Question for you TACMED's

[Hollywood]

I find that lots of my work is not raids and stack support but also higher risk situations with regular police such as domestics. What sort of training do you have for K9 support? I find that they are the ones from the team least planned for. Our team medics do a monthly rotation a veterinary hospital to keep sharp on there skills. Like most operations we plan for only trauma, but even in a major centre most medics have no idea how to treat a police dog so we will continue treatment on route in a regular ambulance with a special K9 kit we keep in the PRU. Thoughts?

[Aeromedic]

I don't usually have a lot to do with K9 teams. As for gear, all the standard ALS kit rides in a bag in my rapid-response truck. I am in a strange situation, because I do a lot of Rural Tac-Medicine. We don't always have an ALS unit available to respond, so I can take over when needed. Touch wood, I've never had a major trauma on a call, we haven't had any major incidents, however, little things are common. I get a lot of guys with sprains, strains, splinters, minor lacerations, the occasional broken nose from a door gone wrong. Worst I've treated was a broken foot from a ram being dropped on the instep of the lead. My narcotics are on my belt, however on my back I only have the absolute life saving basics, because if there is lead flying, I want to spend as little time as humanly possible in there. The last thing I want to do is try to get a line while somebody's trying to shoot me.

[swatmedic511]

.40 cal, Quick-clot, and nerves. The rest of my toys stay in the truck

[AnthonyM83]

Matt202, I have two bags that I use to support our state QRF team. If I make entry with the team, I will throw my support bag down at the door or drop it at a pre determined casualty collection point. During care under fire I only carry a small range bag, (about the size of a dump bag) the only medication I carry in it is an adult Epi pen if I have team mates with documented allergies. The rest of the supplies are BLS materials.

Do feel there's a need for needle decompression on the spot or is that something that takes a bit to develop anyway so it really wouldn't be needed immediately?

[FormerEMSLT297]

I too bring bags to a CCP at the front door, or somewhere else nearby. I carry a basic BLS pack to stop bleeding and compress wounds.

If we are entering an OMD, then I bring all the stuff up to the floor below where we are operating and stage it there, get the injured to a safe location and then start working on him/her. A gunfight is no place for ALS interventions.