Tactical Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) is a critical component of the out-of-hospital response to domestic high-threat incidents such as hostage scenarios, warrant service, active shooter or violent incidents, terrorist attacks, explosive events, and other intentional mass casualty-producing acts. TEMS providers are responsible for the provision of lifesaving interventions to the casualties resulting from operations in a high-threat environment. TEMS is a sub-specialty of emergency medical services (EMS) and necessitates supplementary expertise beyond traditional paramedic knowledge, skills, and abilities.
This course is designed to meet the foundational, regional needs of creating and sustaining direct support medics working with local, Northern Virginia law enforcement special weapons and tactics (SWAT) teams. Course goals and objectives are designed to bridge the gap between existing EMS (or law enforcement) provider knowledge, skills, and abilities with those required to work in special operations and/or an operational capacity. This course is not designed to instruct team specific tactics, weapons handling, and/or other law enforcement tactics, techniques, or procedures (TTP). Any law enforcement TTPs addressed during the course are for familiarity only. Team specific equipment, resources, terminology, operations, and TTPs are to be completed with the participant’s team.
Due to the physical and mental demands required to function as a TEMS provider, academic rigor of the course, and operational security requirements of SWAT, the following prerequisites have been established for the course. Assignments such as Medical Action Planning, Commander’s Briefings, and other medical intelligence gathering are expected to be completed outside of the formal class setting.
Prerequisites
- Approval and selection by home agency and jurisdictional SWAT team with a direct responsibility to provide medical support to the local jurisdiction’s SWAT team.
- Full understanding of the TEMS provider’s role and responsibilities within the team.
- Instructor-level knowledge of TECC for advanced life support (ALS), basic life support (BLS), or law enforcement.
- Holds an emergency medical technician (EMT) or paramedic certification.
- Approval by home agency’s operational medical director (OMD).
- Awareness of and/or exposure to their home agency’s/jurisdiction’s:
- SWAT team structure and operations;
- SWAT team personal protective equipment (PPE); and
- Weapon systems.
- Previous training in:
- Noise discipline;
- Silhouetting;
- Moving with a team (cover, concealment); and
- Basic weapon familiarization.
- Previous awareness of / exposure to:
- Flash bangs;
- Chemical munitions; and
- Armored vehicles.
- Ability to perform physical tasks (i.e., basic physical fitness standards).
- Ability to bring all equipment (e.g., ballistic gear, helmet, ear protection, eye protection, etc.) to the course.
Note: Daily start and end times may vary; day 2 may include a nighttime skills lab.
POC: Julie Gall, Manager of Public Safety Program, Julie.Gall@nvers.org