If an SEB member gets wounded or if the team comes upon injured victims, the deputy paramedics can render aid at the scene. The tactical EMT course is taught by the staff of the ESD division. SEB personnel teach tactics for getting to victims under fire. The course was started by Deputies Dave Rathbun and Ron Unger in 1994. Every morning, as class begins, there is a written test on the subject matter covered the day before, with new lectures to follow.
Subjects range from human physiology, to drug-induced comas, to the handling of snake bites.
Areas of study range from the ballistic impact of gunshot wounds, to handling broken bones, to dealing with heart attacks and neurological disorders. In addition to lectures, the course provides a great deal of hands-on training. In the second week, the class moved to the Glendale fire academy training tower for an entire day. The four-story tower provides a new experience for most of the students. ESD instructors teach students not only how to rappel to a victim, but also how to lower litters to rescue personnel below.