SOARescue

Description: Firearms instructors are tasked with conducting inherently high-risk activities. Live-fire training and qualifications, and scenario training involving marking and blank-firing ammunition, are only some of the examples of situations where there is a risk of serious injury or death.

The Emergency Response for Firearms Instructors course is a 2-day, 16-hour program designed to provide firearms instructors and other range personnel the ability to render immediate life-saving aid to injured persons in a training environment. Additionally, the course allows for risk management by equipping personnel with the ability to create an Emergency Action Plan for their agency/training facility. Students will also be able to mitigate additional risks by creating Medical Threat Assessments for their training evolutions to further add to the safety of their personnel.

Most medical courses geared for LE are focused on traumatic injury management via tourniquets, wound packing, chest seals, etc. While this is an excellent starting point, traumatic injuries are not the only injuries that a firearms instructor needs to take into consideration. Environmental injuries, allergic reactions, diabetic emergencies, etc, are all issues to think about due to the varying nature of the officers coming to training. This class will prepare instructors to begin treatment and stabilization of those other emergencies, in addition to traumatic injuries.

Finally, instructors attending will receive guidance on Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) design and recommended contents and kit placement on their person, as well as best practices, and receive recommendations on placement and contents of a dedicated range aid bag.

 Individual Equipment Requirements:

• IFAK (if you have one)
• Aid bag used at the range (if any)
• Duty belt/tactical vest (normal work setup, SWAT entry vest OK)
• Eye Protection
• Ear Protection
• Note taking gear
• Range attire (wear clothes that can be stained)
• Nitrile Gloves (non-Latex)
• Copy of Agency/Facility Emergency Action Plan (if any)

 Topics Covered:

• Safety Brief / Medical Brief (What’s in it?)
• MARCH
• Basic Interventions
• Tourniquets
• Chest Seals
• Wound Packing
• Pressure Dressings
• NPA
• Basic Airway Management
• Patient Assessment
• Traumatic Injuries
• Non-Traumatic Injuries
• Medical Emergencies
• Environmental Injuries
• Lifts/Drags/Carries
• Treatment/Transport Considerations (Load and Go, Stay and Play)
• IFAK Selection/Design/Placement
• Range Aid Bag Selection/Design/Placement
• Medical Threat Assessments
• Emergency Action Plans
• Medical Training Considerations for Instructor Staff
• Safety Vehicle Considerations

Goal: Upon graduating the course, students will have received training in how to effectively treat and manage both traumatic and non-traumatic medical emergencies occurring on the range or training area prior to the arrival of EMS personnel. Additionally, students will leave with a template to conduct a Medical Threat Assessment (MTA) for training events and form an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for their range/facility. As an added benefit, students will also graduate with a Stop-the-Bleed Certificate from the American College of Surgeons.