Medical Emergency Defense and Incident Control— A Training Program
PERSONAL SAFTY
Paramedics often find themselves having to handle more than just a medical emergency—sometimes they find themselves having to act to keep themselves from becoming the victim.
Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are no strangers to hazardous incidents. For the most part, training in how to operate in these situations has been extensive, and we have been inundated with information on hazardous materials, high-rise fires, etc. However, the one area not covered in the EMT manuals or rescue books is self-defense.
EMS personnel are taught to help the sick and injured no matter what the surrounding circumstances—and, unfortunately, EMTs and paramedics often stumble onto situations that are really the bailiwick of the police. Sometimes, before they realize it, paramedics find themselves deeply involved in a hazardous situation where running is no longer a viable alternative.
How do EMS personnel protect themselves against the gun-wielding drunk who sees paramedics as police officers hoping to incarcerate him for drunk driving? What training do the EMTs receive in handling incidents involving domestics and the techniques necessary to quell a volatile situation until police assistance arrives?
A serious need was thus realized by myself and Trooper Mark Gabriele of the Maryland State Police. Borrowing from the state police’s street survival program, we developed a unique Medical Emergency Defense and Incident Control (MEDIC) training program.
The eight-hour session covers:
- Proper positioning of the medic unit when responding to highway incidents. Park 15 feet behind the victim’s vehicle and at a 10° angle; use high beams for concealment, blinding the people inside the car.
- Techniques showing the safe ap-
- proach to that vehicle. Approach from the passenger’s side of the car for a better view of any weapons the victim might have; check that the trunk is securely locked and if the people in the car might be reaching for anything under the seat; stay behind the second window column so the driver has to turn completely around to look at you and cannot hit you with the door if he suddenly opens it.
- Defensive maneuvers if the victim is armed or becomes violent.Always carry something in your hands to throw in the victim’s face to distract him if he becomes violent and then fall to the ground; after a bad encounter, back up your vehicle along the highway rather than go forward to avoid a second encounter with the victim.
Positioning of the medic unit is again emphasized when responding to such calls as an overdose, injury, or suicide in a residence. Park two doors away from the incident’s location. Don’t slam the car doors and don’t sound the siren. Walk across the lawns to avoid making any noise and listen to what is going on inside the house. Stand to the side of the resident’s door, never in front of it. Crews are taught what household articles can be used as weapons (butcher knife, scissors, knitting needles, etc.) and they are shown how to safely intervene between arguing parties and treat any injuries.
Foremost, however, students learn to use vocabulary, voice tone, speed, and posture to control a heated situation. Avoid cursing and using words like “pal,” “sport/’ etc., as people can take offense at these. The way you initially present yourself (self-assured, calm) can set the tone for the entire incident.
If the paramedic finds himself in a situation he can’t talk his way out of, or an assailant is intent upon inflicting bodily harm, the self-defense techniques taught may give the paramedic or EMT the means to safely and legally defend himself or a patient.
Throughout the entire training session, emphasis is placed on the fact that we are not law officers and that all of the techniques and maneuvers shown are purely defensive.
Many questions have arisen as to the need for such a training program; but in an age where departments are issuing bulletproof vests to their medical crews, and paramedics in larger cities feel it’s necessary to carry sidearms, can we afford to continue as an ostrich with our heads buried in the sand hoping the problem will remedy itself?
If you are interested in having this training program presented to your fire department/EMS personnel, write to: Dennis R. Krebs 1056 J Misty Lynn Circle Cockeysville, MD 21030
