Specialized Tactics for Operational Rescue and Medicine
(S.T.O.R.M.™)

                    

 

 

The Georgia Health Sciences University, The National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA), and North American Rescue, Inc. have collaborated to define the practice of tactical medical support.  This is the first time a competency-based definition of this work has been developed.  The S.T.O.R.M™ initiative will provide clearly defined medical strategies, procedures and rescue techniques to enhance the safety for law enforcement and military personnel and the populations they serve.  It adapts and applies the standards of care created for the military in a wartime environment, (Tactical Combat Casualty Care, or TCCC) in an effort to prevent casualties and fatalities in a variety of tactical situations.  The project encompasses over two years of collaborative work with subject matter experts throughout  federal, state and local law enforcement, U.S. military medical personnel,  and the civilian medical communities.

The competency domains covered in S.T.O.R.M.™ courses include:

• Tactical Combat Casualty (TCCC) Methodology
• Remote Assessment and Rescue/Extraction
• Hemostatics
• Airway, Breathing and Circulation (ABC’s)
• Vascular Access
• Medication Administration
• Casualty Immobilization
• Medical Planning
• Human Performance Factors, Preventive Medicine, Injury Prevention, and Health Surveillance
• Environmental Factors
• Explosions and Blast Injuries
• Injury Patterns and Evidence Preservation
• Hazardous Materials
• Surrogate Treatment
• Less Lethal Injuries
• Special Population

 S.T.O.R.M.™ is tailored to four unique tactical audiences:  Operator, Medic, Medical Director, and Commander.  Each course consists of classroom didactics, hands-on skill stations, and tactical scenario-based training to prepare students to safely and effectively handle medical emergencies in tactical and austere environments.

•   S.T.O.R.M.™ Self-Aid Buddy Aid (SABA) is a one day, 10-hour course designed for patrol officers with limited medical training. The SABA course focuses on life saving interventions, the treatment of major life threats, and extraction of officers to definitive medical care.
•   S.T.O.R.M.™ Operator is a two day, 16-hour course primarily designed for  tactical officers and personnel  who have no medical training. 
•   S.T.O.R.M.™ Medic is a four day, 32-hour course, which requires at least an EMT-Basic level of training as a prerequisite.  This course is intended for medical personnel who provide operational medical support directly to a Tactical Team. 
• The S.T.O.R.M.™(Operator) instructor course is currently under development.Please contact us for further details.
•   S.T.O.R.M.™ Medical Director is a two-day, 16 hour course targeted to physicians who provide direct or indirect support to a Tactical Team.  This course not only covers physician-level tactical medical techniques, but also provides Medical Directors with knowledge of the operational and logistical challenges faced by tactical medics and commanders as they apply to medical control.  (This course is currently under development). 
•   S.T.O.R.M.™Commander  will contain components of the other  three courses, with the addition of covering topics designed to arm the commanders of tactical organizations with knowledge about such topics as TCCC as a system, legal aspects of TEMS, training and logistical considerations for TEMS programs, and TEMS case studies, just to name a few.  (This course is currently under development).

Prerequisites
Students must be employed by a Public Safety Agency, Emergency Medical Service, Local, State, or Federal Agency, Law Enforcement, Fire Service, or any branch of the military service.  (Personnel who do not fit into these categories will be considered on a case-by-case basis).  Applicants must provide proof of employment by submitting a letter of recommendation from a supervisor on company letterhead.  If the student does not have a letter of endorsement from a Law Enforcement Agency, he/she must provide a background check processed through a law enforcement agency from the individual’s state of residency within 30 days of the course.

Uniform and Equipment
Students should come to the courses with their complete duty uniform, including tactical vest, body armor, helmet, eye protection, elbow and knee pads, etc. Privately owned or organization issued weapons are not needed for the course.  Students will be issued an individual first aid kit (IFAK), which is included in the course fee.

 Application Process
Application process includes the submission of the registration form with an accepted form of payment.  A seat in the course is not confirmed until full course fee and required documents have been received.  Proof of employment (see prerequisites) and signed Release of Liability Form must accompany application.

Registration Form
Release of Liability Form

S.T.O.R.M.™ Training Facility, at the Government Training Institue (GTI)
S.T.O.R.M.™ courses are held at the Government Training Institute (GTI), a state-of-the-art tactical training facility located in Barnwell, South Carolina.  GTI was founded in 2003 to address the tactical needs of U.S. law enforcement and military through research-based training.  GTI is a premiere training site with indoor and outdoor locations well suited to tactical medicine.

 

***TRAIN AT YOUR FACILITY!!***
The Mobile Training Team in the Center of Operational Medicine Tactical Division can conduct courses at your site! We can customize the curricula to fit your organization’s tactical mission.  On-site course pricing is determined on an individual basis.  Please contact us for a Request for Proposal/Needs Assessment worksheet so that we can accurately provide a proposal/quote to your agency.

*Training centers must have sufficient classroom space (with A/V equipment), breakout rooms for small group skill stations, and suitable outdoor training area. The hosting facility may be asked to provide logistical support and secure equipment storage.

 

For more information, please complete this online form or call 866-593-4911.