# Tactical Medic Course



## synergy911 (Sep 28, 2010)

If anyone is interested we have some openings in our upcoming tactical medics course.

October 25-26-27

In the Franklin Ma. area



for course description check out

www.synergy911.us


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## JJR512 (Sep 28, 2010)

I see in the prereqs you've listed the student must be certified at EMT-B or above. I've always thought that Tactical Medics were Para_medics_. But this is open to EMT-Bs? Can an EMT at the -B level really get something useful out of this class?


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## jjesusfreak01 (Sep 28, 2010)

Hey why not? They are just trying to fill extra slots, and it appears the class is primarily about the tactical aspects. A few things might be over an EMTs head, but I imagine one could still benefit from it.


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## Shishkabob (Sep 28, 2010)

Most tactical medic schools I've seen don't require you to be a Paramedic.


Granted in real life you wont be able to do any of the ALS procedures, but a lot of what TEMS courses teach is how to operate in a hostile environment working with police, not how to start an IV and intubate.


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## Boston.Tacmedic (Nov 22, 2010)

The only tactical medic schools are airforce PJ, 68w army with a combat unit, 18d medic navy corpsman. Sherriff or police paramedic with training from T1G or my favorite Contoms. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but with out extensive training and combat experience you will never be a tactical medic. Best training you can have is become a LEO or ENLIST. I have 2 full-time jobs operations paramedic and training. A 3 day class is a ripoff especially for a basic emt. How will a basic handle an injured combatant who was with a 25m blast radius has full and partial thickness burns over 60% of his body. You need fluid PN management (oh my baby how I love my fentanyl) are you gonna use a et tube and if so will doing the intubation compromise your position and disrupt light discipline ?  A 3 day course is a rip off your money can be spent much better elsewhere my friend. Just my .02


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## JJR512 (Nov 22, 2010)

Boston.Tacmedic said:


> The only tactical medic schools are airforce PJ, 68w army with a combat unit, 18d medic navy corpsman. Sherriff or police paramedic with training from T1G or my favorite Contoms. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but with out extensive training and combat experience you will never be a tactical medic. Best training you can have is become a LEO or ENLIST. I have 2 full-time jobs operations paramedic and training. A 3 day class is a ripoff especially for a basic emt. How will a basic handle an injured combatant who was with a 25m blast radius has full and partial thickness burns over 60% of his body. You need fluid PN management (oh my baby how I love my fentanyl) are you gonna use a et tube and if so will doing the intubation compromise your position and disrupt light discipline ?  A 3 day course is a rip off your money can be spent much better elsewhere my friend. Just my .02



You're talking about _combat_ medics not _tactical_ medics. One doesn't need to have combat experience to be a tactical medic any more than one needs to have combat experience to be a SWAT team member. Remember, SWAT stands for Special Weapons and _Tactics_. Tactical medics are medics with SWAT teams (typically). Thus the name.

I would agree that an EMT-P would get a lot more out of a tactical medic course, and be more effective afterwards, than an EMT-B.


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## Boston.Tacmedic (Nov 22, 2010)

So one is "Tactical" after 3 day Class wow has the government and my current employer spent and wasted allot of money for nothing. Sheesh I spent 5 days last week learning better use of my off hand for shooting and reloading my primary and secondary. Listen think what you want goto your local PD tell them you took a 3 day class and you are now "tactical" I am sure a team who is all prior service and all current law enforcement will say "grab some kit and a locker and welcome to the team". Focus on becoming an EMT who is very knowledgable, then take a strong paramedic course. After that look applying for a police agency who has a Swat team (hate that term) or an SRT unit like mine. The paramedic will be a huge asset. Currently usbp will hire emt and you will work after promotion in rank as an agent/EMT. Or like in my prior post enlist. If you want to dream take a class, if you want to walk the PM. 

A quiet professional, and low drag medic ;-)


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## JJR512 (Nov 22, 2010)

Boston.Tacmedic said:


> So one is "Tactical" after 3 day Class wow has the government and my current employer spent and wasted allot of money for nothing. Sheesh I spent 5 days last week learning better use of my off hand for shooting and reloading my primary and secondary. Listen think what you want goto your local PD tell them you took a 3 day class and you are now "tactical" I am sure a team who is all prior service and all current law enforcement will say "grab some kit and a locker and welcome to the team". Focus on becoming an EMT who is very knowledgable, then take a strong paramedic course. After that look applying for a police agency who has a Swat team (hate that term) or an SRT unit like mine. The paramedic will be a huge asset. Currently usbp will hire emt and you will work after promotion in rank as an agent/EMT. Or like in my prior post enlist. If you want to dream take a class, if you want to walk the PM.
> 
> A quiet professional, and low drag medic ;-)



Not all tactical medics are SWAT team members. Not all tactical medics are law enforcement officers. Some jurisdictions have tactical medics that hang back and only enter if they're needed for medical support. These tactical medics need additional training that goes beyond regular EMS training because there are a lot of specific hazards and concerns in tactical situations (that is, situations in which a SWAT team is needed) that most paramedics aren't taught how to deal with, certainly not to the depth that a tactical medic dealing with that kind of stuff on a regular basis needs to know about.

Obviously, if a tactical medic is also a LEO and is part of a SWAT team and is part of an entry team, then yes, of course that person needs a heck of a lot more training than just the 3-day course.


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## Afflixion (Nov 25, 2010)

In a lot of parts of the country SWAT is an antiquated term, just for your information. What He is trying to say is that a 3 day EMT-T course is not going to get you hired especially as a basic (you have a .5% chance of getting hired as a Tactical Basic.) TEMS is a whole subsection of EMS, you can barely scratch the top of TC3 or Tactical Combat Casualty Care in 3 days even, there is quite a bit more to it than Point of Wounding, Casualty Collection Point, and Medevac...


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## Akulahawk (Nov 26, 2010)

I'll say this much from the outset: I'm not a "Tactical Medic". That being said, I do know that there's a LOT more to being a Tactical Medic than can be taught in 3 days. Part of that reason is there are several different ways that the Tactical Medic can function and how the specific team in question wants their medic to function.

It takes a LOT of education to be an athletic trainer... it's a LOT more than just taping stuff. Same with Tactical Medicine...


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## EMT11KDL (Nov 26, 2010)

Akulahawk said:


> I'll say this much from the outset: I'm not a "Tactical Medic". That being said, I do know that there's a LOT more to being a Tactical Medic than can be taught in 3 days. Part of that reason is there are several different ways that the Tactical Medic can function and how the specific team in question wants their medic to function.
> 
> It takes a LOT of education to be an athletic trainer... it's a LOT more than just taping stuff. Same with Tactical Medicine...



I love the Athletic Trainer comment!!!!!!


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## Akulahawk (Nov 26, 2010)

EMT11KDL said:


> I love the Athletic Trainer comment!!!!!!


Been there, done that for 7 years. I even have the polo shirt... but it takes a LONG time to learn what an ATC does. Taking a "Care & Prevention" class is but a semester. Becoming an ATC requires a Bachelor's Degree, minimum.

Tactical Medicine won't take as long to learn, but it's something that can't be taught _well_ in 3 days.


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## EMT11KDL (Nov 26, 2010)

Akulahawk said:


> Been there, done that for 7 years. I even have the polo shirt... but it takes a LONG time to learn what an ATC does. Taking a "Care & Prevention" class is but a semester. Becoming an ATC requires a Bachelor's Degree, minimum.
> 
> Tactical Medicine won't take as long to learn, but it's something that can't be taught _well_ in 3 days.



yeah, I know what you mean.. I have two years left in my ATC.  If I go back and finish it. haha..


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## JJR512 (Nov 26, 2010)

Afflixion said:


> In a lot of parts of the country SWAT is an antiquated term, just for your information. What He is trying to say is that a 3 day EMT-T course is not going to get you hired especially as a basic (you have a .5% chance of getting hired as a Tactical Basic.) TEMS is a whole subsection of EMS, you can barely scratch the top of TC3 or Tactical Combat Casualty Care in 3 days even, there is quite a bit more to it than Point of Wounding, Casualty Collection Point, and Medevac...



Uh...I'm not trying to get hired anywhere, well not as a tactical medic anyway. I'm sure there's a lot more training involved than just this class. I'm not really going to think about it as an EMT-B anyway. My only point was that the opening statement of Post #5 was just flat out arrogantly wrong, that's all. There are lots of real tactical medics who were never in the military at all.


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## ERMedic (Nov 26, 2010)

I have taken two 3 day courses on Tactical EMS, both while I was a basic but since I was in medic school at the time I got to practice ALS techniques. I have to agree 100% with Boston TacMedic. These courses were just cool classes and I gained some pretty sweet knowledge and tricks, of course I will never get to use them though as I don't operate in a tactical environment. There is no way a basic or a medic can learn what is need in 3 days and be able to operate on a tactical team. It takes many months of individual and most importantly team training, not to mention years of experience! I would not dare to call myself a tactical medic even after taking 2(but free)tactical medic classes!


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## Afflixion (Nov 26, 2010)

JJR512 said:


> Uh...I'm not trying to get hired anywhere, well not as a tactical medic anyway. I'm sure there's a lot more training involved than just this class. I'm not really going to think about it as an EMT-B anyway. My only point was that the opening statement of Post #5 was just flat out arrogantly wrong, that's all. There are lots of real tactical medics who were never in the military at all.



I didn't mean to call you out, I was just stating what he said only in a slightly more polite way, yes I know quite a few tacmedics who were never in the military, and when I did TEMS I was not a part of the SRT myself, though I did enter with them and did carry a weapon.


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