Dangerous Precedent: Paramedics to no longer wait and stage during active-shooter

[TacMedic556]

Do tac trained medics carry weapons? Or do SWAT members stay and cover them when they stop and treat?

The term "tac medic" has become broadly applied and training as well as duties vary by agency and locale. In my instance the position is an integral part of the team, "stack" where being a medic is a somewhat secondary skill set, just as there are team snipers, breachers, scouts and so on. I have been on the team for 11 years, attended basic SWAT (P.O.S.T. Certified) in 2006, and attended numerous agency sponsored courses for weapons use, CQB, and tactical medicine. The position requires attendance of all training days and drills, and biannual qualifications of physical and shooting skills.

You will find many positions where medics such as myself are armed entry team members and you will find tactical response medics that are not armed however respond into a more "sanitized" scene after a primary unit clears the area of threats.

[Hmac]

It varies by agency. On our team back in the early days of Tactical EMS, Medics were volunteers...actual EMT-P trained as tactical medics. We provided Advanced Life Support under the license of an MD as Medical Director. We worked in the inner perimeter and as part of the entry team. We were armed and armored. We qualified twice a year on all weapons used by the team, everything from the MP5's and M16s to the sniper rifles, to the M79 grenade launcher as well as our personal weapons. We were not sworn and did no law enforcement. We were armed entirely for self protection, as allowed by state law.