An Overview and Basic Application of Operational Medicine in the Correctional Setting

In this episode, we define operational medicine and demonstrate the similarities of emergency correctional medicine during both man-made and environmental emergencies with combat medicine of the U.S. military. We show that although the U.S. prison system isn’t the same as nor should it be run the same as the U.S. military in a combat zone, some of the combat medicine lessons learned by the U.S. military during operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond can be applied to the U.S. correctional system. We will look at topics including the foundations of operational medicine, cooperation between medical and non-medical correctional staff in an emergency, the value of realistic emergency management training, scene security, resuscitation zones, use of tourniquets, moving injured people, and interagency cooperation.

This webinar is both an introduction to operational medicine and the preview webinar to a three-part webinar series in FY26 titled Operational Medicine for Prisons and Jails. This episode is titled "An Overview and Basic Application of Operational Medicine in the Correctional Setting" and is scheduled for September 17, 2025. Christopher Smith & CAPT Chad Garrett will be the presenters.