City of Greater Sudbury and Greater Sudbury Police Service Join Forces with new Tactical Emergency Medical Services Program

The City of Greater Sudbury’s Paramedic Services has collaborated with the Greater Sudbury Police Service’s Emergency Response Unit (ERU) to create a new Tactical Emergency Medical Services (TEMS) program. The program was announced at the Lionel E. Lalonde Centre in Azilda earlier today.

TEMS are medics who are specially trained to work alongside the ERU to provide rapid medical response and care in high-risk situations. The nine-member medic team will be equipped to provide immediate, on-the-spot care to ERU members or members of the public during a high-risk event.

“When our ERU Officers are in a high-risk situation, every moment matters. Having specially trained medics right there alongside our team will help ensure rapid and appropriate medical care for everyone involved during a tactical deployment,” said Inspector Marc Burnette of the Greater Sudbury Police Service. “This program builds on the already close working relationship between Paramedic Services and Greater Sudbury Police Services.”

“Our Paramedics provide an essential service to our community, and they have unique skills and training that allow them to work effectively in stressful situations,” said Paul Kadwell, Deputy Chief of Paramedic Operations. “The specialized training provided to TEMS will make them a great asset to the Emergency Response Unit, and we’re very pleased that we were able to collaborate on this important program.”

The TEMS team consists of eight paramedics and one Team Lead/Supervisor. The members were selected from within Paramedic Services based on various factors, including physical, psychological, written and practical testing. Each member received four weeks of training with Greater Sudbury Police. Throughout the year, the TEMs and ERU will be participating in joint training sessions.

Canada’s first tactical paramedic program was introduced in Toronto in 1996, and similar programs are now in place in many major cities across the country.

To learn more about the TEM program in Greater Sudbury, watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPSCWRnHJfw