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A tactical medical team consists of first responders who are trained in special operations and basic EMT skills. Being trained in both areas allows tactical medics to attend to the wounded as quickly as possible, even when a scene is not secure. By outfitting a crisis response team with at least one of these multifunctional individuals, agencies can save precious time and, as a result, lives.

Defensive Tactics Instructor Richard Nance uses Officer.com Editor Frank Borelli as a demonstration punching bag to show various striking techniques using personal body weapons: hands, elbows, knees, shins, feet and head.

Already tasked with many responsibilities, firefighter duties are expanding in a few cities to include more medical care. Unlike tactical medical teams, where EMTs are given tactical skills to use on the scene, this medical attention occurs after an individual has been discharged from the hospital.

May there never ever be another Sandy Hook. However, if the situation arises where first responders need to address an active shooter, we want them to be ready. After taking part in Urban Shield, the hope is all tactical teams will use radio communications effectively - allowing connected teachers and tactical teams to enable the fastest response possible to keep students safe.

Every day, police officers encounter situations that invoke and challenge their training. As they try to adhere to department policies, a changing world tests the validity and effectiveness of those decisions. Critical attention is being paid to high-profile incidents involving use of force. Communities are demanding that law enforcement revisit their training content to find tactics that better address concerns of public safety. While that transition may be difficult, injecting technology at key points in police training and operations can help lower resistance to change. Body cameras are already having an impact on policing, and training simulators offer a safe environment in which to prepare for emerging real-world challenges. As a result, officers may be more willing to shift their routines to meet the needs of their communities without sacrificing their own safety.

Firefighters and law-enforcement agencies in Riverside County are practicing or discussing new federal guidelines that, in order to save more lives, recommend sending armor-wearing medics into mass-casualty attacks before shooters or bombers are subdued. San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies and Rancho Cucamonga firefighters, meanwhile, are years ahead of the guidelines that the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued in September. The tactic is a departure from the common practice of making firefighters wait in safe areas for the all-clear from police before entering a scene to tend to the wounded. The impetus for change, said San Bernardino County sheriff's Lt. Danielle Boldt, began with the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado that killed 13 people.

To be effective, military personnel require a unique blend of physical fitness and mental toughness. Some units are improving these skills by revamping their athletic training programs.

Many of the principles involved in offensive tactics of Movement to Contact (MTC) can be used by law enforcement. For the purposes of this article, MTC has one objective and that's to close in with and engage the active shooter.

The introduction of the iPhone, and with it the smartphone revolution in 2007, has been both a boon and a bane for law enforcement. While apps and constant connectivity have enhanced police officers' productivity, the legal landscape surrounding society's use of these devices continues to evolve. The resulting uncertainty occasionally leads to makeshift policies, undesirable press coverage, and lengthy court battles. As the law in this domain solidifies, departments must be quick to recognize appropriate tactics and quickly adopt effective policies. A more pronounced area of smartphone jurisprudence centers around citizens recording on-duty police officers, which is now legal in every jurisdiction of the United States. Nevertheless, misunderstandings about two-party consent laws and wiretap statutes have resulted in a substantial number of improper arrests and detentions in recent years. As a result, departments have not only been responsible for more than $1 million in related settlements over the past three years, but have also faced heavy scrutiny by the public and in the media for these events. Through proactive training, departments have an opportunity to stop the bleeding of public trust and shape perception of law enforcement for the better.

Several months ago I taught a class on successful strategies and tactics for implementing on-line training and education. The class curriculum required a "status report" on the state of computer based training in public safety. In preparation for the class I conducted a web based survey of public safety trainers and senior staff officers. The reason for this specific group was to better understand and hear from trainers in the classroom and those in budget decision positions.

Several months ago I taught a class on successful strategies and tactics for implementing on-line training and education. The class curriculum required a "status report" on the state of computer based training in public safety. In preparation for the class I conducted a web based survey of public safety trainers and senior staff officers. The reason for this specific group was to better understand and hear from trainers in the classroom and those in budget decision positions.

Examine past incidents critical to the advancement of law enforcement tactics and culture when responding to issues of public safety.

Faced with new threats, first responders put their training to the test in 2014. Law enforcement agencies, disaster workers and even school teachers learned new practices and honed their instincts to better allow them to survive stressful situations while caring for others. As the year comes to an end, we look back on how comprehensive training strategies contributed to effective emergency responses

In advance of President Barack Obama's 2015 State of the Union address, the White House provided the public with "spoilers" prior to the speech. This is unusual; new proposals are kept secret until the last minute as a political tactic to maximize the power of the speech. From free community college to enhanced cybersecurity protocols, a few of these issues will have direct impact on our nation's first responders - See more at: http://www.envisagenow.com/state-of-the-union-previews-key-initiatives-to-watch-in-2015/#sthash.e4hRNXDg.H5qYVkri.dpuf

The interests of public safety demand that law enforcement training programs should be continuously updated. Over the past few decades, federal and state authorities responded to this demand by passing legislation geared toward improving basic law enforcement training programs. This legislation intended to present officers with realistic challenges they may face and solutions they must employ in the line of duty. Within this real-life frame, individual departments can tailor their own local training strategies to provide the most effective tactics for their specific jurisdictions.

Every chief, sheriff and departmental purchasing agent will start off 2014 with their eyes on some old issues and new trends to follow this year. New trends to follow next year will vary from the smaller department to the larger and add urban and rural filters to it. What are some of the trends or issues to follow, here are a few.

Your firearms and equipment are the lifesaving tools of our profession. Their functionality and reliability should be without question or hesitation. Your safety should never be compromised. If you have issue with the function of your carry weapons, seek out a qualified armor and do so within departmental bounds.

Over-the-top, paranoid, excessive, obsessive, "it ain't gonna happen to me," or "that kind of stuff doesn't happen here." Pick your adjective or catch phrase used to describe prepared officers. "You don't need all that stuff on-duty,": a full-size handgun, spare magazines, concealed or external body armor, back-up gun, spare flashlight, tourniquet or battlefield dressing, patrol knife, all on your person with a 5.56 carbine spare magazines carried in a shoulder bag in the patrol vehicle as well as rifle rated Level IV armored plates and carrier, and even more equipment in a bag in the trunk.