TEMS Article

Just a note to say I appreciated the TEMS article in the latest issue. We're trying to get one established, and every piece of supportinve documentation helps.

Other than xeroxing it, how could someone go about getting a copy of the article?

Thanks for the kind words. More along that line to come.

As for the article, contact me by emai.

Thank you Sir!

Dallas PD has shown why TEMS works.

Lt Carlton Marshall of DPD Tactical was shot in theneck in warrant service.

DPD as two SWAT qualified doctors, trauma surgeons, on stand by. There's no other way to put it, Drs Alex Eastman, Jeff Metzger saved Lt Marshall's life.

One can contact Parkland Hospital and try to get in contact with the doctor who set this program up, Dr Pepe(dont remember his first name)

Dallas Morning News Article

Another incident to note if you need the support.... I was the on-scene HNT team leader when our SWAT team made a crisis entry on a guy holding a hostage. The entry was made because the suspect had given us a countdown to when he was going to shoot the hostage. He had already fired shots during the initial contact with detectives who tried to arrest him. Many shots were exchanged during the entry and one SWAT member took a .45 round. We watched from the HNT van as the TEMS members gave immediate aid including an IV on the front lawn of a house a few doors away from the incident. The officer survived. TEMS did a great job. Send me a message if you want/need more details. This incident happened within the last several months so it's still fresh info.

Thanks to MikeC and FAIL-SAFE for the backup, as well (again) to Denny for the gracious permission...

The biggest holdup seems to have been "Firemans with gunz" - the cops (Chief on down) want the TEMS guys armed, if only for self defense; the City attorney had no clue about the concept , and the state LE standards board wants anyone carrying under authority (dogcathcer or WTF) to be a fully certified LEO.

Looks like things are progressing - the powers that be are in the process of finalizing the Authorization Ordinance for P/T officers, which (from what I understand) will be tailored towards "Personnel already acting in a sworn capacity with the City" (ie the FD). This should be the "blessing" for the FD medics who are already participating, as well as those of us in the queue.

Once they get that in place, the matter of GenOrds and such shouldn't take long, and things can ramp up much quicker. I've been asked to investigate the options for P/T studies. Illinois offers a variety of P/T training, but with our 24/48 shift schedule (and no depth to cover on-duty/off-site training) it's going to be interesting trying to schedule everything.

Thanks again to everybody for your support. I may very well be in touch.

As far as I know the "SWAT Docs" are with the perimeter until they are called up. To see them, they look just like SWAT officers, but they arent armed. They are outfitted with armor and pouches, except they are purely life saving.

You can see one of them in action on the first season of Dallas SWAT on A&E. In specific its the episode were they have a barricaded murder suspect that JD Bias is negotiating with. The suspect shoots himself, but Dr Eastman goes to work on him. Ironically enough, you will also see t Marshall too.

Our TEMS guys are a combination of cops who have cross trained and earned their paramedic credentials as well as firefighter/paramedics who became reserves by going through our reserve academy. All of them are at the paramedic level. They are fully geared up in SWAT gear, minus carbines, but with sidearms. They have their own rig (converted ambulance painted and marked in SWAT motif) and train with the SWAT team enough to be familiar with SWAT movement/tactics. They also maintain full medical records of each SWAT member including ongoing medical issues, current medications, medication allergies, etc.

Every tactical team these days should be integrating medics into their operations, planning, and training... no exceptions, as none are acceptable. Whether some of the old-school "I'm SWAT and you're not" door-kickers like it or not, it's become a national standard. Military teams and units have integrated medics into operations since time immemorial, and there's no excuse for a police tactical team to do any less.

I suppose they could choose not to... but it doesn't take a particularly swift plaintiff's attorney to hold up the other 99% of teams nationwide that have at least a basic medical capability as an example, and ask the deficient team in open court:

Plaintiff's "Junkyard Dog" Lawyer: "So... with all you cops creating the dangerous situation that injured my client... with your guns, your dogs, your explosives, your tear-gas, your grenades... you didn't think it was necessary to plan for the possibility that somebody might get hurt? How about a bystander? How about one of your own officers?"

Team leader/Chief/Captain: "Errr... Umm... Uhhh...." *gulp* "well... there was no money and... Uhhh... Well..." *sweating*


Don't let that be you. Plan for the worst... and that means medics.


On the armed/not controversy, I have no problem arming medics, provided they're appropriately trained (I also recommend they wear retention holsters rather than speed rigs). In fact, I'm a supporter of armed TEMS... it's just not always politically or legally feasible for all departments.

All medics should be trained on all weapons the team fields, to the point of solid familiarity at the very least. Medics aren't there primarily to be shooters, but it might be nice if they have the ability to do so if things really go sideways. They need a minimum of familiarization training because they may need to "take and make safe" a weapon from a downed team member... and that's not the time for a non-gun-savvy medic who has never even handled an MP5 to be finger-f*cking it, trying to find the safety.

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