At $5.00 each, they would be far too expensive to use routinely. My thinking is that Brigade Quartermaster has to be getting them from somewhere, and I doubt the manufacturer sells exclusively to Brigade. What I would like to know is if I can get them anywhere cheaper, because they are a very good dressing. The few times I have used them, they have taken care of a bleeder immediately, and then that is one less thing to worry about. They are also much more conveinient than gauze and a combine dressing. If I have a patient who is in serious condition, if it saves time, I'll take it. Also, trau-medics are a lot more compact than gauze and a 5x9, so we could carry more in a trauma bag or on board. Where I run, the first backup squad is at least 15 minutes away, so we try to keep as many supplies on the squad as can conveiniently fit, short of tripping over stuff.
By the way, I agree that if a patient loses 1/2 pint of blood, I think we might want to do something about that. (Although I'd rather have the blood in a dressing than on the floor of the squad.)
Another thing is that FRAASS, the company that made the trau-medic dressings I have and seems to be out of business, also made a dressing called an "Exu-Dry" that I have been looking for. It's intended as a burn dressing, but it is essentially a 20x36 inch trauma dressing, excellent for degloving injuries of extremities, evicerations, or any large breach of the skin. If someone bought out Fraass or if Frass changed names and moved, it's a fair bet to say they might have Exu-Dry dressings, too.