Tactical Medic Courses

[Doczilla]

Try the following for some more reviews and resources:

www.swatmedics.org

www.lightfighter.net

www.tacticalforums.com

When going to the above forums, particularly the last two, I would read much and post very little. These guys have definitely "been there, done that" and do not suffer fools lightly.

'zilla

[Field Medic]

Hello every one, I just joined the chat room and it came to this subject when I logged in. I agree with the first writer, there are a lot of wannabee hard people out there. They have the time and the money to attend these expensive courses to put it on a resume, so they can talk trash and sound "cool"! They have never seen or been on the business end of a weapon in the hands of some one committed to it's use; let alone look through the sites of one and return fire. I am currently working as a medic on a government project. I retired from the Army 3yr ago. My MOS was 91B and they told me I was a 91W (due to being a paramedic) when I got out. I served in jump units, medic in SOF units and as flight medic (Medevac/MAST Mission, supporting El-Paso, TX and the surrounding communities) as the only flight service. Here's my question, How to get back into harm way and practice tactical para-medicine?

[chbare]

Field Medic, welcome to the city from a former 91B/91W. As a civilian you could look and see if the local PD or SO had tactical medic positions open. If you are still in the El Paso area, you could look at Las Cruces SO. You could also look at DOE in Albuquerque.

Take care,

chbare.

[MissingLink]

It's all about -- gasp -- tactics! Imagine that! So, you end up with a guy who knows how to suit up and integrate with a tactical unit, but he is really no more medically qualified than the next guy. And when it comes down to it, that's really as it should be. Every street medic should be competent and knowledgeable in the same care. There is nothing special about it.

I just joined the forum as well. I'm an 18D currently in OEF and looking into medical options for my return stateside. Dustdevil, you mention that these tactical courses focus on tactics, do you mean law enforcement tactics or tactical ways to give care? I'd like to hear from guys who are prior military who have taken a tactical EMS course, how did the tactics compare to what you were taught in the military? Obviously tactics will differ for use in the civilian world (ie. it may not be a good idea to kill everyone with a gun when clearing a room back home).

BTW Dustdevil, I saw your pic of that mini-gun, man those things are freaking awsome! Got to see one in action from the ground, there is no morale boost like seeing your exfil bird silence all incoming rounds with a ten second burst. The bad guys had no idea what hit them. Good luck over there.

[chbare]

MissingLink, welcome to the city. These courses focus on law enforcement. The medical tactics are very similar to what the new CLS courses teach. Courses such as CONTOMS give you a taste of how to operate on a tactical unit. Lots of info on intelligence gathering and preparing the medical threat assessment. I guess this would be similar to an area study or the medical annex of an OPORDER tailored to the LE environment. Other schools such as Gunsite Tac Med, focus on shooting and personal weapon manipulation with some basic medical tactics thrown in. I do not think you could compare any of these courses to any of the 18 series MOS training. (I never held an 18 series MOS, so I really do not know, just a hypothesis.)

Take care,

chbare.

[MissingLink]

Thanks for the response. That's good that those courses are similar to the new CLS course. That course is a major step forward for the Army, basically an adaptation of Tactical Combat Casualty Care that all of SOCOM has gotten for a while. Now if we could just get the National Registry to recognize our SOCOM Paramedic cert!

[Dustdevil]

NR does recognise the current SOCOM paramedic cert. I assume you went through before they integrated with NR curriculum. If you are certified in any state, you can challenge NR for national certification. That's what most Texans have done, as the state only recently went with NR. You can have NR carry you under your particular state, or your branch of service. It gets sticky there though. Air Force is not recognised by NR as an ALS provider. Only the Army is, since the SOCOM school is considered Army by NR. Consequently, my cert is carried by the Army, which raises eyebrows with the paper pushers at Fort Sam who are still wondering who I am.

But yeah... the Cypress Creek and HK tac medic courses are almost exclusively about civilian law enforcement SWAT tactics and integrating with a team. They teach you very little-to-nothing about medicine. Medical knowledge and proficiency is assumed. The courses are seriously over-hyped for medics and almost completely useless to most who complete it, as they never become part of an assault team.

If you're looking for real tactical med positions, Blackwater (Iraq) or DynCorp (Afghanistan) are the only two real choices right now, I believe. Other government contractors are doing mostly clinical stuff, although it is still in the combat zone. If you have any questions about those or want some contacts, PM me.

[Field Medic]

Hey thanks for the information, especially about some of these courses. I have inquired about team position for a medic with PD and the SO dept. They use the county EMS sitting in a truck a few blocks back. Their idea of a team medic and what I used to do are worlds apart. I enjoy having the the ability to call a Doc. now, but I do not like having to with hold treatment that I would normally give; simply because some one didn't put it in the protocols. This really sucks the big one! In the system here every one uses the same protocols in the surrounding 5 counties. They are basically load and go with some limited ALS and go faster. From speaking with most of the younger medic, the majority really don't know what's wrong with the patients, they just follow the protocols (like robots). I am looking to get into a job with some more autonomy, I know my limits as a medic and when to shout for help, but this is no thinking involved.

[GBCFire192]

ok.... So i am in Paramedic School, (to graduate in oct) and am a TCLEOSE Peace Officer.... So which Tactical Medic School are we recommending? That is my ultimate goal to become a medic for a Tac Team. Does the state recognize "Tactical Medic" or does National Registry?

[chbare]

GBCFire192, that depends on what your team commander or command requires. I would say get a little experience as a street medic before specializing in tactical medicine. National registry does not recognize the various forms of tactical medic certification. If you obtain CE's that are CECBEMS approved, the education can count toward State or NREMT reregistration. Some tac med courses may require NREMT or state EMT credentials however. If you want to learn to shoot and manipulate your weapon, (tac loads, NSR's, emergency reloads, controlled pairs, presentation, mind set, basic tactics, hammers, basic movement, and other drills) Gunsite tactical medicine or a similar school may be helpful. (very expensive) If you want more intelligence, planning, and a general overview of tactical medicine, I recommend CONTOMS. CONTOMS requires affiliation with some kind of team and NREMT credentials and slots are at a premium. I would still recommend solid street medic experience. This is where you will learn how to be a medic. Then, you can worry about learning to be a tactical medic. Just my opinion however. Welcome to the city.

Take care,

chbare.