The InterAgency Board has released a white paper, Integrating Law Enforcement, Fire and Emergency Medical Services during Active Shooter/Hybrid Targeted Violence Incidents (PDF). This paper is designed to help public-safety agencies respond to active-shooter incidents, coordinated hybrid targeted violence (HTV) attacks and similar incidents.
An HTV is defined as an intentional use of force to cause physical injury or death to an identified population through a coordinated and multifaceted approach using a multitude of conventional weapons and tactics.
The InterAgency Board’s paper recommends the use of increased operational interagency coordination and new response paradigms to address this emerging threat. It emphasizes that strategic plans and relationships must be in place, interoperable language and procedures must exist and cross-disciplinary training must be completed before an event occurs.
The paper highlights concepts such as rescue task forces, which utilize an integrated team of law enforcement and fire/EMS personnel that operate under a unified command structure to rapidly access, stabilize and extricate wounded civilians. The paper includes recommendations for policy makers to develop, disseminate, train and exercise integrated response policies, plans and procedures to prepare for an active-shooter/HTV incident.
The IAFC board of directors also has adopted a position paper that offers guidance on response to active-shooter and mass-casualty terrorist events.