Media Contact: Mark E. Brady, Chief Spokesperson, 240-508-7930
On June 7, 2013, the Prince
George’s County Police Department held its Emergency Services Team (EST) School
graduation. The graduates were from surrounding
jurisdictions, and one was from the Prince George’s County Fire/Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) Department. Fire
Fighter/Medic Lieutenant Michael Buffum (shown below) graduated from Session 30
and was elected class leader by his fellow classmates. Lieutenant Buffum recently has been assigned
to the Tactical Emergency Medicine (TEM) Program, jointly overseen by the
Fire/EMS and Police Departments. The
program’s objective is to provide medical response in situations posing a high
threat.
Battalion Chief Michael
Marino, the program facilitator, stated, “This is an important milestone for the
department and Lieutenant Buffum. It
demonstrates the continued support and expansion each organization has invested
in this collaborative venture. The TEM
Program will place emergency medical resources at or near the point of injury, which
is far forward of traditional zones of EMS care. The 3-week training is grueling and demands
both mental and physical toughness to successfully complete. EST school teaches basic SWAT operations, along
with high threat medical care, to students from all over the National Capital
Region. It is highly regarded as one of
the toughest SWAT schools in the region.
I am proud of Lieutenant Buffum’s personal accomplishment of completing
the school, as well as the department’s continued commitment to the
program.”
High threat medicine is an
important and especially timely topic, with incidents like the Boston Marathon
bombings and numerous active shooter incidents over the past few years. Advances in casualty care, gleaned from
military experience and aggressive pre-hospital trauma care, have increased
survivability from previously unsurvivable injuries. All of this translates into the civilian
environment through the implementation of tactical emergency casualty care
(TECC), which guides the provision of high threat medicine.
Battalion Chief Marino, a nearly
13-year veteran, has been active with EST for the past 2 years. This placement of Fire/EMS Department
paramedics is part of a personnel exchange program with the Police Department. For every paramedic assigned to EST, a County
Police Officer is assigned to the Fire/EMS Department. Currently there are two full-time Police
Officers assigned to the Office of the Fire Marshal. These officers perform a variety of law
enforcement functions in support of fire investigators.
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| Fire/EMS Battalion Chief Marino can be seen on a training evolution simulating an approach of an
apartment complex for a high risk search warrant. Marino is the one with MEDIC across his back. Photo credit J. Finnerin |
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