Choose a Training Program

The three major TacMed courses are NAEMT (National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians), ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training), and NTOA (National Tactical Officers Association). They each have different focus areas and their curricula target different groups.

NAEMT / TECC

The history of TacMed started with NAEMT's Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) for the military. Devised by research from the Hartford group and widely deployed in combat, it found that peripheral injuries and massive hemorrhage stabilized by tourniquets were largely survivable.

When brought to the civilian world as TECC (Tactical Emergency Casualty Care), tactics were not reintroduced. The target audience is personnel with medical certification such as Paramedic or EMT. The concepts of "Hot, Warm, and Cold" zones are taught, but the critical command and control for the transition from Hot to Warm is not. With "Minutes Matter," research shows this is the critical factor to save the most lives.

ALERRT & NTOA

ALERRT and NTOA with their Active Shooter and Rescue Task Force courses bifurcate their courses — different tracks for Law Enforcement and Fire/EMS. They solve the "Tactics Problem" for Law Enforcement and teach the methods that allow Fire/EMS into the crisis site. They minimize the medical component, but for Law Enforcement, they are already task overloaded. Fire/EMS "Brings in the Experts" with advanced medical skills and evacuation tools to move victims to a higher level of care.

Understand who your target audience is when choosing or creating a curriculum for your organization.