Officer Survival― Winning Over Injury: A Tactically Oriented Approach to Treating Injured Officers

摘要

Law enforcement is a dangerous job. In 2005, there were over 50,000 assaults on officers, resulting in 15,763 injuries and 153 felonious line-of-duty deaths.2 Scores of officers were also inured in the line-of-duty as a result of automobile accidents, heart attacks, falls, etc. As part of a societal mandate to protect and serve, all officers undergo formal emergency medical training, typically at the Department of Transportation First Responder level. This training is based upon the principles of Basic Life Support (BLS). Unfortunately, such training is not law enforcement specific and, is inherently limited. Though adequate for the officer responding to a routine EMS medical assistance call, BLS does not address the challenges of an officer caring for an injured colleague in the presence of an active threat. Under these circumstances, medical care must be thought of as a tactical decision and training programs must appropriately address this concept.