Care Under Fire

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

Care Under Fire is a one-day, 10-hour training course for police officers, hosted by the Chester County Public Safety Training Center. This course dives head-first into “why” police officers die in the line of duty due to loss of blood or a traumatic injury. Officers receive lifesaving tourniquets and the training needed to properly use them to save his or her own life, as well as the lives of others. Additional lifesaving equipment, including combat gauze and pressure dressings are also supplied, with instructions for use given. Once the academic lecture and practical application labs are complete, the officers move to the Training Campus’ Tactical Village. Here police officers are thrust into scenario based-training including the use of prop injuries and blood to add realism to the exercises. Police officers learn how to stay engaged after sustaining an injury, and role players keep the momentum going, as the officers navigate through choices that could mean life or death. Car stops, a store robbery or a domestic argument teach the officers proper tactics and uses of cover as they find time to treat their injuries. Officers finish the day with a “Sensory Overload Drill.” Here, officers are led individually into a dark set of rooms. He or she is deprived of sight, but experiences loud music and police calls over the radio as he or she navigates his or her way to the sounds of an injured person that is moaning. Once the officer locates the downed subject, he or she must clear the injured person of any weapons and treat a heavily bleeding wound. The officers usually emerge from this exercise with a renewed sense of accomplishment. Finally, this course is all about lifesaving and the tools used – knowledge obtained through this could save a life.