On August 3, 2010, in Manchester, CT, a disgruntled employee shot and killed eight fellow workers and just over two years later a twenty-year-old male shot and killed twenty-six children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. The increasing frequency and complexities of these incidents demonstrate the need for all emergency agencies to collaborate and train for this sad new reality of society.
With the recent rise in Active Shooter Incidents (ASI) the author David C. Billings, wrote the Executive Fire Officer Paper, EMS Under Fire: Developing an Active Shooter Incident Response. The author recognized the need to develop a Standard Operating Practice for a safe and effective response by the Manchester …show more content…
29)? The policies will integrate recommendations for ASI from several professional organizations and associations including the IAFF, IAFC, FEMA, U.S. Fire Administration, TECC, and medical control authorities for MFRED.
What are the most appropriate practices for MFRED response to ASI (Billings, n.d., p. 30)? The answer to this question provides specific assignments to Battalion Chiefs and succeeding resources in the order in which they announce their response to the call. All assignments are and will be made based on NIMS requirements and may include a Unified Command structure, Medical Group, and a Rescue Group. Additional resources will assist command to develop an Incident Action Plan and unit assignments.
What are the best practices for integrating multiple agency operations at an ASI (Billings, n.d., p. 34)? The key component is for all agencies to utilize the NIMS command structure. The use of NIMS allows for the command structure to grow if the incident escalates and de-escalate as things wind down. An unexpected benefit of the collaboration was the process provided clarification of roles, responsibilities, and terminology used within each agency (Billings, …show more content…
The Rescue Task Force (RTF) concept is supported by multiple professional organization and provides an effective means for providing medical care to victims. The RTF concept is not a one-size-fits-all therefore collaboration and modification is needed from adjoining agencies to ensure the functionality of the