If you were excited about being able bring your small pocket knife on your next flight, you may want to sit down. Many of you know that the Transportation Security Administration recently made an announcement saying they would allow certain small knives aboard commercial flights starting April 25th, 2013.

That decisions is currently on hold indefinitely. 

This news came just a few days before the new rule would have gone into effect. The TSA made the following statement on their website:

“In order to accommodate further input from the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC), which includes representatives from the aviation community, passenger advocates, law enforcement experts, and other stakeholders, TSA will temporarily delay implementation of changes to the Prohibited Items List, originally scheduled to go into effect April 25. This timing will enable TSA to incorporate the ASAC’s feedback about the changes to the Prohibited Items List and continue workforce training.”

John S. Pistole, the T.S.A. administrator, has stated, “A small pocketknife is simply not going to result in the catastrophic failure of an aircraft.” [CNN]

Many groups have been calling for the repeal of this new rule stating that allowing small knives on planes will cause longer security lines and increase potential hazards for everyone.

The TSA replied: “This is part of an overall Risk-Based Security approach, which allows Transportation Security Officers to better focus their efforts on finding higher threat items such as explosives.” [ABC]

Arizona Representative Matt Salmon just wrote a Dear Colleague letter that puts things nicely:

[Click here to download the original PDF]

Fight For Your Knife Rights

Write your Representative and Senators in support of the TSA’s allowance of knives on planes and let’s keep up the pressure to make this a reality!

• Find and contact your Representative here: house.gov
• Find and contact your Senators here: senate.gov
• Become a member of the American Knife & Tool Institute
• Join Knife Rights and become informed

Starting today, you’ll have a chance to bid and win one of a kind items and experiences, all while supporting America’s Silent Professionals through an online auction.

The auction will last from May 1st to May 15th and the goal is to raise $100,000 for Special Operations charities such as The Green Beret Foundation, Lead the Way Foundation, The Station Foundation, Team 5, Gold Star Memories and the Tommy V Foundation.

The items up for grabs range from awesome to extremely rare. Here’s just a few:

• Barrett M82 .50 caliber rifle
• Swiper Small Unmanned Aircraft System
• 5-day SPECOPS Adventure Experience in Jordan
• Emerson knife carried during bin Laden raid

The Silent Professional Auction was created by Combat Flip Flops, The Macalan Group and Intelligent Waves as a way to show support to SOF members and their families all while providing you an opportunity to donate to worthwhile charities that offer aid to these groups. 100% of the proceeds will go to the SOF charities listed.

“Recently, I was reminded that ‘abundance’ is a constant circle of giving and receiving. This country and industry are blessed with abundance because of those that have given so much for us. The Silent Professional Auction is our opportunity as an industry to give back – it’s their turn to receive.”

- Matthew Griffin, CEO, Combat Flip Flops

There will also be an additional fundraising event held at SOFIC (Special Operations Forces Industry Conference) in Tampa on on May 15th at the Bad Monkey from 8pm – 12am. The entry fee is $100 but that fee is tax deductible and grants you access to the top shelf open bar as well as the chance to win raffle items that are not listed in the online auction. For details, contact Kym Goddu at xo@silentprofessional.org.

Here’s your opportunity to own some amazing gear and take part in life changing events, all while supporting the good guys.

Click here for the 2013 Silent Professional Auction

This article pulls at my heart strings and it’s one I’m proud to be writing today. Our local Fort Worth Police Department has recently instituted a Tactical Lifesaver Program based on TCCC protocols and has even started issuing personal trauma kits to all their officers who have gone through the training.

In the four years I’ve been running ITS Tactical, I’ve talked to countless members of our local Police departments who have told me time and time again that they’re issued nothing when it comes to medical supplies and are solely dependent on EMS to save them in a life threatening situation.

While I’ve given out countless ITS ETA Trauma Kits to those I know in the line of duty that have nothing that they don’t purchase on their own, there’s only so much I can do outside of continuing to spread the word about the importance of having life saving equipment available when you need it. Whether that’s in the line of duty or as a civilian taking the bus to work.

Here’s a couple of great videos from the Fort Worth Police Department about a HALO Chest Seal saving a life, as well as a video just released today about an officer shot in the line of duty that was able to self apply a Tourniquet to stabilize himself before EMS arrived on scene.

Something those that aren’t familiar with EMS protocols should know, is that most EMS won’t even enter a scene until the shooting has stopped and deemed clear and safe.

How long does it take to bleed out? Compare that to the average EMS response time and you’ll see why it’s so important to have life saving equipment at the ready. For those of you that carry a gun on a daily basis, you know how to take a life, but do you know how to save one? It just might be your own that you’re saving.

A heartfelt thank you for Tony Coltrin pointing today’s FWPD incident out to me, stay safe brother!

It has been a tragic week in America, first with the bombings in Boston on Monday, April 15th and now with the massive explosion in Texas. Many fortunate people are able to carry on with life as normally as possible, but for others directly affected by these disasters our help is needed.

Earlier this week we shared information from various sources on how you can help the city of Boston and the victims of the marathon bombings. We wanted to follow up and provide information on how you can help the people of West, Texas as they try to cope and move forward after the horrific fertilizer plant explosion on Wednesday, April 17th.

As you probably already know, the small town of West, Texas has been devastated by a chemical explosion occurring after a fire at a the West Fertilizer Plant this past Wednesday evening. First responders and fire fighters were on the scene when the blast occurred that destroyed a heavily populated part of town that included a near by school, homes, an apartment complex, a nursing home and other structures. The USGS measured the blast as strong enough to be classified as a 2.1 magnitude earthquake.

Search and rescue efforts are on going as 35 -40 people are still unaccounted for. Numerous fatalities have been confirmed, including Dallas Fire-Rescue Captain Kenny Harris and several other West firefighters and first responders who were helping with efforts to contain the fire. The city of West is reported as being secure, according to Waco Police Department Sergeant William Swanton, as “plenty of law enforcement is stationed around the town” and “no fire is out of control.”

A determination has not been made yet as to what started the fire that caused the explosion, but an investigation is currently underway.

The American Red Cross arrived in West within hours of the tragedy and is helping with shelter, food, water and blood donation efforts. To help the Red Cross and other relief organizations here is what we can do to help:

• Governor Rick Perry’s office has provided links with helpful information on where to find help locating family members or provide local donations
• Donate Blood through Carter BloodCare. Locations can be found around the country where you can donate. If you’re in the Dallas/Fort Worth area tomorrow (Saturday, April 20th) join Lone Star Medics for their Meet and Bleed event in Mansfield for lunch at 11:00 a.m. at Texas Roadhouse Texas Roadhouse (940 N. Hwy 287, Mansfield, TX 76063) then blood donations from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. at a nearby Carter BloodCare facility (920 US Hwy 287 N. Mansfield, TX 76063). Lone Star Medics will provide a free LSM patch to anyone participating in the blood drive, as well as a 15% discount on any course that LSM offers. ITS will also be there and have some swag available to everyone as well.
• Collect/donate items for West, Texas residents such as toiletries, diapers, baby formula, clothes, hydrogen peroxide, gauze, rubbing alcohol, dog food, cat food, air mattresses, etc. and check Fox News DFW on Facebook for up-to-date drop off locations
• Donate money to the American Red Cross and/or Salvation Army
• Share links and contact information for donation/collection efforts in your community

Relief efforts will be ongoing as West recovers from this massive disaster. Keep West, Texas and all those who are helping this small Texas town to cope in your thoughts and prayers.

There are numerous reports of explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. We aren’t speculating on what is going on but our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected.

If you are in Boston, keep an eye on each other and stay safe. Here’s what you can do to help:

• Looking for a runner? Use this form: 2013 Boston Marathon Live Race Coverage
• If you’re trying to call someone in Boston, phone lines are jammed. SMS, Twitter, and Facebook might work better. [Lifehacker]
• Reconnect with loved ones in Boston on Red Cross Safe and Well
• Donate blood at the Boston American Red Cross
  • 274 Tremont Street • Boston, MA 02116
  • Red Cross is reporting that there is enough blood currently on hand. It also may still be unsafe to be in public. Stay home if possible.
• If you have extra blankets and live near the Boston Common, there are a LOT of cold runners being corralled there. [@ajsfour]
• If you’re a business in Boston, now would be a good time to unlock your Wi-Fi to help people connect with concerned family and friends. [@strngwys]
• If any family members of victims need help w/ airfare or more, email me directly and @hope will cover it. shaun@hopemob.org & 678.641.5016 [@ShaunKing]
• Live radio stream: 90.9 WBUR NPR
• Live news updates on The Verge
• Hotlines:
  • For families of victims: 617-635-4500
  • For tips: 1-800-494-TIPS
• Google Person Finder: Boston Marathon Explosions
• How to Get in Touch With Loved Ones During a Disaster [WIRED]
  • Update your voicemail message
  • Use smartphone apps such as GroupMe, Twitter, or Facebook Messenger
• Somerville residents have spare beds for runners, contact via Twitter [Somerville Journal] (also check this Google form)

Photo credit Dan Lampariello

]]> http://www.itstactical.com/centcom/news/breaking-news-explosions-reported-at-boston-marathon/feed/ 5 http://www.itstactical.com/centcom/news/magpul-making-plans-to-leave-colorado-after-governor-signs-hb-1224/ http://www.itstactical.com/centcom/news/magpul-making-plans-to-leave-colorado-after-governor-signs-hb-1224/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:58:27 +0000 The ITS Crew http://www.itstactical.com/?p=13359

Earlier today, the Governor of Colorado signed three gun bills into law and Magpul is standing firm on their decision to move out of the state.

If embedded video does not display, view this post on a desktop browser or visit ABC7 News.

House Bill 1224

• Bans possession, sale, or transfer of magazines over 15 round capacity.
• [PDF]

House Bill 1228

• Law abiding firearm purchasers will pay a background check fee.
• [PDF]

House Bill 1229

• Requires background checks on all firearm transactions.
• [PDF]

While these bills are slated to go into effect on July 1, two ballot measures have been proposed in an attempt to undo these restrictions.

Magpul also reaffirms that the Boulder Airlift program will continue to operate as planned. If you aren’t familiar, they’re working to provide standard capacity magazines to responsible Colorado residents who wish to own them before HB1224 goes into effect.

If you’re a resident of Colorado and wish to jump in line to order your PMAGs, visit Magpul.com for more information.

For those outside of Colorado, don’t feel left out:

Customers in the rest of the country should rest assured that the airlift only takes a small portion of our production, and magazines and other products are continuing to ship to the rest of the nation. Our transition to a new home will occur in a phased and orderly a manner to allow us to continue to serve our customers during the move, as well as to allow an orderly transition for affected employees. We are actively working on those plans.

- Magpul 

The final verdict is yet to be written but Magpul does consider themselves to be in “occupied territory.” There also is no official word on exactly when Magpul will leave Colorado or where they will go, but they did share their statement on Monday through a Facebook post:

…we will have no choice but to leave [Colorado] if the Governor signs this into law. We will start our transition out of the state almost immediately, and we will prioritize moving magazine manufacturing operations first. We expect the first PMAGs to be made outside CO within 30 days of the signing, with the rest to follow in phases.

As most of you know, ITS Tactical is proudly based in Texas and according to the Denver Post, Texas Governor Rick Perry sent a letter to Magpul saying that no other state “fits the definition of business-friendly like Texas.” We wish the best for Magpul in their transition out of Colorado and stand with them in their decision. We’ll also be here to welcome them to Texas with open arms if they choose to take Governor Perry up on his proposal.

Colorado is being used as a testing ground for national gun legislation and we continue to urge you to contact your local representatives and make yourself heard!