About Harris County Tactical Medicine

Mission:

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Command, together with Harris County ESD-1, has developed a Tactical Medical Unit that is dedicated to facilitating the success and the safety of high-risk and sustained law enforcement operations. The Harris County Sheriff's Office Tactical Medical Teams supports law enforcement agencies by providing on-scene consultation, delivering immediate on scene emergency medical care, and providing logistical support in order to promote the highest performance and safety of agency personnel. Specially trained, Harris County Sheriff's Office Reserve Command Tactical Paramedics and Physicians achieve this mission by operating under medically directed protocols. Operational Medical support also provides a necessary interface between law enforcement personnel and the EMS community during hostile or sustained operations.

Goals:

Reduce the incidence of injury, illness, disability and death and their associated personal and economic losses.
Reduce exposure to liability by implementing medical management protocols that prepare for reasonably foreseeable injuries and illnesses in law enforcement operations and training.
Compliment EMS operations by providing inner perimeter medical support during high-risk or large-scale law enforcement operations.
Serve as liaisons between police and local EMS and hospital providers.
Assist federal, regional, and local law enforcement agencies with operational medical support assistance during their high-risk or extended operations.

Qualifications:

All Team Members are certified peace officers by TCLEOSE and commissioned with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
All members are certified by TDHS as an Emergency Medical Technician Basic, Intermediate, Paramedic or Physician.
Each member has completed at least a 40-hour Tactical Medical Course approved by TTPOA.
Most have completed a 40-hour Basic SWAT course.
All have passed a firearms proficiency evaluation as well as a physical agility test.

Availability:

Our Tac Medics will accompany law enforcement teams on call-outs and training for the primary purpose of rendering emergency and preventative operational medical care to injured victims. These victims may include any police officers, fire personnel, civilians, or suspects. Tac Medics may also be used when the possibility of evacuation/transport of patients is delayed, with search and rescue, during advanced protocols/surgical intervention, or when any advanced/extended operations are foreseen. We are available to provide medical assistance to law enforcement agencies during High-Risk Warrants, Barricaded Persons, Active Shooter Response, Hostage Situations, Mass Causality Incidents, Dignitary Protection details, Training Scenarios, etc. An ambulance can be provided as well by the team to aid in rapid transportation to area hospitals if needed.

Our Tactical Medical Team can also help teach your department personnel CPR, Self-Aid / Buddy-Aid courses as well as Basic First Aid classes.

A Tactical Medic HOTLINE has been set up through the Harris County ESD-1 dispatch center and is accessible 24 hours a day. If you need our assistance, please call 281-977-3859

Training:

Tactical Medics undergo rigorous training before they set foot in the field of operations. Continuous training in both tactical operations and emergency medicine enables our team to perform effectively in an austere and hostile environment. This training attempts to simulate as closely as possible to real situations. On-going training is conducted with law enforcement agencies to ensure a seamless integration of the tactical medics into the law enforcement tactical team.

(Information about both departments)

Harris County ESD-1
A political subdivision of the State of Texas charged with 911 ambulance responses to a large section of Northern Harris County with an approximate population of 500,000. Harris County ESD-1 was formed in 1991. Services include: 911 responses, Critical Care Transports from Hospital to Hospital and Dispatch Service for multiple different agencies.

For more information about HCESD-1, please view www.hcesd-1.org

Harris County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Command:
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Command organization was formed as a 501(c)(3) non profit organization. The Reserve Command possesses a heritage of providing a ready citizen resource of trained and qualified certified law enforcement personnel that assist the Sheriff in meeting Harris County law enforcement and emergency response needs. Over 200 citizens from all walks of life currently form part of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Command.

For more information about the HCSO, please view www.hcso.hctx.net