Page 162 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Summer 2016

Proceedings of the 2016 Spring/Summer Meeting of the

Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care

Nelson Tang, MD, FACEP; Geoffrey Shapiro, EMT-P; E. Reed Smith, MD, FACEP;
Richard Kamin, MD, FACEP; David Callaway, MD, FACEP

ounded in 2011, the Committee for Tactical Emer- Force. Dr Nelson Tang of the Board of Directors has
Fgency Casualty Care (C-TECC) is a standing, inde- accepted the position of interim C-TECC Cochair in
pendent, nonprofit organization comprising operational Dr Callaway’s absence. Additionally, Dr Carol Cun-
and academic medical leaders with a unified mission to ningham and Dr Richard Kamin have been appointed
develop and maintain best practice guidelines for the to the C-TECC Board of Directors. Drs Cunningham
provision of high-threat medicine. Translating key les- and Kamin have been active, long-standing committee
sons learned from its military counterpart, the TECC members and will provide strategic insight and expert
guidelines promote evidence-based management of ca- leadership in their new roles.
sualties during tactical and rescue operations, account-
ing for differences in civilian environments, resources National Activities
allocations, patient populations, and responder scopes
of practice. The full C-TECC convenes formally twice Special Operations Medical Association–Department
annually to present scientific advances and emerging of Homeland Security Tactical Emergency Medical
technology, and to update TECC guidelines to further Support Summit
enhance the life-saving mission. Held separately from the C-TECC meeting, the Spe-
cial Operations Medical Association (SOMA) cohosted
The 2016 Spring/Summer C-TECC Full Committee a multi-agency summit on tactical emergency medical
Meeting was held in conjunction with the newly reorga- support (TEMS) to provide the Department of Home-
nized Special Operations Medical Association Scientific land Security (DHS) with ongoing guidance on the de-
Assembly on 22 May 2016 in Charlotte, North Caro- velopment of national core-competency standards. Key
lina. The meeting was robustly attended and included discussion involved the incorporation of TECC guide-
participation by leaders, subject matter experts, present- lines as the first competency domain of the restructured
ers, and stakeholders from domestic and international National TEMS Initiative and Council TEMS Compe-
law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire/res- tency Framework. Core participants representing ACEP,
cue, military, industry, and interested parties. National Association of State EMS Officials, National
Association of EMS Physicians, National Association
of Emergency Medical Technicians, International Asso-
C-TECC Updates
ciation of Chiefs of Police, SOMA, and C-TECC agreed
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) with near unanimity on the consolidation of domains and
has established a High-Threat Emergency Casualty Care integration of TECC as Domain 1. The DHS Office of
(HTECC) Task Force to advise the ACEP President and Health Affairs tasked these representatives with making
Board of Directors on emergency medicine preparedness recommendations to their respective boards of directors
and response to acts of terror, active shooter incidents, to secure formal endorsement within the next 60 days.
and complex mass-casualty events. ACEP President Dr Once formalized, DHS will support 10 national core-
Jay Kaplan has selected Dr David Callaway, C-TECC competency domains for TEMS providers, with TECC
Co-chair to serve as Cochair of the Task Force along representing the operational casualty care domain.
with Dr Gina Piazza, C-TECC Guidelines Committee
member. C-TECC and our members will continue to Joint Counter Terrorism Awareness Workshop Series
support the efforts of ACEP. and Integrated Emergency Management Course for
Complex Coordinated Attacks
Dr Callaway will take a leave of absence from C-TECC Members of C-TECC continue to serve as the Interagency
to serve in his new capacity on the leading ACEP Task Planning Group and faculty for the Federal Emergency

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