KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The International Board of Specialty Certification hosted a meeting in conjunction with their psychometric partner to update and review the job analyses for the Certified Tactical Paramedic (TP-C) and Certified Tactical Responder (TR-C) exams.
The TP-C exam establishes a single standard for all tactical paramedics in the military and law enforcement communities by validating the essential knowledge and judgment required for safe and competent practice in high-risk tactical environments.
The TR-C exam is the TP-C’s equivalent for validating the essential knowledge and judgment required by non-ALS providers in the high risk tactical environment.
The TP-C and TR-C exams are based on the 10 critical competency domains published in 2016 by the National TEMS Initiative and Council. The clinical guidelines are developed by the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care and the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care for the civilian and military communities, as well as the U.S. Special Operations Command Tactical Trauma Protocols.
These exams reflect best practices of tactical casualty care operations.
Certification establishes uniform standards for training with a valid, uniform process to assess the knowledge and skills required for competent practice required by professionals throughout their careers. Specialty certification in the paramedic community ensures that safe and effective care is provided to the public by way of an examination that is legally defensible and psychometrically sound.
Within the paramedic community, there are four specialty certification examinations to assess this higher level of competency – Certified Flight Paramedic, Certified Critical Care Paramedic, Certified Community Paramedic and the Certified Tactical Paramedic.
The TP-C was originally launched in 2011. Based upon best practices, a job analysis is completed every five years.
The TR-C is a logical off-shoot of the TP-C and is in response to the law enforcement community input that non-paramedic functioning in tactical environment would benefit from a similar certification process.
The expectation for the TP-C exam candidate is competency in casualty assessment, stabilization, and evacuation in hostile and austere environments; as well as thorough familiarity with tactical principles, triage and operational medicine. Candidates should have significant knowledge of the Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care and the Committee for Tactical Emergency Casualty Care guidelines, management of the full tactical injury spectrum (from less-than-lethal to CBRNE), force health protection and medico-legal aspects of TEMS.
The TP-C and TR-C exams are administered via web and computer-based formats and are available at designated testing centers worldwide. The IBSC also administers paper and pencil exams at national conferences and at requested host sites.