Who is the first to respond to every high-risk incident? Law enforcement.

Did your department issue you a tourniquet?
Did they give you a 5-minute block of instruction on how to use it?
Did you get any tactical medical training?

Did you know the best medical evidence is that tourniquets are only 70% effective on thighs?

If you are a law enforcement officer, you will see someone who has been shot. It is the reality of your job. Do you have a realistic understanding of what your duty weapon does to an assailant? Do you have a realistic expectation of what the assailant’s weapon can do to you? This course will help you separate the scientific realities of gunshot wounds from fiction.The FBI recommends a duty-load that penetrates 12-18 inches in ballistic gelatin. What’s the evidence behind those recommendations? How does ballistic gelatin compare to actual shootings?

In the aftermath of Sandy Hook, the Hartford Consensus recommended tactically relevant medical training for law enforcement, which was subsequently endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. As public access hemorrhage control kits become more widely available in public spaces, all First Responders should know what is in the kits and how to use them.

The White House’s Stop the Bleed program teaches hemorrhage control. Bleeding is not the only cause of death in high-risk environments. Although typically in law enforcement, we think of high-risk incidents as active shooter events, (Boston 2013, bombing not shooting, not an active shooter event) high-risk environments can include many other sources including unstable buildings from explosion or fire, and natural disasters. Ultimately, a high-risk incident is one where you are as worried about your own safety as you are that of the casualty.

Where does casualty evaluation and management fall within your priorities during a high-risk incident?
How do you take care of a casualty in an on-going tactical situation?
How does your medical treatment of a victim change when they were injured in an explosion?

In a high-risk event, you will have to move casualties. Do you know how to do that safely and efficiently? This course will teach you the answers to all of these topics and more.

Get Started

You will see multiple photos and videos of actual casualties to give you a better understanding and familiarization of the injuries and wounds you can expect to see. The first time you see a critically wounded person should not be when you are trying to render aid to a citizen or your fellow officers. Expecting the Fire Department or EMS to be there to manage massive hemorrhage is naive. A casualty can bleed to death in less than five minutes from massive hemorrhage; average EMS times well exceeded that time frame. If you are not prepared to help, you will watch the casualty die.

You are required to be CPR certified. That’s great for the public. This course will teach you how to manage life-threatening wounds to yourself, your partner, and the general public you are protecting. How much training did you have to take to get CPR or AED trained?4 hours? More? How much tactical medical training have you had? Did your agency issue you a tourniquet supported by medical literature? Or did someone select the life-saving equipment based on cost or appearance?

An Emergency Medicine physician can teach you the science. A former special-operations veteran can tell you what works. Mike Shertz, MD-18D can do both. With almost 20-years of law enforcement experience running a tactical medical program as an armed, embedded medic, Mike can integrate the medicine and tactics to apply them to the unique settings faced by law enforcement.

Our Student’s Experience

Not sure if online training is for you? Don’t take our word for it. See what our students say.

TRAIN NOWOnline Tactical Casualty Care Classes

Take this course... you will not regret it!

The information in this course would be valuable in a number of settings, but it's an absolute must for law enforcement. Having taken a ton of online courses (completed a Masters Degree online), I was really surprised at how well this course delivered. All of the content was relevant... NO fluff.

Dr. Shertz was an engaging presenter, and it was clearly evident that he knows his stuff. The section on wound ballistics was the most thorough information I'd ever gotten on the subject, both as a Marine and a Sheriff's Deputy, and it put casualty care approaches in context. Speaking as a School Resource Deputy, this should be required training for anyone who knows that they have the potential for being involved in an active violent event.

Anyone who carries a firearm should take this course.

Dr. Shertz has the unique ability to provide tactical medical training from both a Special Forces Medic (18D) background as well as being a board certified physician.

Being prepared to defend yourself or others from a violent incident includes being prepared to provide lifesaving medical attention when needed. Anyone who carries a firearm professionally or as an armed citizen should take this course.

Exactly like training with Doc Shertz in person.

I have known Doc Shertz since 2001. In nearly two decades of having received training from him, I have attended numerous courses he's taught including his five-day/44-hour in-person TCCC course.

The training I just received in the on-line Advanced TC2 course is exactly like training with Doc Shertz in person. This includes everything from the way he shares various stories to his sense of humor. If one can't train with him in person, his on-line training through Crisis Medicine is the next best thing!

Some things I really liked that stood out with the on-line course was the ability to skip around the various modules if needed, as well as being able to see how many minutes each module was ahead of time.

The short quizzes were good too. They offered just enough of an assessment to ensure the student was awake and not just "clicking through," but not challenging at all for folks who payed attention through the course material.

Overall, the video and sound production was very well done including background colors, visuals, etc. This included various camera angles and a good balance between Doc Shertz talking and the PowerPoint presentation he was going over. At no point did it ever feel like a "death by PowerPoint" type of presentation. The instructional format kept me interested the entire time.

Being in a reserve component of the military, I have completed countless on-line training courses that are required. I can honestly say the on-line course I just completed through Crisis Medicine was the best on-line course I have ever done.

Thank you Doc Shertz for another incredible training opportunity! Your on-line training format is remarkable and the content will definitely save lives. I will certainly recommend it to others!

Hands-down the best online training

I am on our Defensive Tactics Team. This material is hands-down the best online training I have attended. The material is fantastic and the ruggedly handsome guy is a great presenter.

...Both erudite and entertaining with a massive dose of brutal reality

The Crisis-Medicine TC2 Course is an outstanding block of curriculum for organizations aiming to bring individuals and groups up to a vital standard for emergency response to trauma casualties. Dr. Shertz delivers compelling and entertaining, no-nonsense solutions to critical problems. The material is both erudite and entertaining with a massive dose of brutal reality and comprehensive trauma problem solving for the tactical paradigm. Our unit has implemented this program as a required block for all personnel. Excellent training.

Agency-wide training: all positive feedback

My agency recently used the Wound Ballistics section for supplemental training for all our EMR certified police officers. The information was great and the officers learned a lot. This course is great for anyone who treats or creates gunshot wounds. I had nothing but positive feedback from all of our police officers. In addition, the staff at Crisis Medicine was great to work with!

...one of the top 10 trainings I've taken. Period.

My Lt asked me to evaluate the course and see if it was something we should offer to the rest of the agency. After taking this course, I am giving him a resounding yes.

In 25 years of LE experience, I have sat through HOURS of in-person and online training. This is by far one of the best online courses I have ever taken. I might even say the top 10trainings period. The Dr. was informative, engaging and enjoyable to watch.

As a police officer my sole duty is to protect and save lives, this course will hopefully allow me to do that better.

I was fortunate enough to take this course after completing TC2, which I thoroughly enjoyed. As a police officer, and current EMS student, I wanted to learn and see more of what I could do to help in the field. My theory on my profession, and my life, is to be as well rounded and educated as possible. This course, with the help of Dr. Shertz, certainly provided me what I was looking for. Honestly, I believe I learned more from Dr. Shertz in his courses, than I did an entire 18 week EMS course for Basic EMT.Not only did he address the basics, but he covered skills that directly translate into the real world in a way that is easy to follow. It's a lot of information, but it's useful information that can help save lives. As a police officer my sole duty is to protect and save lives, this course will hopefully allow me to do that better. After completing both TC2 & CTC2, I would more than recommend them to anyone interested in learning how to save a life in the field, regardless of skill level. It's easy to see Dr. Shertz is a stand up gentleman, aside from his well spoken lectures and sly humor, he cares for the education of others. I certainly hope I can pay it forward some day with the skills I learned from him.

Masterfully delivered through informative and entertaining lecture, combined with impressive visuals

I found the Advanced TC2 online course to be simply outstanding.

I have had the privilege of attending several of Dr. Shertz's live courses. The ATC2 online course provided the same high level of professional instruction as the in-person classes.

The ATC2 online course is well designed and intuitive to navigate. The comprehensive curriculum is masterfully delivered through informative and entertaining lecture, combined with impressive visuals. The time required for each section of the ATC2 course is clearly displayed, which made it easy for me to train during my erratic schedule on the narcotics unit.

I valued Dr. Shertz's no bull sh!t perspective when evaluating first aid gear.

The video scenarios do an excellent job of demonstrating how the techniques could be used in real-world situations.

Anyone who calls themselves a "first responder" needs the information in the ATC2 course. I would recommend Crisis Medicine courses to anyone who enjoys outdoor recreation such as hunting, hiking, and off-road motor-sports.

Thank you for sharing the knowledge.

I learned more than I did in 10 years of practicing medicine

Thank you for teaching such a fantastic course (Complete Tactical Casualty Care)! I learned more in the past week than I did in all of my education and the last ten years of practicing medicine. Thank you for what you do!

I've sat through hundreds of hours of online training. Dr. Shertz's course was totally different. He was engaging and authentic.

This is outstanding training. I'm a Firefighter, but I spent nearly a decade as a Federal agent, plus several years in two different branches of the military. In these jobs, I've sat through hundreds of hours of online training. Dr. Shertz's course was totally different. He was engaging and authentic. Rather than speeding through slides to get to the end of the course, I found myself taking notes, rewinding lectures, and viewing blocks of instruction multiple times until I was certain I understood the concepts. I appreciated his depth of knowledge and his passion for the subject matter is clear. This is a high-quality course that I'd recommend to both Firefighters and LEOs.

...Refreshing to watch an online class that kept my attention

After being in Public Safety for over 20 years in a mix of LE and Fire/EMS it was refreshing to watch an online class that kept my attention. Being a Tactical Medic this CE was extremely relevant and will do our team well. I look forward to the other classes Crisis-Medicine offers. I must also add the customer service is amazing. Prompt email response, and genuine willingness to work with us, and doing so the whole time in a nice friendly manner. You can not go wrong by using this group! Excellent job from A to Z.

I highly recommend this online course to any physician considering tactical medicine.

Recently I joined a SWAT Team as the team physician, after being a board-certified emergency physician for over 10 years with ATLS training I thought I was ready for the team. After taking the complete course I realized how much I did not know about Tactical Medicine.

After hours and hours covering relevant topics backed up by real-world experience and research studies, I feel much more confident that I can contribute to my SWAT team in a medical capacity. Mike gave solid advice of what works and what doesn't work, I felt he spoke my language as a physician and was very to-the-point. His experience as a Special Teams Medic and a current Emergency Physician made him the perfect instructor for this topic.

Wow, Fantastic

Having completed a TCCC prior to this I was a bit unsure doing one online, however, I had heard a lot about the good Doctor and took the plunge... and I'm glad I did, great work really enjoyed the course.

Keep up the great work.

Kept my interest start to finish

Great information, even better presentation of the material. A fantastic alternative to an in person class. It kept my interest start to finish (which is tough to do for cops). Nice job Doc!

The Advanced TC2 class was invaluable.

The Advanced TC2 class was invaluable.I’m glad this course was more than just learning about tourniquets for hemorrhage control. Having the hands-on practice of wound packing, wrapping junctional wounds, and needle decompression on real models has given me a lot of confidence in my ability to address more than just bleeding out of arms and legs.

The online course including wound packing videos was very helpful and informative. I think [our police] officers have a lot of comfort with tourniquets but because they’re only for arms and legs, and it was interesting to be given a possible solution for bleeding from other areas of the body where the tourniquet wouldn’t be appropriate.

The most educational TCCC course...

The absolute best TCCC course I've taken. I had multiple opportunities taking TCCC/CLS training from and with 68W and 18D in the past, but this course was the most educational one. Course was well designed with tons of good info including background info. I wish to take a hands-on class with Crisis Medicine to hone my skills if possible to test all the knowledge I learned through the online course. This course is highly recommendable to all military members and first responders, and I wish standard military medical training available to all service members is equivalent to this CM course.

The course was excellent... Extremely interesting

I have taken a few in-person courses with Dr. Shertz. I have taken two other TCCC courses, including a train the trainer. This was my first online course. The course was excellent. It felt like I was sitting in Dr. Shertz class during the lecture portions. Dr. Shertz is an excellent presenter and trainer with a smooth delivery and the ability to give a lot of information in a way that keeps your attention. You can tell that he is an expert in the field and that he is passionate about it. I like that Dr. Shertz gives you more information than just "do this." He gives background information and talks about how and why things are done. He gives a lot of information from studies in order to support his statements and the interventions taught. I found it extremely interesting.

It isn't always practical to find a local class or to travel for training. I think that is where these online courses come in. Take one of these online courses and follow it up with practicing the physical skills shown in the course. Any first responder, gun owner, parent, hunter, etc should know this stuff. Do the training before you need it.

I feel much more prepared after this course (on-line TC2).

I feel much more prepared after this course (on-line TC2). I am a South African Police officer, am certified in First Aid, and also did the Control The Bleed course (the same one you have in the US) recently.

This TC2 course really taught me a lot. I like the style in which Mike presents it and I value his opinions. The course stimulated me to think about certain concepts and I will surely carry this knowledge with wherever I go.

This online course brings you as close to real hands-on training as I can imagine

This online course brings you as close to real hands-on training as I can imagine and though it can’t replace practical training, it very likely outmatches many practical courses out there on the instructional side.

Mike Shertz has a solid background in combat casualty care in military, law enforcement, and civilian settings. He presents his material in a way that makes you feel like following an actual class. Good presentation skills and a sense of humour make it enjoyable to listen to him.

The online course is professionally made and offers you theory and skill videos, different quizzes about the topics of TCCC and a summary manual. After finishing the course, you can also print a certificate of your participation. You will learn not just how different techniques work, but also the why, results of different studies, historical background, statistics from military all over the world, and alternative techniques in case one doesn’t work. The videos contain a wide range of medical diagrams, pictures of casualties, videos where you see the techniques conducted on actual patients, followed by “pig-lab” videos and training on dummies, and even cadavers.

I highly liked the Instructor’s mindset regarding having a Plan B. By the end of the course you will not just have a primary and alternative, but also a contingency and emergency plan for almost all the techniques. His SF background really shows up, when he shows you how to improvise with the most basic and often improvised tools, in case you run out of commercially available products.

If you are looking for a way to self-study and improve your knowledge about this topic, I can highly recommend this course.

Dr. Shertz's style of teaching and down-to-earth attitude made the presentations enjoyable.

If you are looking for a TCCC course as initial instruction or as a refresher, this is the one. The way that the videos were setup into modules made it easy to complete while at work, in between calls for service. The videos and photographs used in the program gave a real-world look at the injuries we may encounter. The wound ballistics lesson was especially interesting as it provided insight into what type of wound you can expect from a gunshot. I would absolutely recommend this class to others and will be looking to take the advanced course soon.

The course is fantastic!

I am a Engineer/Paramedic with Bend Fire & Rescue. I am also a Tactical Medic with the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team (CERT). My fellow team medic and I were tasked with taking your course as a "test run" to determine if it is an effective way to educate the entire Bend Police Department on TCCC. We both intend to report back an enthusiastic 'yes' (in spite of the frequent disparaging remarks about Marines and our affinity for coloring books, reflective stickers and bouncy balls). Furthermore, we look forward to your company recommencing with in-person courses, so that the two of us can hone our robust and godlike medical skills for the tactical environment.

* [Note from Crisis Medicine, we deny any disparaging remarks about said coloring books, reflective stickers and bouncy balls.]

This course is amazing for an online course.

No death by power point here. I definitely felt as if I was in the classroom the entire time. Hands down best online course for any subject matter I have taken.