Lethbridge police and EMS teaming up for high-risk response

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on January 29, 2025.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge Police Service and Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services have partnered as part of a new initiative that will help save lives during high-risk incidents where every second counts.
Gerald Grobmeier, LPS Deputy Chief, says the addition of Tactical Emergency Medical Support (TEMS) will see seven advanced care paramedics, with specialized training and equipment, embedded with the Lethbridge Police Tactical Team to provide immediate medical care to injured civilians or officers at the scene of high-risk incidents, such as hostage-takings or active assailant scenarios.
“Prior to the implementation of TEMS, paramedics would be staged blocks or even further away from the location of an incident, resulting in delayed response times,” says Grobmeier. “Now, with the implementation of TEMS, paramedics will be right on scene.”
Over the past few years, LPS has seen an increase in Tactical Team deployments and in high-risk incidents involving weapons and violence. As a result, the agencies recognized they have a responsibility to address the increased risk of harm to members of the public and first responders.
“We’ve had some close calls, including a hostage-taking that resulted in a life-threatening injury to the victim,” says Grobmeier. “In that case, the victim fortunately survived.”
TEMS will also benefit Fire and Emergency services, says Chief Greg Adair.
“This initiative has been underway for many years (in other areas), and we are very excited that we are rolling it out in 2025,” he says.
The TEMS initiative was proposed by Sgt. Denton Michelson, who oversees the LPS Critical Incident Unit, and firefighter Peter Griffiths. The concept itself originated with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department in 1971 and has since expanded to agencies throughout North America. Lethbridge joins several other police agencies in Alberta who have TEMS programs.
“I think it is important to have the right people, with the right training, in the right places to save lives,” says Michelson, adding members of the tactical team have very limited medical training, so they want the experts to be as close as possible to save lives.
“When the next critical incident comes in, we’ll be calling over our TEMS medics to be joining the tactical team.”
Once the call for service comes in, two TEMS paramedics will go to the police station to put their safety equipment on, and they will jump in the armoured rescue vehicle and ride to the inner perimeter of any critical incident in the city of Lethbridge.
Griffiths says the selection process was arduous, with members of LFES selected for TEMS following a day-long testing process conducted by the LPS Tactical Team. 
Further training included specialized skills and equipment and a 40-hour Tactical Combat Casualty course with TAC members.
“They have been accumulating just shy of 100 hours each within the last 10 months and the training is obviously ongoing,” says Griffiths.
As part of the training, paramedics were exposed to simulated high-risk scenarios to help prepare them for calls involving weapons and violence. Ongoing training with the Tactical Team will take place multiple times each year.
“Back in March we joined training with them,” says Michelson. “During those 40 hours we covered things like introduction to critical incidents, canine medicine, they got an introduction to our weapons system.”
Trainees were also exposed to some potential drugs that they may encounter when going into the houses, an introduction to bombs and chemical ammunition, and how to properly decontaminate after an incident.
“We did a whole day of just scenarios where we induced a lot of stress on them so they can make good decisions when they are under stress,” says Michelson.
TEMS medics on scene will be of great help not only for the quick response to an emergency, but also to do a background checks on the people involved to identify any medications they might need.
“So they will be able to respond to treatment that much quicker once they enter into that environment,” says Michelson.
And in an emergency situations, every moment counts.
“When you’re dealing with arterial bleeds, you’re dealing with seconds, not minutes, so to have somebody that close that can stop it and save lives means a lot,” said Michelson.
Grobmeier adds that, in the past, LPS spent a lot of time, money and effort trying to train police officers to do some of these functions, but the reality is that those skills are perishable when they’re not used regularly. On the other hand, paramedics are using those skills daily and therefore are the experts and should be the ones taking care of those circumstances.
“While we hope that TEMS never be needed, their presence at the scene of high-risk calls, enhances our mutual commitment to provide the highest level of emergency care to members of the community and our first responders,” says Grobmeier.

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