Page 148 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Winter 2016

National TEMS Initiative and Council NTIC Competency
Domains/The TACMED Challenge!

COL (Ret) Andy Pennardt

uring the 2016 SOMA Scientific Assembly in Char- 5-day event on 5–9 March 2017 at the Lake Techni-
Dlotte, North Carolina, a meeting of Tactical Emer- cal Center Institute of Public Safety Firearms Training
gency Medical Support (TEMS) stakeholders was held Range in Tavares, Florida.
to discuss a proposed consolidation of the 17 National
TEMS Initiative and Council (NTIC) critical compe- The TACMED Challenge four-person competition teams
tency domains. Attendees agreed that the specific casu- are composed of two medical operators (EMT or higher)
alty care domains (e.g., airway, respiration/breathing, and two nonmedical operators. Operators and opera-
circulation, hemostasis, medication administration, and tor/medics are required to compete in a series of tactical
casualty immobilization/packaging) should be consoli- shooting, moving, and tactical casualty care scenarios.
dated as a single core competency of Tactical Emergency Casualty care evaluations will be conducted in accor-
Casualty Care (TECC). The other core competencies are dance with all three phases of the Tactical Combat Ca-
mass casualty triage, medical planning, remote medical sualty Care (TCCC)/Tactical Emergency Casualty Care
assessment and surrogate treatment, force health pro- (TECC) guidelines as promulgated by the CoTCCC and
tection, legal aspects of TEMS, hazardous materials C-TECC.
management, tactical familiarization, less lethal inju-
ries, and operational rescue/casualty extraction. Since Interested persons or agencies are encouraged to reach
the meeting, the new 10 core competency domains have out to:
been endorsed by the National Association of EMTs,
American College of Emergency Physicians, National LT Ralph E. McDuffie
Association of EMS Physicians, National Association of Team Commander
State EMS Officials, and the National Tactical Officers LCSO SWAT
Association. Work is currently under way to reorganize ralph.mcduffie@lcso.org
existing learning objectives into the new domains and
ensure that there are no gaps between proposed training SGT Donald C. Heath Jr (RET)
standards and clinical TECC guidelines. Tactical Medical Coordinator
LCSO SWAT
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office (FL) Special Weapons don.heath@lcso.org
and Tactics (SWAT) team is hosting the second annual
“The Tactical Medical (TACMED) Challenge!” Law en- For further information, please visit The TACMED Chal-
forcement agencies and military special operations units lenge website at www.thetacmedchallenge.com and Face-
from around the world are invited to participate in the book at www.facebook.com/TheTACMEDChallenge.

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