An eye surgeon and former Navy SEAL who helped transform battlefield medicine is on the front line of a national push to save the lives of civilians targeted in mass shootings and terror attacks.

Frank Butler, 67, of Pensacola was the command surgeon for U.S. special operations when American forces entered Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Because of his work, all American soldiers deployed in war zones today carry tourniquets as part of their standard-issue equipment — a move credited with saving hundreds of lives.

Firefighters are considering wearing body armor after one of their own was shot on a call this week.

Fire Lt. Paul Lutton, 46, was shot in the calf while he and other crew members were leaving the scene of a house fire. Police have yet to identify or find the suspect. A bullet also grazed the turnout coat of firefighter Dwayne Montgomery, but he was not injured.

Union officials are now looking into purchasing body armor.

There are two clocks running from the moment an active shooter begins; the shooter’s clock and the victim’s clock. One clock is concerned with living; one clock is concerned with dying. The shooter has to shoot as many people as possible before he’s stopped. The victim (casualty) has a period of time, depending on their trauma, where they can still be treated and live. The idea behind rescue task forces is to start working on the victim’s clock.

Active shooter and violent incidents require quick responses from law enforcement officers to end the threat. The increased frequency of active shooters or violent attacks by organized groups and the rise of lone wolf attacks have placed increased violent crime response and physiological stressors onto police officers.1 These violent attacks and chaotic scenes often result in multiple critically injured persons and mass casualties.