PRESENTED THROUGH THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF LYNNWOOD POLICE AND NORTH SOUND METRO SWAT

ACTIVE SHOOTER RESPONSE FOR LYNNWOOD FIRE

DEPARTMENT AND

FIRE DISTRICT ONE

Instructional Goal

To teach Fire Department personnel how to effectively respond to an Active Shooter situation and operate cooperatively in the “warm zone” with Law Enforcement.

Objectives• Differentiate between an Active Shooter, a

Man with a Gun, and Barricaded/Hostage call.

• Articulate how to respond to these types of incidents.

• Operate as part of a Rescue Team using the Diamond Formations and Stacks.

Rapid Deployment may be defined as:

• “The swift and immediate deployment of law enforcement and fire resources to on-going, life threatening situations where delayed deployment could otherwise result in the loss of life or great bodily injury to innocent persons.”

• Cannot be used for Barricaded gunmen or Hostage takers.

• The event is ongoing and the suspect(s) are either actively engaged in causing death or great bodily injury, or it is unknown if acts of violence have ceased.

• This may be the result of an Active Shooter, an attack with edged weapons, or a suspect planting, using, detonating explosive devices. (IEDs).

Incident/Candidate for Rapid Deployment

Active Shooter Defined:

Any incident where the suspect(s) have the means, opportunity, and intent, and are actively killing, attempting to kill, maiming, seriously assaulting, raping, torturing, or causing great bodily injury to multiple victims, with firearms, explosive devices or by any other means.

Dynamic Situation:• The Active Shooter situation is frequently dynamic in that it is fluid, evolving, and changing with constant movement, numerous victims, discovery of IEDs and other tactical challenges.

Definitions

Static Situation:• The suspect(s) stop moving and appear to be contained. Multiple suspects can create simultaneous static and dynamic situations and uncontained static situations can become dynamic without notice.

Barricaded Suspect(s):• A static situation involving an armed suspect, (with or without hostages), who has demonstrated or voiced violence, and has fortified a position of advantage in a room or building. No indication of immediate harm to any hostages. Contain and call SWAT.

Definitions

Active Shooter Traits:• Usually a single

suspect

• May be enraged, humiliated, despondent, etc.

• They will have a plan, with possible contingencies

• Well armed w/numerous rounds

• Explosives may be encountered

• They will not stop without intervention or suicide. Almost 90% stay at the scene

The Primary traits we need to be concerned about are:• The suspect(s) will have a plan• The suspect(s) will be well armed• The suspect(s) will not stop without

intervention or suicide• The suspect(s) will move and murder at will• They do not care what type of police

response is deployed• They will not negotiate

RISK/BENEFIT FACTOR

IN ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENTS, THE ABILITY TO SAVE SO MANY INCREASES THE RISKS WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

Prepare Mentally

• Responding Officers must have the mindset of going into the situation to STOP/KILL the threat.

• Responding Firefighters must have the mindset of going into the warm zone to harvest as many victims as possible.

• Time is crucial for both.

Area of incident where the threat has been minimized by contact teams. Firefighters will only enter this zone with law enforcement escort. Needs to be cleared with IC before entering.

Warm Zone

Emergency Response to Columbine• 166 Fire and EMS

responders from 13 agencies

• 48 EMS Units

• 10 Fire Apparatus

• 2 Air Ambulances

• 900 Law Enforcement Officers

• Hospital ER overflow required some victims to be transported great distances

What is a Contact Team?

• Four Officers – Diamond Formationo #1 - Pointo #2 - Left Flanko #3 - Right Flanko #4 - Rear Guard

All positions are interchangeable, although we will not be changing them. Point will stay on Point, and so on.

What is a Contact Team?

REAR GUARD

POINT

RIGHT FLANKLEFT FLANK

Contact Team

Contact Team Priorities• Stop the suspect’s

deadly actions

• Limit the suspect’s movement

• Prevent suspect escape

• Assist victims out of harm’s way who can evacuate themselves

• Move past victims who are deceased

• Advise radio of location and medical needs

• Provide intel on IED’s, types of weapons, location of suspects

• Neutralize the threat

• Contain the suspect(s) in an area where they cannot continue to engage/kill

• Act as a pathfinder for SWAT with informational support, detailing suspect description and location, IED location, and other weaponry/dangers

Contact Team Priorities

• Must have constant security just like the Contact Team even though movement is limited to “secured” areas, or “warm zones”.

• Minimum first aid at scene; objective is to move victim out of the area for treatment and transport.

Rescue Teams

• Respond to designated Forward Staging Area, where teams will be assigned and deployed

• Teams will follow a pre-identified evacuation route

• Casualty Collection Point (CCP)=Triage Area. All patients transported from this location

Rescue Team Arrival

• Each rescue team must have a designated (LE) team leader

• Rescue team Fire personnel should be designated by apparatus (E15, A14, etc.)

• Communication within team via plain language

Rescue Teams

• Team leader on LE Rescue channel

• Only TL talks on the radio (LE channels)

• Other LE team members monitor primary LE channel

• Fire personnel on designated Fire channel

Rescue Team Communications

Rescue Team Priorities:• Rescue any down

victims in area. (If they are dead, they do not need immediate help)

• Extract those who need help

• Secure an area inside for EMS to establish triage and aid area

• Expand size if necessary

• Coordinate with Contact Team and any other responding personnel

• Search and clear

areas behind the Contact Team

Rescue Team Priorities:• Only delay extraction to

perform immediate life saving interventions

• Standard EMS care approach may be delayed or altered depending on the tactical situation.

• PPE will include gloves, eye protection, body armor and fire helmet

• Follow direction from L/E security

• Bypass obviously deceased casualties

• Remember – you are operating in a crime scene

• Do not interfere with L/E activities, equipment or tasks

• Maintain situational & radio awareness

• Bypass the dead

• Mark dead with black tape to prevent assessment by follow-on rescue teams

• In areas of high patient concentration, may establish triage and security until more teams arrive

Rescue Team Priorities:

Treatment Priorities:• M – Massive Hemorrhage (tourniquets, trauma dressing)

• A – Airway (NPA, King LT, Surgical)

• R – Respirations (needle decompression, chest seal)

• C – Circulation (IV therapy, not performed in warm zone)

• H – Hypothermia (warming, blizzard bag, not performed in warm zone)

Warm Zone Procedures

• Blood/Wound sweep

• Tourniquets

• Pressure dressing

• Hemostatic agent

• Chest Seal

• Needle decompression*

• Cricothyroidotomy*

• Oral airway/NPA

• Conscious? Breathing? Pulse?

Treatment/Transport Procedures

• I.V. therapy

• Oxygen

• Endotracheal Intubation

• Spinal Immobilization

• Vital signs

• Pain Control

• Splinting

• Warming

• Wound care

• EKG, SPo2

ADAPT YOUR FORMATION TO YOUR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND ABILITIES

FORMATIONS

DIAMOND FORMATION

DIAMOND FORMATION

HARD-T

HARD-T FORMATION

MOVEMENT IN A STACK

STACK FORMATION

Movement• SPEED – Move only as fast as you can shoot

accurately and process information.

• COVER – Protects you from observation and fire.

• CONCEALMENT – Protects you from observation, not fire.

• NOISE – If your adversary cannot see you but he can hear you, he can shoot you, (i.e. Keys).

Slow is SmoothSmooth is Fast

Movement Imperatives

Fleeing/Innocent Persons

• They will be scared

• They may be barricaded, and they may or may not listen to your commands

• They may think you are the bad guys

• They may not want to leave your presence for fear they will be killed

• Part of the Rescue Team provides cover while other part of group carries victim. DO NOT LET THE TEAM GET SPLIT APART.

• Reversing out of the area may or may not be the best route. Is there a safer, alternate route with good cover?

• Get in and get out!

Victim Extraction

• Carries/Drags

• Skedco

• Patient tarp

• Collapsible/poleless/improvised litter

• Web Loop/ Hose Strap

Victim Extraction

Quick Analysis of Situation:

• Is this a rescue or a body recovery?

• Is there an identifiable threat area?

Downed Officer/Firefighter Rescue

• Officer/Firefighter self rescue oTreat yourself medicallyoIf needed, evacuate

• Assisted extraction

• Downed Officer/Firefighter Rescue – we come to you.

Officer/Firefighter Rescue Options

We come to you because:• You can’t come to us• It isn’t safe for you to come to us

Determine the situation using:• Radio Check• Binoculars• Other tools?

Downed Officer/Firefighter Rescue

Legal Aspects – you have the legal right to protect your life and the lives of innocents.

Defense of Life

RCW 9A.16.020Use of force — When lawful.

The use, attempt, or offer to use force upon or toward the person of another is not unlawful in the following cases:

(1) Whenever necessarily used by a public officer in the performance of a legal duty, or a person assisting the officer and acting under the officer's direction;

(3) Whenever used by a party about to be injured, or by another lawfully aiding him or her, in preventing or attempting to prevent an offense against his or her person, or a malicious trespass, or other malicious interference with real or personal property lawfully in his or her possession, in case the force is not more than is necessary;

(6) Whenever used by any person to prevent a mentally ill, mentally incompetent, or mentally disabled person from committing an act dangerous to any person, or in enforcing necessary restraint for the protection or restoration to health of the person, during such period only as is necessary to obtain legal authority for the restraint or custody of the person.

Defense of Life

RCW 9.01.055. Citizen immunity if aiding officer, scope — when.

Private citizens aiding a police officer, or other officers of the law in the performance of their duties as police officers or officers of the law, shall have the same civil and criminal immunity as such officer, as a result of any act or commission for aiding or attempting to aid a police officer or other officer of the law, when such officer is in imminent danger of loss of life or grave bodily injury or when such officer requests such assistance and when such action was taken under emergency conditions and in good faith.

Explosives

• Generally “Light & Throw”

• Fairly reliable if care is taken during their construction

• Numerous types, limited by imagination and ingenuity

• Examples:o Pipe Bombso “Crickets”o Tennis Ball

Bombso Hobby Fuseo Shrapnel:

B.B.’s, nails, tacks, etc.

Explosives• Very few are remote command detonated.

• Look for; Propane tanks, Pressure Cookers, Large ammo cans, any large watertight container.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

TRAIN HARD

BE PREPARED