Recently a video was posted over on http://www.ems1.com showing two firefighters attacked by a knife wielding bystander as they responded to a request for medical assistance .
This sort of incident is often talked about in the self defense training world. The methodology I subscribe to prepares us for a counter ambush mindset. We accept that an incident such as this will be surprising, chaotic and present a lethal threat. During firearms training I talk to my students in the context of a lethal threat that is farther than two arms length away.
Emergency Responders generally do not have this luxury. To properly assess and treat a patient you have to get up close and personal. You need to get inside that two arms length space. It is drilled into EMS personal that they need to ensure a scene is safe before proceeding. However scenes do not always remain safe. Furthermore in a rural environment LEO may not be available during an incident that may require immediate medical intervention. EMS personnel need to be trained to escape a violent encounter and defend their own life as an essential job function.
There are a few organizations that offer this training such as DT4EMS . However they are not nearly as prevalent as organizations offering training to Law enforcement or the public in general. I encourage EMS Service Directors to organize a DT class as part of the regular training cycle. I also encourage State Departments of Public Health to advocate the implementation of Defensive Tactics training. The next life EMS saves may be their own.
This sort of incident is often talked about in the self defense training world. The methodology I subscribe to prepares us for a counter ambush mindset. We accept that an incident such as this will be surprising, chaotic and present a lethal threat. During firearms training I talk to my students in the context of a lethal threat that is farther than two arms length away.
Emergency Responders generally do not have this luxury. To properly assess and treat a patient you have to get up close and personal. You need to get inside that two arms length space. It is drilled into EMS personal that they need to ensure a scene is safe before proceeding. However scenes do not always remain safe. Furthermore in a rural environment LEO may not be available during an incident that may require immediate medical intervention. EMS personnel need to be trained to escape a violent encounter and defend their own life as an essential job function.
There are a few organizations that offer this training such as DT4EMS . However they are not nearly as prevalent as organizations offering training to Law enforcement or the public in general. I encourage EMS Service Directors to organize a DT class as part of the regular training cycle. I also encourage State Departments of Public Health to advocate the implementation of Defensive Tactics training. The next life EMS saves may be their own.
