Garden City’s emergency response and firefighting teams are strengthening their medical response training.
The Garden City Park Fire District recently hosted a first responder medical “Train-the-Trainer” course, sponsored by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training program, a Texas-based national training and research organization that has trained over 200,000 first responders nationwide through federally funded programs.
The course brought together EMS and firefighters from the Garden City Park Fire Department, the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office, and representatives from other first response agencies throughout the region.
This training, rooted in the nationally recognized Tactical Emergency Casualty Care guidelines, was designed to equip law enforcement, fire, and EMS personnel with critical life-saving medical skills necessary to provide immediate care at the point of injury—especially during high-risk, active-threat situations such as school or workplace violence.
During the multi-day session, attendees were taught not only how to apply medical techniques, such as controlling life-threatening bleeding in a tactical environment, but also how to train others in these essential skills.
The course emphasized providing care during the most dangerous phases of response, including the “care under current or recent fire” scenario, enhancing responders’ ability to deliver medical aid under pressure.
A major focus of the training was the integration of law enforcement, fire, and EMS through the Rescue Task Force concept. This model promotes a coordinated and cohesive response to active attack or active shooter events, enhancing communication, resource sharing, and on-scene safety for both responders and victims.
Looking ahead, the Garden City Park Fire District said it plans to continue its commitment to community and responder safety by offering additional First Responder Medical and other ALERRT courses to emergency response agencies in the area.
The fire district said plans are also underway to provide the Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) course to local schools, houses of worship, and businesses.
The CRASE program delivers vital guidance and strategies for surviving active shooter situations. It covers topics such as civilian response options, medical response (including Stop the Bleed), and best practices for conducting safety drills.
