1 | WHEREAS, the emerging threat of terrorism and |
2 | asymmetric warfare, specifically small unit “active |
3 | shooter” and improvised explosive device (IED) |
4 | attacks, is a concern for the fire service; and |
5 | WHEREAS, an attack by radicals armed with |
6 | weapons in public areas, such as schools, shopping |
7 | malls, churches or any other locations where people |
8 | congregate is a real threat to a sense of security and |
9 | daily lives; and |
10 | WHEREAS, “active shooter” scenarios are |
11 | unfolding across the nation; and |
12 | WHEREAS, fire and law enforcement |
13 | departments, regardless of size or capacity, must find |
14 | ways to marshal appropriate and effective responses |
15 | to these events; and |
16 | WHEREAS, local fire and law enforcement |
17 | departments faced with responding to active shooter |
18 | events are establishing standard operating procedures |
19 | to deal with these unusual, highly volatile, and |
20 | extraordinarily dangerous scenarios; and |
21 | WHEREAS, IAFF local leaders throughout the |
22 | United States and Canada need information and |
23 | guidance as these protocols are developed and |
24 | negotiated; and |
25 | WHEREAS, every EMS delivery model is |
26 | different and active shooter protocols must be |
27 | customized for individual departments; therefore be |
28 | it |
29 | RESOLVED, That relevant standard operating |
30 | procedures (SOPs) should at minimum include use of |
31 | the National Incident Management System (NIMS) |
32 | in particular the Incident Command System (ICS). |
33 | Fire and law enforcement officers should establish |
34 | a single command post (CP) and establish face-to- |
35 | face unified command (UC); and be it further |
36 | RESOLVED, That responders should use |
37 | common communications terminology and |
38 | understand common terms such as cleared, secured, |
39 | cover, concealment, hot zone/cold zone and |
40 | related vocabulary; and be it further |
41 | RESOLVED, That fire departments deploying |
42 | rescue task forces (RTF) consisting of both fire |
43 | department and law enforcement personnel, into the |
44 | warm zone, shall assure that those personnel are |
45 | trained to provide immediate life-saving care using |
46 | the concepts of Tactical Emergency Casualty Care |
47 | (TECC); and be it further |
48 | RESOLVED, That law enforcement and fire |
49 | departments should train together both initially and |
50 | regularly to assure all personnel are prepared for |
51 | response as assigned; and be it further |
52 | RESOLVED, That fire departments must ensure |
53 | appropriate protective gear for personnel exposed to |
54 | risk just as they provide PPE for response to fire; and |
55 | be it further |
56 | RESOLVED, That active shooter response using |
57 | RTFs is NOT the same as Tactical EMS or SWAT |
58 | medic response; and be it further |
59 | RESOLVED, That fire departments must provide |
60 | post-response behavioral health programs for |
61 | responders to these events; and be it further |
62 | RESOLVED, That the IAFF and its local |
63 | affiliates advocate for these minimum best practices |
64 | whenever they’re involved in the planning for |
65 | response to these events; and be it further |
66 | RESOLVED, That the IAFF transmit copies of |
67 | this resolution to all national law enforcement |
68 | organizations both management and labor, and the |
69 | IAFF shall encourage these organizations to adopt |
70 | the tenets of this resolution. |
Submitted by: IAFF Executive Board
Cost Estimate: None
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: Adopt as Revised
CONVENTION ACTION: Adopted as Revised and Amended
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