Training Officers to Respond to Medical Emergencies
Since the earliest days at Team One Network’s, we have been training officers to respond to medical emergencies. In one way or another, we cover medical emergencies during every course. Recently, the media and academics have called upon law enforcement to demonstrate their commitment to the “sanctity of life.” We find this call to action to be not only offensive to police officers, but downright wrong to assume it hasn’t been there all along.
At Team One Network We Train to Win! Part of doing that is ensuring our students are prepared for the inevitability of encountering a medical emergency.
Here a just a few examples of how we do this…
In tactical training courses…
In our tactical training courses, we stress that scene security is the priority before any sort of casualty care can be attempted. During scenarios where force has been used the trainee becomes responsible for medical treatment until properly relieved (in training by an instructor – on the street by fellow officers or EMS). We train, Follow Through Steps which include securing the subject, making appropriate radio calls, and rending first aid.
In our courses, we expect that officers have basic knowledge of First Aid. We train at least a small element of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3) in most of our courses. Upon completion of one our tactical training courses students are refreshed on basic first aid procedures such as; placing tourniquets, emergency bandages, managing airways, or applying a chest seal.
We encourage every student who attends our training to wear their ballistic vest. But during a high threat situation where the officer needs to don Level III armor or a go-bag we add that element to the scenario. To add realism students must don their body armor and retrieve response bags before they can move forward in a scenario. This helps the student understand and practice under realistic times when simulating a response to an emergency.
Team One has a full supply of Point Blank® plate carriers and Vertx® EDC response bags.
Shoot House Instructor course…
During a shoot house instructor course we spend a lot of time shooting at mannequins. We never use live role-players in our live-fire shoot house course but follow through procedures are still trained. Whether the mannequin is shot, knocked down or “complies” the officer is required to place it in custody. This includes; searching, cuffing, and rendering first aid. We do not allow students to simulate that they have this equipment, they must have it a remove it from where they are carrying it. This level of training allows the student to ensure the placement of their equipment is in the most effective location and to develop muscle memory they can recall during a real-world incident.
Each participant in this course is provided a checklist that includes; did the officer notify a supervisor of shots fired, need EMS and all personnel accounted for and uninjured.
Live Fire Range Programs…
During our live fire and range programs, we conduct downed officer rescue drills. Officers must get in position to rescue the downed officer under live fire conditions. As mentioned before, we train TC3 which occurs in three phases. During an “officer down drill,” students experience conditions of all three phases.
Phases of TC3
- Care-under-fire
- Tactical field care
- Tactical evacuation care
Instructor Development…
Where most of our courses are instructor level training we also offer medical training as part of our instructor development. Training medical emergencies range from cuts, bumps, and twists to serious injuries such as gunshot wounds and spinal injuries during falls. Our instructor level courses include a module on managing injured students.
Simulation Instructor Development…
Our programs rely heavily on skill development through effective simulation design. We offer several courses dedicated to instructor development regarding simulations. An example of this might be…
A student instructor develops a scenario using RedMan® Training gear and marking cartridges (such as simunitions®). The instructor can then put students through a variety of scenarios that require the use of integrated skills sets. Scenarios are developed to test verbal skills, active countermeasures, firearms, decision making, escalating and deescalating, effective radio communication, handling medical emergencies and report writing.
Valuing human life is not new to law enforcement…
So, while the media and other interested groups have attempted to call out police for failing to value the sanctity of life, we at Team One Network can attest to more than 13-years of commitment to saving lives, even the bad-guys… We know we are not alone in this effort. We have trained thousands of outstanding men and women who show up to training prepared to learn but already committed not to taking lives but saving them.