Guiding Principles & Philosophies
The Tactical Mindset: Aggressive Care, Austere Environment, Resource Limitations
The Tactical Mindset is the philosophy that governs a TacMed provider's actions. It requires the provider to:
Be Aggressive: Immediately address life threats with simple, fast, and effective interventions (e.g., applying a tourniquet). Hesitation kills in these environments.
Operate in an Austere Environment: Accept that the operating environment is dangerous, dirty, and chaotic. You must be prepared to use non-standard equipment or methods.
Manage Resource Limitations: Triage and treatment decisions must reflect the reality of limited equipment, delayed evacuation, and a lack of backup.
"Care Under Fire" Explained: Concepts, Priorities, Limitations
Care Under Fire (CUF) is the phase of care provided while the medic and the casualty are still under effective hostile fire or immediate threat.
Concept: The primary goal is fire superiority and stopping the shooting. The best medicine is to end the fight or remove the casualty from the threat.
Priorities:
Return Fire: Stop the threat.
Move to Cover: Direct the casualty (if possible) or drag them to a safer location.
Stop Massive Hemorrhage: The only medical intervention allowed is the application of a tourniquet to an extremity bleed that is immediately life-threatening. Other medical care is deferred.
Limitations: This phase is extremely high-risk. Complex medical procedures are not performed.
"Tactical Field Care" Explored: Interventions in a relatively safe, but still tactical, environment
Tactical Field Care (TFC) is the phase of care rendered once the patient and medic are no longer under effective hostile fire, but are still in a tactical setting where evacuation may be delayed.
Interventions: TFC follows the principles of M.A.R.C.H., which is a modified patient assessment tailored for tactical environments.
Section 01.2 (Graphic)
