INTRODUCTION TO TACTICAL MEDICINE
MARCH / TCCC Concepts for Law Enforcement & First Responders
Course duration: 1 day — 8 hours
Training type: Introductory, hands-on tactical medical training
Audience: Law enforcement officers and credentialed first responders
Course focus: MARCH assessment, trauma care, self-aid, buddy-aid, and medical handoff
INTRODUCTION TO TACTICAL MEDICINE
MARCH / TCCC Concepts
Course duration: 1 day — 8 hours
Format: Open enrollment
Audience: Law enforcement, first responders, and members of the public
Training type: Introductory, hands-on tactical medical training
Course focus: MARCH assessment, trauma care, self-aid, buddy-aid, and medical handoff
Course Overview
This one-day introductory course provides practical instruction in trauma care and tactical medical concepts.
Students will learn the MARCH sequence—Massive Hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, and Hypothermia/Head Injury—and how it relates to TCCC-informed casualty care. Instruction includes bleeding control, airway positioning, recognizing breathing emergencies, casualty assessment, self-aid and buddy-aid, and communicating patient information to EMS.
The course emphasizes practical skills, sound priorities, and actions appropriate to each student’s training and scope of practice. This is an introduction to MARCH/TCCC concepts; it is not an official TCCC or TECC provider course.
Course Completion Credentials
Students who successfully complete the applicable skills assessment may receive:
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ACS Stop the Bleed® course completion certificate
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Keystone Dynamic Solutions course completion certificate
What Students Will Learn
Tactical Medical Foundations
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MARCH assessment sequence
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Introductory TCCC concepts and tactical threat-to-care transitions
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Scene safety and medical priorities
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Communicating and coordinating care with EMS
Massive Hemorrhage
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Recognizing life-threatening external bleeding
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Tourniquet selection, application, and reassessment
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Self-applied and buddy-applied tourniquets
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Wound packing and pressure dressings for appropriate wounds
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Recognizing suspected internal bleeding and the need for urgent evacuation
Airway
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Basic airway assessment
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Airway positioning, including head-tilt/chin-lift and jaw-thrust techniques
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Recognizing signs of airway obstruction or compromise
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Immediate actions appropriate to the student’s training and scope
Respiration
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Recognizing respiratory distress and signs of serious chest injury
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Recognizing possible tension pneumothorax as a time-critical emergency
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Activating EMS and arranging urgent evacuation
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Understanding that advanced interventions are outside this introductory course
Circulation
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Recognizing signs of shock
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Reassessment and monitoring
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Maintaining an organized patient assessment and handoff
Hypothermia and Head Injury
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Recognizing potential head injury
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Reducing heat loss and protecting the patient from environmental exposure
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Monitoring and communicating changes in the patient’s condition
Medical Documentation and Handoff
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Recording observed injuries and changes in condition
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Documenting interventions and approximate times
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Communicating key information during EMS handoff
One-Day Course Schedule
Module 1 — Introduction and MARCH Overview
30 minutes
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Course introduction and objectives
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Importance of practical trauma-care skills
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Overview of MARCH and TCCC-informed concepts
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Scope of practice and course safety
Module 2 — Massive Hemorrhage and Tourniquets
1 hour 30 minutes
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Recognizing life-threatening bleeding
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Tourniquet selection and application
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Self-aid and buddy-aid applications
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Practical skills repetitions and reassessment
Module 3 — Wound Packing and Pressure Dressings
1 hour
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Recognizing wounds suitable for packing
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Wound-packing fundamentals
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Pressure dressing application
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Practical skills station
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Recognizing suspected internal bleeding and the need for urgent evacuation
Module 4 — Airway and Breathing
1 hour
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Basic airway assessment and positioning
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Recognizing airway compromise
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Recognizing respiratory distress and possible serious chest injury
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Appropriate response and urgent EMS activation
Module 5 — Circulation, Shock, Hypothermia, and Head Injury
45 minutes
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Recognizing signs of shock
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Reassessment and patient monitoring
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Preventing heat loss
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Recognizing and communicating possible head injury
Module 6 — Operational Casualty Management
45 minutes
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Self-aid and buddy-aid
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Casualty movement and evacuation considerations
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Care priorities in dynamic environments
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Coordinating with arriving EMS
Module 7 — Medical Documentation and Handoff
30 minutes
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Recording observed injuries and changes in condition
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Documenting interventions and approximate times
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Communicating key information during EMS handoff
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Practice using sample scenarios
Module 8 — Integrated Practical Scenarios and Test-Out
1 hour 30 minutes
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Scenario-based casualty assessment
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Applying the MARCH sequence
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Bleeding control, airway positioning, and patient reassessment
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Medical communication and handoff
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Knowledge and practical skills test-out
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Instructor feedback
Closing and Questions
30 minutes
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Review of key concepts
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Student questions
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Course debrief and completion
Hands-On Training
This is a practical course, not a lecture-only class. Students will participate in skills stations, equipment familiarization, scenario-based exercises, and a final knowledge and skills test-out.
Students must demonstrate the skills required by the applicable Stop the Bleed® course requirements to receive its course completion certificate.
Enrollment and Eligibility
This is an open-enrollment course. Law enforcement officers, first responders, and members of the public are welcome to register. No professional affiliation or agency credentials are required.
All participants must follow course safety instructions and be able to participate safely in the practical training.