from staff reports
Around 30 officers, doctors, and paramedics gathered in Meridian to take part in "Tactical Medic" training sessions at Meridian Public Safety Training Facility over the weekend.
The training was for those medical personnel who will in the future be accompanying SWAT teams into hostile environments. The medics learned how to shoot, move, and other procedures they will need to work alongside SWAT teams members in a variety of urban situations. They also learned how to treat K-9 officers that are injured during operations.
Local physcians Dr. Raul Pinion and Dr. Chad Vega, along with Metro Ambulance paramedic John Tullos took part in the training, which also included the use of Air Care, the medical helicopter for University Medical Center in Jackson stationed at Key Field.
Erik Shirley, spokesman for the training facility, said Pinion has military service in Iraq and is very familiar with many of the SWAT team weapons and concepts.
The three-day training also covered life support, how to stack up to enter buildings and rooms, how to make entry, shooting rifles and pistols, and different live-fire shooting scenarios.
Although the training was conducted by the training facility here, participants had to pay their own way or have an agency they are employed by pay for them.
