Nine firefighters are now integrated into the Duluth Police Department’s Tactical Response Team.

They are Tactical Emergency Medical Support Operators, or TEMS for short. And this all became official on Tuesday.

TEMS will be the initial medical responders on scene during high-risk calls for service. Their specialized training equips them to handle specific injuries sustained during those incidents, according to the department.

Sgt. Ian Johnson from the tactical team shared that this really started moving forward when he and a firefighter had a conversation at a baseball game. It had been an idea, but then after some legwork, became a reality.

He’s excited to see the departments working together. And he knows they have his back. “There’s definitely some comfort in that they are right there. It can make a difference whether you survive or not,” Johnson said.

WDIO met three of the TEMS on Thursday.

Cade Berg told us why he applied. “It seemed like a great opportunity, to not only help the city, but also advance our abilities to protect the citizens.”

Kennedy Halverson went through a bit of law enforcement training before she started fire school. “This is a great way to build relationships between the departments. The cops are always worrying about everyone else, and no one is worrying about them. It will be nice to have dedicated people looking out for them in these high risk situations.”

And Joe Dougherty acknowledged there’s more of a risk with this role. “But I feel comfortable, there’s a lot of good police officers in front of us, and looking out for us as well. We’re their lifeline, should something happen.”

The TEMS program is established by the National Tactical Officers Association.