By Pat Culverhouse
Minden police officers and Emergency Medical Technicians collaborated in training sessions this week designed to promote teamwork between law enforcement and medical first responders during violent incidents.
Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care for Law Enforcement Officers were combined in scenarios to mimic how response to a major incident would unfold.
“The job of law enforcement is to stop the killing, the job of EMS is to stop the dying. Collaborative training allows each group to gain knowledge from their public safety counterpart,” said Brian Sparks, owner of SMR Training Solutions and instructor of the session.
Also instructing the course was Craig Menefee, the Shreveport Fire Dept.’s arson investigator/bomb technician. He is the medic on the Caddo Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team, a registered nurse and former U.S. Army combat medic.
Sparks, an emergency medicine Physician’s Assistant at Minden Medical Center, also serves as the MPD’s Special Response Team medical officer. He is a certified tactical paramedic.
“Working as a team builds confidence and teaches skills that may one day save lives,” he said. “Our goal is to learn the skills that may one day give someone a second chance on their worst day.”
While the lessons are intended for law enforcement and first responders, they may also benefit an active shooter victim or bystander who may need to know how to stay alive when life or death can occur in moments and police and EMS may be minutes away, Sparks said.
Participants in the 16-hour, two-day course received a four-year certification as a TECC Provider, 16 hours credit of continuing medical education and two hours of Continued Medical Education (intro to rescue task force operations).
Both police officers and paramedics require CME for certification maintenance.
In addition to the Minden Police Dept. supplying the training location and its state-of-the-art training room, Bossier Parish EMS and Pafford EMS provided personnel and equipment to support the session.
Pafford provided an on-site ambulance to simulate patient ground support, and also launched their helicopter (Pafford Air One) to simulate rapid movement of critically injured. Rescue dummies were provided by the Minden Fire Dept.
Mock casualties and adversaries in active shooter scenarios were played by Glenbrook School seniors as part of their senior service project.
