Advice for career in tactical EMS

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Lazer

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I originally wanted to pursue a career in the fire service, began studying EMS and loved it, now I want the medic patch and I'm interested in tactical EMS. If someone with some insight on the subject could point me in the right direction training and certification-wise, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
 
There have been lots of threads on this.

I would consult Luno for specific advice, but I can tell you there are not many spots, many applicants, and nobody is going to hire a person who doesn't have lots of experience.

You can also expect peak physical condition as a requirement.

In the meanwhile, you may want to get a job in a busy trauma center. You will get much more experience and education than you will in EMS.
 
NAEMT-ET National Assostion of Emergency Medical Technicians-Expatriate Trained. You can be the medical director and I will be the program director. We will charge $900 for the 2-3 day course than $300 for the test we make.
Lets just make it online though, F5 CECBEMS approved. It will also allow us to charge an extra technology fee on top of everything even though its easier and less work for us
 
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schulz said:
NAEMT-ET National Assostion of Emergency Medical Technicians-Expatriate Trained. You can be the medical director and I will be the program director. We will charge $900 for the 2-3 day course than $300 for the test we make.
Lets just make it online though, F5 CECBEMS approved. It will also allow us to charge an extra technology fee on top of everything even though its easier and less work for us
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Excellent. I like it.

But instead of "Expatriate-Trained" let's call it something like "Basic International Life Support" That way we can make an "Advanced International Life Support," and an "Advanced International Life Support Experienced Provider" class too and really cash in.
 
Veneficus said:
There have been lots of threads on this.

I would consult Luno for specific advice, but I can tell you there are not many spots, many applicants, and nobody is going to hire a person who doesn't have lots of experience.

You can also expect peak physical condition as a requirement.

In the meanwhile, you may want to get a job in a busy trauma center. You will get much more experience and education than you will in EMS.
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I've read all of the threads with related tags and I didn't find anything specific about training and certification other than that TCCC certs are good to have and I figured there could be more. I sent Luno a private message and never received a reply.

I don't expect to be hired by the swat team right out of EMT-B but I do expect to become a good candidate over the next ten years or so (I'm 25) which doesn't seem completely impractical as long as I spend that time doing something that prepares me for that line of work. So you say a trauma center ay? I currently volunteer in two EDs twice a week, what kind of position should I look for in a trauma center?

Thanks for the replies folks, much appreciated.
 
Lazer said:
I've read all of the threads with related tags and I didn't find anything specific about training and certification other than that TCCC certs are good to have and I figured there could be more. I sent Luno a private message and never received a reply.

I don't expect to be hired by the swat team right out of EMT-B but I do expect to become a good candidate over the next ten years or so (I'm 25) which doesn't seem completely impractical as long as I spend that time doing something that prepares me for that line of work. So you say a trauma center ay? I currently volunteer in two EDs twice a week, what kind of position should I look for in a trauma center?

Thanks for the replies folks, much appreciated.
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You should get you medic as soon as possible and then look into getting a tech job in a trauma center so you can put your hands on patients.

Generally they are teaching facilities so there will be an overall environment of fostering education that will be of benefit. Plus you will see many more sick patients than you would working in EMS. In addition to knowledge, it will also enhance many of your skills.
 
Veneficus said:
You should get you medic as soon as possible and then look into getting a tech job in a trauma center so you can put your hands on patients.

Generally they are teaching facilities so there will be an overall environment of fostering education that will be of benefit. Plus you will see many more sick patients than you would working in EMS. In addition to knowledge, it will also enhance many of your skills.
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I don't know if I agree with this, I think putting his time in a busy 911 ALS system, and getting an AAS could help him better in his career goal. However, I really have no idea I am just guessing. Other guess's I could throw out there would be to become a police officer and a Paramedic or to join the military and get a SOCOM field medic posistion like 18D in the Army for example or PJ in the AF.
 
schulz said:
I don't know if I agree with this, I think putting his time in a busy 911 ALS system, and getting an AAS could help him better in his career goal. However, I really have no idea I am just guessing. Other guess's I could throw out there would be to become a police officer and a Paramedic or to join the military and get a SOCOM field medic posistion like 18D in the Army for example or PJ in the AF.
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A busy EMS system transports all of their critical patients to the hospital.

Being in the hospital means you have a chance to see many more critical patients in a shorter amount of time.

Also, many reputable hospitals have tuition assistance as part of their benefits packages. Which means it will also help pay for that AAS. Most places I know of in the US offer $1000-$1500 a semester in tuition reimbursement. That is very substantial if used at a community college and even takes a big bite out of universty tuition at a state school.
 
Veneficus said:
You and I need to come up with a standard for something like working overseas and then market the :censored::censored::censored::censored: out of it.

edit: We should also develop a 16 hour course to "train" people in it too.
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Count me in, I like money!
 
Lazer said:
I originally wanted to pursue a career in the fire service, began studying EMS and loved it, now I want the medic patch and I'm interested in tactical EMS. If someone with some insight on the subject could point me in the right direction training and certification-wise, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
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Well, California actually has an official Tactical Medic Cert. You can start with the state EMS website. I know a few guys who have taken the course but I don't think it increases job prospects any.

http://www.emsa.ca.gov/personnel/Tactical_Medicine.asp

Here is the standardized training recommendation.
http://www.emsa.ca.gov/personnel/files/TacticalMedicine.pdf

The AMR division San Mateo has an official TEMS team. Had to work a few riots in Oakland with them and their bullet proof vests. They can get sort of Ricky rescue though.

Other than that, you'll probably have to become a Cop to get in with any law enforcement agency. Every department has different requirements for Tac Medics as well. If they even have them.
 
Lazer said:
I've read all of the threads with related tags and I didn't find anything specific about training and certification other than that TCCC certs are good to have and I figured there could be more. I sent Luno a private message and never received a reply.

I don't expect to be hired by the swat team right out of EMT-B but I do expect to become a good candidate over the next ten years or so (I'm 25) which doesn't seem completely impractical as long as I spend that time doing something that prepares me for that line of work. So you say a trauma center ay? I currently volunteer in two EDs twice a week, what kind of position should I look for in a trauma center?

Thanks for the replies folks, much appreciated.
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Lazer, I would strongly recommend that you step back and look at what exactly you want to do. If you want to be a 'medic' in the 'tactical' sense, you've got three options.

1. Join the military, active-duty. Not a bad gig, and as a male you've got a decent chance of ending up in an infantry unit, but with the current budget situation, I strongly suggest that you not make this your primary bet.
2. Join the military, reserves. It's a decent compromise, but it's not quite going to be your best option.

3. Law Enforcement: If you want to get out and do 'tactical' stuff with less of an emphasis on medicine, look into law enforcement with an outdoor emphasis- Fish and Game, Forest Service, etc, or possibly a municipal department or county sheriff. It's going to be better pay and will realistically get you closer to 'tactical medicine' than being just another wannabe EMT.

Look at it this way. There's lots of underemployed and unemployed EMTs and paramedics who want to be 'tactical medics' and live up the perceived adrenaline rush that my generation's veterans have. There's also lots of unemployed veterans who have prior combat experience (and many of whom also hold EMT certification) looking for law enforcement/ SWAT/ 'tac medic' jobs because it's one of the few things that military training and experience carry over into. This is only going to get more pronounced as the force shrinks.

Getting to what you tell us you want via medicine is possible, but it's not anywhere near as easy.
 
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Lazer, I would strongly recommend that you step back and look at what exactly you want to do. If you want to be a 'medic' in the 'tactical' sense, you've got three options.

1. Join the military, active-duty. Not a bad gig, and as a male you've got a decent chance of ending up in an infantry unit, but with the current budget situation, I strongly suggest that you not make this your primary bet.
2. Join the military, reserves. It's a decent compromise, but it's not quite going to be your best option.

3. Law Enforcement: If you want to get out and do 'tactical' stuff with less of an emphasis on medicine, look into law enforcement with an outdoor emphasis- Fish and Game, Forest Service, etc, or possibly a municipal department or county sheriff. It's going to be better pay and will realistically get you closer to 'tactical medicine' than being just another wannabe EMT.

Look at it this way. There's lots of underemployed and unemployed EMTs and paramedics who want to be 'tactical medics' and live up the perceived adrenaline rush that my generation's veterans have. There's also lots of unemployed veterans who have prior combat experience (and many of whom also hold EMT certification) looking for law enforcement/ SWAT/ 'tac medic' jobs because it's one of the few things that military training and experience carry over into. This is only going to get more pronounced as the force shrinks.

Getting to what you tell us you want via medicine is possible, but it's not anywhere near as easy.
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Well ok, I have slight problem with this analysis. I consider myself a pretty aware fellow, I'm deeply interested the socio-political/socio-economic/economic-industrial/military-industrial-economic facets of secular society. This being the case I know that there is an inherent problem with modern combat veterans in the workforce, or at least a perceived problem, and that is that many veterans who have served recent combat tours in the middle east are coming back with major psychological problems and many business owners are unlikely to employ them to manage a fax machine, let alone an automatic weapon under stressful conditions that may closely parallel traumatic events experienced in military combat. The fact exists that there are stark differences between conventional military combat, and tactical/strategic armed resource utilization. A few of those that may affect a combatant psychologically might be the level of brutality and carnage, constant fear of attack, inhumane acts carried out under official command, the frequency, severity and nature of military combat wounds (amputations). These factors, whether we would like to admit it or not, are some of the reasons vets coming home from the mid-east are subject to psychological damage that is difficult to treat, and often renders them unemployable, especially in paramilitary or law enforcement roles. That being the case it makes sense that many combat medics, PJs etc have difficulty finding domestic employment even in roles that would seem to suit them, like tactical medic. I think what will end up being of most value and relevance is experience treating the types of injuries most likely to occur in the domestic tactical environment and training designed for providing care in that environment, not experience from the military battle field, and I would reckon that's what I would want my medic to have if I was on a tactical team with a medic.
 
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Lazer, while insightful, I respectfully disagree. A veteran who intelligently leverages their skillset is going to have a practical and organizational advantage over you. Keep in mind that the law enforcement community is fairly pro-veteran and is no stranger to PTSD. Will they hire Sgt. Frustratedandscreamsateveryone? Possibly. Will they hire Sgt. FormerPJ with three Afghan Excursions, a few cool medals and no or controlled PTSD over a civilian medic with no experience at all in controlling violence in anything other than self-defense? Probably.

Your assessment is based on extremes and assumptions. Most vets dont have PTSD. Most of us are a little more in-shape, much more familiar with weapons, and are more disciplined than our peers. Will being a vet hurt me looking for a job in Berkeley, CA? Not as much as the negative affirmative action associated with Straight, White Male. Anywhere else, especially in Flyover Country, military service is a fast track to employment.

Employment problems for us come from lacking equivalent certification in civilian medicine.
 
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Rocketmedic40 said:
Lazer, while insightful, I respectfully disagree. A veteran who intelligently leverages their skillset is going to have a practical and organizational advantage over you. Keep in mind that the law enforcement community is fairly pro-veteran and is no stranger to PTSD. Will they hire Sgt. Frustratedandscreamsateveryone? Possibly. Will they hire Sgt. FormerPJ with three Afghan Excursions, a few cool medals and no or controlled PTSD over a civilian medic with no experience at all in controlling violence in anything other than self-defense? Probably.

Your assessment is based on extremes and assumptions. Most vets dont have PTSD. Most of us are a little more in-shape, much more familiar with weapons, and are more disciplined than our peers. Will being a vet hurt me looking for a job in Berkeley, CA? Not as much as the negative affirmative action associated with Straight, White Male. Anywhere else, especially in Flyover Country, military service is a fast track to employment.

Employment problems for us come from lacking equivalent certification in civilian medicine.
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I would also add that many civil service positions give bonuses to veterens, no matter what branch or MOS. Some places as much as 10% points.
 
Veneficus said:
I would also add that many civil service positions give bonuses to veterens, no matter what branch or MOS. Some places as much as 10% points.
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Ya, I always got "5 points" in Oregon, you got "10" points if you had a service connected disability.
 
Well I don't know, maybe the tax benefits do outweigh the potential liability.

There was actually a 2006 study published in the International Handbook on Psychopathic Disorders and the Law (seen here books.google.com/books?isbn=0470066431) that showed that the prevalence of positive screening results for mental health problems was 19 percent among returning Iraq vets and 11 per cent among returning Afghan vets.

That study also showed that among OIF/OEF veterans seen at VA healthcare facilities, 25 percent received mental health diagnoses Among the rest, there are still a number of vets who have underlying problems that aren’t discovered through the screening process. I don’t believe it to be the case, but assuming you are correct and the current job market isn’t yet reflecting these outcomes, the critical conclusion I believe would have to be that it eventually will. I realize this is a sensitive subject I don’t mean to discount any of you folks who may be combat veterans. This is just my personal opinion on the matter.
 
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"and 11 per cent among returning Afghan vets."

And that study was conducted in 2006, before the Afghan war had really picked up.
 
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Son, you are really pissing up the wrong tree right now.
 
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