Recognizing a need to provide the citizens of Naperville and the Naperville Police Department with advanced medical care in an austere and hostile environment, the Naperville Fire Department created a Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) team. The purpose of the TEMS program is to provide immediate access to medical care allowing the stabilization of injuries and triage of victims, despite hazardous conditions that might otherwise delay treatment. TEMS providers are responsible for providing care within the scope of the Edward Hospital Emergency Medical Services System, (EHEMSS) Standing Medical Orders (SMO) and current TEMS protocols. “Public safety for Naperville citizens is of the highest concern,” Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis said. “The TEMS team and partnership between the Fire and Police departments is just another example of how the City strives to serve its citizens in a time of extreme need by working together.”
Each TEMS team member is a state licensed Paramedic, certified in Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. In addition to daily routine training, TEMS team members log 204 hours of specialized training annually, and by the end of 2016 all team members will be certified Tactical Paramedics by the International Board of Specialty Certification.
With funding from the Naperville Fire Department and the Naperville Foreign Fire Insurance Board, the TEMS team was able to outfit its members with high quality ballistic protection and state of the art medical supplies. Each member of the TEMS team is able to handle a wide array of critical injuries relying solely on the equipment carried on their person.
In addition to SRT requests, TEMS medics are available to the city of Naperville in any instance deemed appropriate by the Fire Chief and Police Chief or their designees. These instances include but are not limited to:
- Large gatherings with an elevated medical threat level.
- Any disaster environment (man-made or natural).
- Any extended operation involving the Naperville Police Department where operational support is required and casualty evacuation time is extended.
The presence of the Tactical Emergency Medical Support team is just another example of how the City of Naperville strives to serve its citizens by working together. This joint venture not only shows our ability to work cohesively in a public safety role, it fosters a larger team atmosphere between the Fire and Police Departments.
