Training, Instinct & Careful Decision-Making Key to Active Shooter Response

On April 30, 2017, crews from the San Diego Fire Department (SDFD) and American Medical Response were dispatched to a shooting at an apartment complex in La Jolla, an upscale seaside community in San Diego not typically associated with violent crime. Early citizen reports to dispatchers didn't paint a clear picture of what crews would be called upon to manage: a hostile and dangerous active shooter incident at a poolside birthday party. Active shooter incidents seem to have become the norm in the U.S. and other countries, occurring at soft targets such as a movie theatre in Aurora, Colo., an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., and this year's shooting at the practice for the Congressional Baseball Game in Alexandria, Va. SDFD and the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) have an active shooter policy and has been training for these types of incidents for several years. In addition, the San Diego fire and police departments utilize a state-of-the-art active shooter training center that allows fire, EMS and law enforcement to train side by side to ensure true on-scene coordination. One of the shooting victims is transported by San Diego Fire Department EMTs and paramedics. Video screenshot KFMB/CBS 8 'The Scene Came to Us' The La Jolla Crossroads apartment complex is a multibuilding, five-story development that spans several blocks and houses thousands. The pool party—celebrating one of the resident's birthdays—had 40–50 people i...
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Major Incidents WMD & Terrorism Operations Source Type: news