Enhancing tactical emergency care abilities in policing: a study of The Swedish Regional Task Force

Abstract This qualitative article explores how simulation and training in tactical emergency care can contribute to police professionals’ ability to provide specialized care to colleagues and civilians in mass casualty events, such as an active shooter situation. Using an ethnographic approach, two simulations of tactical prehospital emergency care were observed and analyzed. The observations took place in Western Sweden during November and December 2023, and each simulation featured different scenarios. The first scenario was a final exercise for medics in the regional task force, while the second involved an exercise with the regional task force, ambulances, an ambulance helicopter, and a Coast Guard helicopter. Through the analysis, five themes emerged, identified as factors that could both facilitate and hinder the ability to provide tactical emergency care. The results suggest that simulations of tactical emergency care should also include training in communication and cooperation to avoid diffusion of responsibility.