Communication, Relationships at the Heart of Interoperable Active Threat Exercise

Photo Phoenix Police Department Phoenix Police command officers using the hood of a police SUV to coordinate the Unified Response plan.   Scott Petersen, Phoenix Fire Department In 2015, Phoenix Children’s Hospital invited the Phoenix Fire and Police Departments to participate in an active threat exercise at the hospital’s main campus. The exercise – a hostage-barricade situation – was a wake-up call for regional public safety responders. Public safety organizations make a commitment to protect, to honor, to save. However, the exercise at Phoenix Children’s shined a light on all of the ways we were falling short of our goals – and the impact this could have on our public. It became painfully clear that law enforcement (LE) and Fire-EMS were operating in silos, not as partners. Police were focused on their goal – to contain and neutralize the threat – while Fire/EMS waited outside for LE to clear the scene so we could enter and treat the victims. With no communication or partnership between our agencies, a full hour passed before EMS could enter the building to care for the wounded. In an emergency like this one, an hour is simply too long. Clearly, we would have to do better.   Identifying Gaps Following the exercise, LE and Fire/EMS came together to debrief, identify the gaps, and make a plan for the future. At the heart of the plan was a commitment to improve communication and coordination. We knew that in violent situations – from a lo...
Source: JEMS Administration and Leadership - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Training Exclusive Articles Communications & Dispatch Administration and Leadership Source Type: news