First Aid in a Tactical Environment:
“In the tactical environment, rapid treatment & evacuation of casualties is essential. 90% of deaths are known to occur before patients reach medical facilities, with some 20% of deaths often seen as preventable. Standard medical training does not prepare you for these types of situations.”
Date(s):
TBA
Day-1 Classroom, 0830-1700,
Day-2 Range, 0830-1600
Instructor(s) – John Hotchkiss
Gordon Gray
Location:
Day-1: TBA, 8 Hours of Class Room,
Location TBA
Day-2: TBA, Range for Live-Fire Exercises,
Sacramento Valley Shooting Center

The goal of this training is to assist in prepare you as an emergency responder to render care in a high threat environment. Much of what has been learned in the past in civilian emergency medical care deals with treating the single patient, and under normal conditions encountered in the pre-hospital realm. The issues you must address, and in fact the way you view the entire scene, are substantially different when the possibility is strong that someone may be viewing you through the sights of their rifle.
Pre-Requisites:
Firearms Handling: Should have at least a basic pistol course and know how to properly deploy a handgun tactically.
Medical: a current first aid certificate and CRP training is preferable.
Health & Fitness: To ensure optimum safety a sound level of health & fitness is required. Students should be free from any injury or illness that may prevent them from undertaking rigorous physical activity.
Day – 1: Classroom
Content:
Based on proven tactical medical practice and taught by instructors with real-world tactical medical experience, courses cover such topics as;
- Introduction to tactical medical operations
- Tactical Risk assessment & management strategies
- Communications, leadership & decision-making
- Phases of tactical care & scene management
- Tactical medical equipment
- Tactical patient assessment
- Tactical trauma care
- Tactical triage & evacuation techniques
- Care through the barricade
- Tactical emergency drills
- Integrating with emergency services
- Medical threat assessments
Please bring attire suitable for rain or shine as weather does not dictate the fight nor should it affect your training!
All students will be receiving their own Individual First-Aid Kit (IFAK) with a tactical rip away EMT pouch, everything you would need for a real world incident.
Do to the tac pouch and medical contents, the course must be paid for one month prior in order to allow purchase and shipping of medical supplies.
You will not be using your medic kit in the class.
Individual First Aid Kit “IFAK” Contents
1- Combat Application Tourniquet, “CAT”
1 – NPA (Nasopharyngeal Airway) with lube.
1 – Asherman or HALO Chest Seal
2 – Packs of Z-pak dressing
2 – Packs of Vaseline gauze
1 – 5.5” Pair of Trauma Shears
1 – Roll of 1″ medical tape
1 – Black permanent Sharpe marker pen
1 – 4″ elastic wrap bandage
1 – Israeli or “H” type Bandage
2 – Medical exam gloves
5 – Packs of steri-pad gauze pads
1 – Cloth triangular bandage
1 – Condor EMT Pouch
*contents subject to change depending on availability.
Day – 2: Range Day
Will be spent all day at the range working on tactical exercises consisting of a lecture and live-fire real world scenarios. The student will be taught the basic principles of tactics, gun handling, and marksmanship as they relate to the tactical first aid. Adding a weapons platform only complicates the ability to give the desired aid. When to render aid, what to do with your firearm(s), injures treatment, all while dealing with a deadly threat under attack. Learn the proper ways to evac an injured party quickly and easily.
Needed:
- Good attitude!
- Modern Working Handgun (Must be approved by instructor)
- 200 rounds of pistol ammunition
- Belt holster (Strong side, Open, Concealed, Duty or Tactical)
- Three magazines or speed loaders (minimum)
- Magazine pouches
- *Modern Working Carbine Style Rifle (To be inspected by Instructor)
- Tactical Style Sling (capable of carrying rifle with muzzle down)
- 150 rounds Carbine ammunition
- Minimum 3 carbine magazines
- Magazine pouches for carbine mags
- Pants with belt (cargo pockets recommended but not required)
- Hearing protection
- Eye protection
- Ball Cap
- Weather Appropriate Gear (sun screen, rain gear, etc.)
- Personal Water Supply
* Carbine (Rifle) is optional, if you use one in the course of your duties it would be wise to bring it!
**Bring your lunch; we will be eating on the range!