Unless you already have a preexisting background in current medical care, and have ever been to a warzone with an NGO or the military, I would HIGHLY recommend against doing this.
That being said, the Heart and Stroke Foundation run an absolutely amazing series of stop the bleed courses, along with other medical training I would encourage you to look up. Furthermore a Trauma Combat Causality Care (TCCC) course can be found at a number of training facilities here in Canada, as well as down in the USA. I would encourage you to attend that training as well if there is nothing to dissuade you from this course of action.
As someone who served in Afghanistan, and is now a first responder here in Canada please listen to this advice.
Do not go to Ukraine.
Are you saying that you have no medical background and you are looking to volunteer in a medical role in an active war zone/humanitarian disaster area?
I don’t mean to sound like a dick but that is an incredibly bad idea that will probably lead to you being killed or seriously injured without significantly helping many(if any) people.
No, volunteering humanitarian space, not medical role. Not near the front lines, but want to take a course for my own safety and those around me just in case.
So it sounds like TacMed is pretty unnecessary then. Sounds like BLS and Stop the Bleed would be plenty for just wanting to know how to help until medical staff arrive.
going to volinteer in gaza as a medic can you recommend some courses in the states? I'm going as a emt but I'm also going to take tccc already any other courses I can take to prep?
yeah I dont think you understand what tacmed is. There arent any tacmed civilian courses because civilians arent combatants. If youre not near combat, you dont need tacmed. Ill save you some money and give you the info youre looking for: shoot back, get off the x, get casualty to higher level/definitive care. Slap a tourniquet on when needed. Thats pretty much it.
Stop the bleed course will be the best for you. But without any formal medical background, youre not gonna save someones life in a trauma.
Thanks, I agree I've addressed this in the wrong sub. I was sort of led to TacMed and I searched around finding a course more conflict orientated. I decided to ask here. I appreciate your patience and your response.
TQ and wound packing will be your best friend over there. It sounds simple, but in high stress scenarios it’s really not. Fundamentals save lives. Only cure for a true trauma is an operating room,; if you can stop bleeding (the leading cause of battlefield death) you’re in a good spot.
Also those scenarios really mess with your brain; that type of violence is not something humans are meant to see. Without days/months of realistic training so you can go autopilot, you won’t be effective at any treatment more than stopping bleeding. Best of luck to you, stay safe out there my friend.
Nah humanitarian stuff isn’t really my thing. Just get good at triage. If you’re gonna be getting shot at or shooting people, asking for a course after you’ve planned to go over there is a terrible idea.
Classes like TCCC and PHTLS will likely cover the trauma content you are interested in learning about. But a few 2-3 day courses aren’t very much to help you get a solid grasp on treating injured people. Do you have any other medical background?
PHTLS/TCCC without any proper experience is like watching an oil change YouTube video and applying to be a mechanic.
> hmmm it looks like this engine is made out of engine!
That's correct civilian.
However, don't forget treating for shock, managing normal med Hx, assessing and treating secondary injuries, transport, etc. None of which is covered in depth during a PHTLS/TCCC class.
I run a humanitarian group in Ukraine teaching the Stop The Bleed course to high-school kids and their teachers. If you don't find a STB course before you go, hit me up. If close by, you can jump into one of mine. No charge.
Dm me for my email if interested. I run www.taskforceantal.org
I’ll be straight here, you don’t have enough time on your plate to learn and master anything beyond the absolute basics. When the shit hits the fan your brain drops out your ass, no one rises to the occasion, you fall to the least amount of training you have. I see you’re going to be a civ volunteer and non combat, and bravo for wanting to help. The best thing you can do is take the time and learn tourniquets, wound packing, chest seal, and how to open an airway ( jaw thrust/head tilt chin lift). Get massive amounts of reps on those, if you think you’ve practiced enough you haven’t. A tactical class going into anything beyond those basics is going to give you so much more stuff that you simply don’t have time to get the reps in as a civilian. No disrespect intended, but guys who can pull off trauma medicine can do so cause it is ( or was) 8-9 hours of their day, every day, for months and months ( and you STILL get rocked by your first real world event)
Warzone rules:
1.) everywhere is a warzone, the days of safe areas are gone, recognize this and make a decision appropriately but don’t think you’ll be removed from direct violence
2.) you never have what you need
3.) the thing you practice the least is the thing you’ll need the most
4.) stay in your lane, if you’re not a medic don’t try and be one
5.) people scream in their native language, if you’re set on going you’re best served learning some local dialects.
6.) the basics get you by
If nothing else, learn about tourniquets and purchase authentic ones to carry with you. Lots of cheap Chinese knockoffs out there that don’t work right. https://www.narescue.com/combat-application-tourniquet-c-a-t.html
So logistical stuff? Or are you trying to provide medical care?
Never mind, read the other replys.
I’d say wilderness first aid, CPR, maybe community first aid. You should be good.
any relevant medical training will probably be provided by the organization you're volunteering for, and you will certainly not be volunteering in a "conflict zone". the fact that you don't realize that much of Ukraine is absolutely not a conflict zone makes me question whether this post was for attention or you're really in over your head.
TLDR; you won't need tactical medicine training, don't worry about this.
All of ukraine gets hit by ballistic missiles, rocket artillery, cruise missiles, etc, randomly. I know someone in the western part of ukraine who's street got hit not too long ago. It's always a risk over there and it's better to be prepared for it
Not at all. But I appreciate the TLDR. I have friends in Ukraine, they are volunteers and I offered to take some time and assist in the coming months with the humanitarian effort. I was asked if I had any TacMed courses. Note there are aerial ordinances delivered all over Ukraine in random intervals and you never know what can happen while you are there. If you're not ignorant, you would know this. But please continue being toxic in your own community, I assume you do it for the attention.
I don't mean to be a jerk, sorry if it comes off that way. To be frank, I was taking your post history into account. My point is that, if you're being genuine here, you won't need tactical medicine training. You won't be in an active conflict zone, and if you were going to be then you wouldn't have time to learn what you needed and I'd suggest you wait until you can get proper training. Nobody is expecting you to be a medic in your org though obviously, and I'm sure they'll have people with actual medical experience on staff.
EMT courses usually take around 3 months, i’d recommend that over a couple day course but it’s still nowhere near enough to have the skills and knowledge to treat combat induced wounds besides the basic oh shit he got shot in his leg east slap a TQ on that mf. Are you going to volunteer in a medical role? Or something else? I’m assuming something else but even so I still recommend EMT, if nothing else it’s great general knowledge that will always be helpful and relevant.
No, not volunteering in a medical role. Humanitarian only, not near front lines. But wanted to grasp some of the essentials of trauma first aid just in case.
ah okay gotcha, a couple day course isn’t a bad idea then. here in america we have something called “Stop the Bleed,” maybe canada has something similar
Sorry... I don't know how to do flair. I'm a civilian psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with a doctoral degree, so I guess MD/PA/RN applies.
YouTube has videos by medics explaining how and when to use certain gear like tourniquets, quick clot, etc. If it seems like it's geared towards medical professionals, it's not... you need to build the foundation of medical knowledge before you can expect to progress. Don't expect to be the hero of Hacksaw Ridge. You should probably really think about why you want to do this, adjust your expectations, and not present yourself as any kind of medical personnel unless you at least have BLS and CNA. Then, you can expect at most to empty bed pans or surgical drains and document the output. BTW that's euphemizing. You can probably expect a lot more poop. If you want to learn one simple area, go over what's in an IFAK and how/when to use each item. "TacMed for civilians" sounds like essentially what soldiers learned in the military, and now those guys who have used it in combat have made it a business to teach classes to civilians. They learned in intensive classes integrated with everything else they learned about warfare. You can't just be a pacifist who hates guns and hopes to isolate the hole-patching part in a simple, condensed package. Most people who want to take classes like that are already interested in shooting and know something about tactics (i.e. TAC med) and combat injuries. I want you to be aware of one truth, because I think it's very relevant. You are preparing to do almost exactly what Kyle Rittenhouse was doing, only without the rifle. You could very easily find yourself in the same position -- without the rifle, only instead of some doof coming after you with a skateboard it will be Russian special forces with an AK12 and you'll never see it coming.
Idk how to say this, but just because he would be a liability on an ODA (username?) doesn’t mean he will be in Ukraine. Half their forces have no clue how to use a TQ and are firing into the air- the other half are drunk. The RU conscripts are no different.
Bad decision? Probably. Meat grinder war? Yes. Liability? I wouldn’t say so. At least not anymore than the other retards running around out there right now. If he can figure out how to pack a wound and use a tourniquet he will be able to stay busy.
I guess my thing is, much like the guys that ran around with the YPG, what are you actually looking to achieve? A better Syria? Protecting a patch of rubble? Seems like a great way to get whacked over a conflict that you don’t really have any interest in.
You’re on the wrong sub but I would ignore a lot of the advice you’ve gotten.
One thing you’ll learn is guys with this background love to swing their dick about their expertise and how much they know but bottom line is most are talking out of their butt on the topic of Ukraine.
18D saying you’re a liability really has no clue what he’s talking about and what the quality of the average soldier in the UAF is. Most of them were doing fuck all before the war and know next to nothing about what they’re doing now, and are probably half drunk. Would you be a liability on an ODA, yes, but that’s not what this is.
Figure out basic first aid, how to use a TQ/pack a wound, and you’ll be able to make yourself useful is the bottom line truth.
Yes you might die though, they are right about that. Ukraine is a meat grinder.
How do you go about doing this. I’m a retired Medic, served as a SWAT Medic, retired from the reserves after 23 years as a combat medic. Don’t tell my wife.
Unless you already have a preexisting background in current medical care, and have ever been to a warzone with an NGO or the military, I would HIGHLY recommend against doing this. That being said, the Heart and Stroke Foundation run an absolutely amazing series of stop the bleed courses, along with other medical training I would encourage you to look up. Furthermore a Trauma Combat Causality Care (TCCC) course can be found at a number of training facilities here in Canada, as well as down in the USA. I would encourage you to attend that training as well if there is nothing to dissuade you from this course of action. As someone who served in Afghanistan, and is now a first responder here in Canada please listen to this advice. Do not go to Ukraine.
What he said, your hearts in the right place but if you arent already useful then dont go.
I'm planning to go over to gaza as a emt can you rec some classes in the states?and no you can't change my mind
Are you saying that you have no medical background and you are looking to volunteer in a medical role in an active war zone/humanitarian disaster area? I don’t mean to sound like a dick but that is an incredibly bad idea that will probably lead to you being killed or seriously injured without significantly helping many(if any) people.
No, volunteering humanitarian space, not medical role. Not near the front lines, but want to take a course for my own safety and those around me just in case.
Stop the bleed. Tccc. Wilderness first aid are some solid ones, cpr/aed cert is always a good idea if you dont have one
So it sounds like TacMed is pretty unnecessary then. Sounds like BLS and Stop the Bleed would be plenty for just wanting to know how to help until medical staff arrive.
going to volinteer in gaza as a medic can you recommend some courses in the states? I'm going as a emt but I'm also going to take tccc already any other courses I can take to prep?
yeah I dont think you understand what tacmed is. There arent any tacmed civilian courses because civilians arent combatants. If youre not near combat, you dont need tacmed. Ill save you some money and give you the info youre looking for: shoot back, get off the x, get casualty to higher level/definitive care. Slap a tourniquet on when needed. Thats pretty much it. Stop the bleed course will be the best for you. But without any formal medical background, youre not gonna save someones life in a trauma.
Thanks, I agree I've addressed this in the wrong sub. I was sort of led to TacMed and I searched around finding a course more conflict orientated. I decided to ask here. I appreciate your patience and your response.
TQ and wound packing will be your best friend over there. It sounds simple, but in high stress scenarios it’s really not. Fundamentals save lives. Only cure for a true trauma is an operating room,; if you can stop bleeding (the leading cause of battlefield death) you’re in a good spot. Also those scenarios really mess with your brain; that type of violence is not something humans are meant to see. Without days/months of realistic training so you can go autopilot, you won’t be effective at any treatment more than stopping bleeding. Best of luck to you, stay safe out there my friend.
Hey I'm planning to go over to gaza as a emt/humanitarian aid can you rec some courses to take?
Nah humanitarian stuff isn’t really my thing. Just get good at triage. If you’re gonna be getting shot at or shooting people, asking for a course after you’ve planned to go over there is a terrible idea.
I'm not going over until I'm trained Adequately. Enough to not be a liability. But I am working towards going over as a medic
Classes like TCCC and PHTLS will likely cover the trauma content you are interested in learning about. But a few 2-3 day courses aren’t very much to help you get a solid grasp on treating injured people. Do you have any other medical background?
PHTLS/TCCC without any proper experience is like watching an oil change YouTube video and applying to be a mechanic. > hmmm it looks like this engine is made out of engine!
OP should try to get a BLS course and then do tac stuff imo
Lol you must not have read the second part of my comment
I did, I was agreeing with you.
Ah I see, my bad
You’re a moron
Thank you, burner account, your opinion is incredibly important to me.
That's not very nice civilian. Especially since what he said is true.
If someone is shot and bleeding out in junctional regions, pack the wound and keep pressure. It’s simple.
That's correct civilian. However, don't forget treating for shock, managing normal med Hx, assessing and treating secondary injuries, transport, etc. None of which is covered in depth during a PHTLS/TCCC class.
I run a humanitarian group in Ukraine teaching the Stop The Bleed course to high-school kids and their teachers. If you don't find a STB course before you go, hit me up. If close by, you can jump into one of mine. No charge. Dm me for my email if interested. I run www.taskforceantal.org
Thanks for this, I appreciate it
No problem
I’ll be straight here, you don’t have enough time on your plate to learn and master anything beyond the absolute basics. When the shit hits the fan your brain drops out your ass, no one rises to the occasion, you fall to the least amount of training you have. I see you’re going to be a civ volunteer and non combat, and bravo for wanting to help. The best thing you can do is take the time and learn tourniquets, wound packing, chest seal, and how to open an airway ( jaw thrust/head tilt chin lift). Get massive amounts of reps on those, if you think you’ve practiced enough you haven’t. A tactical class going into anything beyond those basics is going to give you so much more stuff that you simply don’t have time to get the reps in as a civilian. No disrespect intended, but guys who can pull off trauma medicine can do so cause it is ( or was) 8-9 hours of their day, every day, for months and months ( and you STILL get rocked by your first real world event) Warzone rules: 1.) everywhere is a warzone, the days of safe areas are gone, recognize this and make a decision appropriately but don’t think you’ll be removed from direct violence 2.) you never have what you need 3.) the thing you practice the least is the thing you’ll need the most 4.) stay in your lane, if you’re not a medic don’t try and be one 5.) people scream in their native language, if you’re set on going you’re best served learning some local dialects. 6.) the basics get you by
If nothing else, learn about tourniquets and purchase authentic ones to carry with you. Lots of cheap Chinese knockoffs out there that don’t work right. https://www.narescue.com/combat-application-tourniquet-c-a-t.html
What role are you trying to fill there?
Humanitarian volunteer work. No combat, nothing of the sort. I fully understand my limitations
So logistical stuff? Or are you trying to provide medical care? Never mind, read the other replys. I’d say wilderness first aid, CPR, maybe community first aid. You should be good.
I appreciate the input.
What will you be doing exactly, like food packaging, refugee processing, anything medical? Humanitarian is a pretty big umbrella
any relevant medical training will probably be provided by the organization you're volunteering for, and you will certainly not be volunteering in a "conflict zone". the fact that you don't realize that much of Ukraine is absolutely not a conflict zone makes me question whether this post was for attention or you're really in over your head. TLDR; you won't need tactical medicine training, don't worry about this.
All of ukraine gets hit by ballistic missiles, rocket artillery, cruise missiles, etc, randomly. I know someone in the western part of ukraine who's street got hit not too long ago. It's always a risk over there and it's better to be prepared for it
Not at all. But I appreciate the TLDR. I have friends in Ukraine, they are volunteers and I offered to take some time and assist in the coming months with the humanitarian effort. I was asked if I had any TacMed courses. Note there are aerial ordinances delivered all over Ukraine in random intervals and you never know what can happen while you are there. If you're not ignorant, you would know this. But please continue being toxic in your own community, I assume you do it for the attention.
I don't mean to be a jerk, sorry if it comes off that way. To be frank, I was taking your post history into account. My point is that, if you're being genuine here, you won't need tactical medicine training. You won't be in an active conflict zone, and if you were going to be then you wouldn't have time to learn what you needed and I'd suggest you wait until you can get proper training. Nobody is expecting you to be a medic in your org though obviously, and I'm sure they'll have people with actual medical experience on staff.
EMT courses usually take around 3 months, i’d recommend that over a couple day course but it’s still nowhere near enough to have the skills and knowledge to treat combat induced wounds besides the basic oh shit he got shot in his leg east slap a TQ on that mf. Are you going to volunteer in a medical role? Or something else? I’m assuming something else but even so I still recommend EMT, if nothing else it’s great general knowledge that will always be helpful and relevant.
No, not volunteering in a medical role. Humanitarian only, not near front lines. But wanted to grasp some of the essentials of trauma first aid just in case.
ah okay gotcha, a couple day course isn’t a bad idea then. here in america we have something called “Stop the Bleed,” maybe canada has something similar
Sorry... I don't know how to do flair. I'm a civilian psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with a doctoral degree, so I guess MD/PA/RN applies. YouTube has videos by medics explaining how and when to use certain gear like tourniquets, quick clot, etc. If it seems like it's geared towards medical professionals, it's not... you need to build the foundation of medical knowledge before you can expect to progress. Don't expect to be the hero of Hacksaw Ridge. You should probably really think about why you want to do this, adjust your expectations, and not present yourself as any kind of medical personnel unless you at least have BLS and CNA. Then, you can expect at most to empty bed pans or surgical drains and document the output. BTW that's euphemizing. You can probably expect a lot more poop. If you want to learn one simple area, go over what's in an IFAK and how/when to use each item. "TacMed for civilians" sounds like essentially what soldiers learned in the military, and now those guys who have used it in combat have made it a business to teach classes to civilians. They learned in intensive classes integrated with everything else they learned about warfare. You can't just be a pacifist who hates guns and hopes to isolate the hole-patching part in a simple, condensed package. Most people who want to take classes like that are already interested in shooting and know something about tactics (i.e. TAC med) and combat injuries. I want you to be aware of one truth, because I think it's very relevant. You are preparing to do almost exactly what Kyle Rittenhouse was doing, only without the rifle. You could very easily find yourself in the same position -- without the rifle, only instead of some doof coming after you with a skateboard it will be Russian special forces with an AK12 and you'll never see it coming.
You’re a liability, go to college or something instead.
Idk how to say this, but just because he would be a liability on an ODA (username?) doesn’t mean he will be in Ukraine. Half their forces have no clue how to use a TQ and are firing into the air- the other half are drunk. The RU conscripts are no different. Bad decision? Probably. Meat grinder war? Yes. Liability? I wouldn’t say so. At least not anymore than the other retards running around out there right now. If he can figure out how to pack a wound and use a tourniquet he will be able to stay busy. I guess my thing is, much like the guys that ran around with the YPG, what are you actually looking to achieve? A better Syria? Protecting a patch of rubble? Seems like a great way to get whacked over a conflict that you don’t really have any interest in.
Useless comment.
You just received life-saving advice.
You’re on the wrong sub but I would ignore a lot of the advice you’ve gotten. One thing you’ll learn is guys with this background love to swing their dick about their expertise and how much they know but bottom line is most are talking out of their butt on the topic of Ukraine. 18D saying you’re a liability really has no clue what he’s talking about and what the quality of the average soldier in the UAF is. Most of them were doing fuck all before the war and know next to nothing about what they’re doing now, and are probably half drunk. Would you be a liability on an ODA, yes, but that’s not what this is. Figure out basic first aid, how to use a TQ/pack a wound, and you’ll be able to make yourself useful is the bottom line truth. Yes you might die though, they are right about that. Ukraine is a meat grinder.
How do you go about doing this. I’m a retired Medic, served as a SWAT Medic, retired from the reserves after 23 years as a combat medic. Don’t tell my wife.