First Care

Who First Care is and why we carry it

First Care Products Ltd. is the Israeli maker of the pressure bandage the whole world simply calls the Israeli bandage. It was designed by Bernard Bar-Natan, an Israeli army medic who wanted a better way to put pressure on a bleeding wound than a standard field dressing allowed. The bandage with its built-in pressure bar became the gold standard for military personnel, first responders and police alike. In 2011 the US company Persys Medical bought a majority stake in First Care; Persys was acquired by Safeguard Medical in 2021.

Over the 20 years our shop has been running we have supplied several hundred thousand of these bandages.

What we stock from First Care

• FCP-01 – the basic Israeli bandage, 10 × 18 cm with a single absorbent pad. One for every personal kit and IFAK.
• FCP-02 – 15 cm wide with one larger pad, for bigger wounds on the thigh, upper arm or torso.
• FCP-T3 – 10 × 18 cm with two pads for through-and-through wounds: one on the entry, one on the exit. Our best seller of the four.
• FCP-09 – the 30 × 30 cm abdominal bandage for large-area wounds of the abdomen and chest.

Who the Israeli bandage is for

The principle is the same in every size: a sterile pad, an elastic wrap, a pressure bar you pass the wrap through and reverse to put force directly on the wound, and a closure bar that holds it without a knot. It can be applied one-handed, so it works for self-aid when nobody else is around. That is why we recommend it as the foundation of a kit for shooters, hunters, drivers and anyone building their own first-aid pouch. Current stock is dated 2030; use an expired bandage for training and open the live one only on a wound.