Support for TEMS

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) believes that Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) is an essential component of military and tactical law enforcement teams. As an integral part of a tactical unit, TEMS helps maintain a healthy and safer environment for both law enforcement and the public. This unique subspecialty provides…(read more)

The National Tactical Officer’s Association recognizes Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) as the mission-preplanning, preventative care and medical treatment rendered during mission driven, high-risk, large-scale, and extended law enforcement operations. The TEMS scope of practice includes medical interventions that further the health and safety of all law enforcement personnel and is intended to reduce the incidence of injury, illness, disability, and death associated with police operations. TEMS adapts and incorporates sound medical practices with police tactics for use in operations characterized by competing mission objectives, diagnostic uncertainty, limited resources, and performance decrement under stress to permit the delivery of effective medical care in an unfolding law enforcement mission.

The benefit of TEMS programs to law enforcement is sufficiently established to where TEMS is now a standard of care for law enforcement special operations. TEMS in not intended as a replacement for EMS services.