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It ended up saving a man's life.
The five-year department veteran was the first officer on the scene of a single-car crash earlier this month.
As he approached the corner of Summit and Central avenues June 1, he saw a convertible that had slammed into a utility pole.
Drawing closer, he noticed the driver propped up against the pole -- blood squirting from his head.
"The gauze was the first thing I thought of when I saw the amount of blood lost in the car, on the pavement and what was profusely squirting out of the driver's head," said Raneli, 37.
Raneli applied the gauze and made sure the bleeding had stopped before he called for back-up.
The driver was taken to the hospital -- and charged with driving while intoxicated. He survived, thanks to Raneli's quick-thinking and additional training.
The officer said his training advisor in the Bergen County Police Academy convinced him to earn QuikClot Combat Gauze certification.
"He was big on the medical side of [policing]," said Raneli, who was re-certified earlier this year. "I love my job and I love working here, but I'm always looking to better myself
"The gauze is a good tool to have, even for myself."
Capt. Frank Aquila was impressed by Raneli's work.
The officer showed "a lot of initiative and self-motivation," the captain said. "He went above and beyond."
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