Tactical Empathy for K9s—A New Standard for EMS

It was a normal emergency medical services (EMS) day, which meant nothing was normal. As a flight nurse and paramedic for Aeromed—the rotor wing service for Tampa General Hospital with four bases covering 23 Florida counties—I’ve experienced that every call brings something different. On this particular day, I was finishing paperwork from a prior flight when my phone rang. The caller ID showed a battalion chief and SWAT team member from one of the agencies we support.

After a few quick pleasantries, he asked a question that stopped me cold, “Hey, I’ve got an odd question. Would you guys transport a law enforcement K9?” I paused, not because I didn’t want to help, but because I realized how unprepared I was to answer his question with confidence. This topic wasn’t covered in orientation, it wasn’t in our protocols, and it wasn’t something I’d ever been asked before. I said, “Yes,” but I immediately hedged with something I hated saying out loud, “I don’t know if administration would support it.”

If you’re reading this, you may be thinking the same thing I was thinking in that moment. Can your agency transport a K9 in your state? Do your EMS personnel have any training in how to assess and treat injured police canines? Do you have the equipment to manage bleeding, airway, and shock in a working dog? And, if you wanted to do the right thing today, could your system confidently support it with policy, medical direction, and a clear destination plan?