/2026

We had the privilege of being interviewed for the GayPHX podcast, and the episode went live this week! Please support them and check out their station!

We’re cooking up something fresh, fierce, and full of Phoenix pride. The GayPHX Podcast is here — bringing you bold conversations, local legends, community highlights, and all the q***r culture that makes our desert shine.

01/15/2026

Only two days left to register for the first Trauma First Aid class of 2026, on January 18th!

While everyone who owns or carries fi****ms should be trained in how to stop critical bleeding, these skills are also crucial for situations where you, your loved ones, or community members may need life saving treatment in those moments before EMS arrives.

Register at: https://seisguidance.corsizio.com/event/690cb7458ff18fc37860d88d

11/20/2025

Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, when we pay our respects to trans folk who lost their lives to violence or su***de, brought on by bigotry, mistreatment, and isolation.

This last year in the US, 27 trans folk lost their lives to violence, and 21 to su***de. Of those 27, 17 were women of color. Worldwide, the number of deaths is 366+ (sources in comments)

As long as this continues, our mission remains clear - train to keep ourselves and our communities alive and safe, and strive to support one another as best we can through connection and mutual support.

11/19/2025

This is a wonderful article by Tacticool Girlfriend and Jordan Levine of A Better Way 2A. It very much reflects the whole motivation behind why SEIS Guidance was founded, and reflects MANY of our attitudes about firearm ownership and education.

One day in the fall of 2024, I was forced to reckon with how I, and many of my peers, understand gun ownership in the United States. In a class discussion about police shootings, the professor challenged us to put ourselves in the shoes of a police officer responding to a call and asked two question

11/17/2025

This is what we want to support within our community, and is one of the primary reasons we founded SEIS Guidance.

LGBTQ+ people, people of color, and liberals are embracing their Second Amendment rights.

11/10/2025

What color tourniquet to choose?

In one of my classes, a student asked me what the difference was between a training tourniquet and a regular one. At the time, I said that it was that it was the quality of materials, but that's not an entirely complete, nor correct answer.

While the tourniquets that I use for classroom training do have a different feel, and are distinctly marked "for training only," that's not necessarily what dedicates them as training devices. The real answer to the question is, "a tourniquet intended for emergency use is one that you do not practice with." You should never, ever practice with a tourniquet, and then stash it back into your kit for possible emergency use. This will degrade the materials over time, possibly leaving you with a tool that won't perform its primary task when needed - to save someone's life.

I'm going to say right now that whatever tourniquet you decide to put into your kit, make sure it is of high quality. This is not a component where you want to choose the least expensive option. Stick to reputable brands - North American Rescue, TacMed Solutions, or SAM Medical, to name a few. Of those, you will generally see three different colors - black, orange, and blue. Yes, you might occasionally see other colors, but it will mostly be those three.

So do the colors mean anything? Black will be your standard and most commonly used color, orange is for when you want higher visibility, and blue is intended to be an indicator of a training device. To be clear, the different colors are constructed the same, and are of the same quality. But you should avoid purchasing blue for your kit, and unless it's coming straight from being unwrapped, using a blue tourniquet should be your last choice, since there is no way to tell how many times it's been used before, and its integrity could be compromised. That's why the tourniquets that I use in my class, even though they're orange and not blue, are clearly marked as training devices.

The bottom line is, if you want a tourniquet to practice with, get a blue one, and use it often. Take the tourniquet you intend for emergency use, prepare it for rapid deployment, and keep it stored in the kit until it's needed.

11/10/2025

I'm pleased to announce that we are now a registered 501(c)(3) organization!

We will now be able to make even better strides toward education and empowerment of folks to keep themselves, and our communities even more safe.

10/27/2025

During a discussion about whether to build your own kit, or purchase a pre-packaged one, the subject of "which pouch to choose" came up. I thought I'd post a quick message about that.

While my go-to for a small IFAK (containing the very basics - tourniquet, pressure bandage, hemostatic gauze, vented chest seal, shears, and gloves) is still the Vanquest FATPack 4x6, there are a couple of runners-up for a slightly larger bag that allows for a few other items.

I won't write out the full comparison here, but my first choice goes to the Primary Arms PA First Aid Pouch. It comes in red or black (camo is currently sold out), and you can find it here: https://www.primaryarms.com/search?keywords=first%20aid%20pouch

The second choice is the Gonex MOLLE Medical Pouch. It's almost identical, but doesn't have quite as much pocket space, so you could end up with floating items depending on how much you pack in there. The upside is that it also comes in a magnificent purple color. It can be found here: https://a.co/d/j2PeZDR

For great starter contents, you can simply purchase the Stop the Bleed Intermediate Kit (without the pouch), which is currently on sale here: https://stopthebleed.com/stop-the-bleed-kit-intermediate/

If you want to step it up a notch (and why wouldn't you, since you've got plenty of room in that PA pouch), you should add in a SAM splint, Charter Tactical Kaolin Hemostatic Gauze, and a pressure bandage of choice (Rhino is a good middle ground to go with). I will note that the Stop the Bleed kit does come with a trauma bandage, but it is not a "pressure" bandage, so the Rhino is a good inclusion.

There is no "perfect" kit, or at least not one that has all of the items I'd want to include. It all comes down to which ones you feel you need the most. But do not overlook the importance of a good pouch. You want good accessibility, and securely contained contents (no one needs a big mess in the middle of an emergency) A nice added feature is the tear off Velcro attachments that both of the above models have.

10/15/2025

Join the SEIS Guidance community newsletter and stay connected with upcoming classes, free resources, and inclusive safety training designed for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies. Together, we’re building safer spaces — one skill at a time.

https://seisguidance.org/join-our-community