Tactical Medic, Hostile Environment Medic, Active Shooter Medic
All of these are terms used to describe an environment in which law enforcement and EMS must work together to ensure they provide the best care to the injured, while securing the scene from dangers. In most cases these dangers may be an active assailant. But it may be a potential shooting, bombing, chemical attack, or any other environment that creates an unsafe scene requiring law enforcement’s efforts to secure.
When discussing the involvement of the EMS provider in these types of environments there are many questions raised:
- Will the EMS provider enter the “hot zone”?
- Will the EMS provider carry a gun?
- What training will the EMS provider have?
- What equipment will the EMS provider carry?
- What treatment will be provided by the EMS provider?
This page is designed to provide guidance and recommendations for EMS providers looking to develop or strengthen their tactical medic response plans.
EMS and law enforcement should work together to develop response plans, determine appropriate equipment, and develop training expectations for the EMS providers responding to a hostile environment.
Planning Resources:
NFPA 3000 - Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program
National Volunteer Fire Council – Active Shooter and Complex Attack Resources for Fire and EMS
Health and Medical Response to Active Shooter and Bombing Event
FEMA IS-907: Active Shooter: What You Can Do
DHS - Active Shooter Preparedness
Active Shooter/Hostile Environment (ASHE) Guide
Improving Survival from Active Shooter Events: The Hartford Consensus
Operational Templates and Guidance for EMS Mass Incident Deployment