Leon county Emergency Medical Services – or EMS – may be expanding its role in the not too distant future. The division is hoping to train a number of SWAT medics to deliver medical care during police operations.
The SWAT medic program will train four paramedics to participate as part of law enforcement response teams. Leon County Chief of Emergency Medical Services Tom Quillin says right now paramedics called to the scene of a violent incident have to wait for police to secure an area before treating patients.
“When EMS is called to a scene typically today, EMS is called to a scene where there’s a violent act, that’s been perpetrated by an individual, whether it’s a shooting or a stabbing, or any things like that, we don’t expose our people to go into situations like that until they’re cleared with law enforcement.”
In some situations, though, time is of the essence. SWAT medics will be trained to respond with the SWAT team to care for people with injuries more quickly. The Leon County Board of Commissioners will discuss the program at their meeting on June 24.