MABAS Division 112Standard Operating Guidelines

Chapter: OperationsSubject: Violent Incident Response

Brown County – MABAS Div. 112 Response to Violent Incidents

Section 1: Scope This Standard Operating Guideline will establish guidelines for the safe response to potentially violent incidents and management of violent or potentially violent incidents by MABAS 112 departments.

Responders should recognize that the possibility of being exposed to a violent incident is greater than in the past. Any incident can turn violent and fire department personnel must remain vigilant to changing conditions and the potential for violence. Safety of crew members and of the public must always take precedence.

MABAS 112 response personnel should utilize their training, education and experience, combined with the circumstances around each particular incident, to evaluate the need to stage resources in a location away from the incident scene, or proceed to the dispatch location. Personnel can minimize the risks when responding to an operating at these events by:

Performing a scene size-up of the situation based on the information available Make a standard risk management decision based on the information gathered Identify and communicate the need for appropriate deployment of resources based on risk assessment Communicate and coordinate with law enforcement through unified command Continually reassess the situation to determine if your actions are appropriate for the conditions

Section 2: Terms and DefinitionsActive Shooter/Active Killer: an individual or group actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms, active killers may use explosives, edged weapons or other lethal instruments, and there may be no pattern or method to their selection of victims or locations. These aggressors come from varied backgrounds and there is no standard profile for persons who may engage in an incident. Hostile Incidents: unpredictable and evolve quickly. Immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the acts of violence. Most situations are over in 10-15 minutes, often before law enforcement arrives. First responders must be prepared, both mentally and physically to deal with a potentially emotional scene.

Section 3: PolicyFirefighter response to violent or potentially violent incidents shall be conducted utilizing a standardized department response based on assessment of the scene and risk management profile. By using the same approach as with a structure fire, personnel can provide life-saving treatment and extrication of victims, while protecting themselves and their crews. This approach will be based on the same response postures associated with fire and EMS incidents.

As with all fire department responses, our priorities are firefighter and civilian safety, incident stabilization, and preservation of property.

Section 4: Scene ResponseThe first in Fire Department Officer has the authority, using a proper scene size-up, to either approach the scene, or stage in a safe location and wait for law enforcement to arrive on scene before proceeding. Company Officers will communicate and coordinate with law enforcement and dispatch to improve safety and promote consistent inter-agency actions.

It is always appropriate for Company Officers to choose to stage based on size-up and risk management profile. Company Officers will maintain situational awareness of crews and environment.

LEVEL 1 STAGINGIf the decision is made to utilize Level 1 staging, fire crews shall position and await the arrival of law enforcement before proceeding to the scene. If law enforcement is on scene, the Company Officers shall then utilize size-up information and radio communications to determine if the crew may approach the scene or should wait and allow police further time to stabilize the scene.

When law enforcement presence is on scene and command authorizes, the first-in company may then move up to the scene. All other companies need to stage and wait for further instructions from the Incident Commander (IC). Only companies requested to enter the scene by the IC shall move up.

If staging is warranted, it should be in a sheltered position with an established means of egress from the area. Remember it is NEVER wrong to stage and wait for law enforcement.

Personnel will always comply with specific law enforcement instructions to wait or stage if their on-scene size-up indicates a high risk for firefighters.

LEVEL 2 STAGINGThis response model shall be followed when an incident or location poses an imminent risk of actual violence towards firefighters, or an act of violence has occurred to firefighters or first responders.

For this type of incidents, a safety perimeter shall be identified and established. A Chief Officer shall be dispatched or requested after dispatch to all these types of incidents.

Once law enforcement has arrived on scene and have stabilized the scene, the Chief Officer shall proceed into the incident location and establish a unified command with Police. Incident Command will communicate and coordinate with Police Officers to improve safety and promote consistent inter-agency actions. All fire personnel will maintain situational awareness of crews and environment.NO ENTRY into the area of disturbance (hot zone) is allowed without the approval of the IC. Entry will be made ONLY with a police escort of Police Officers to ensure 360 degree coverage of security.

There may be certain circumstances (i.e.; mass casualty incidents with an active shooter) where personnel could be asked to make entry into an area of a scene to affect a rapid extraction of wounded persons. The decision to make this type of entry shall only be made by a Chief Officer and at the direction and approval of the IC. Law enforcement command staff shall be involved in this decision. The number of personnel utilized shall be limited to the minimum number needed to affect the rescue.

Personnel making entry would only enter areas previously approved by law enforcement. Personnel making entry may respond only to a “warm zone” of operation, but will not proceed into a “hot zone.” Firefighters may only enter into a warm zone with armed police officers. A tactical channel (monitored if possible) shall be utilized to maintain communications with the IC and the entry team. To maintain a high-degree of safety, fire personnel shall follow the instructions and direction of Police Officers during the entry operations. Standard radio procedures, medical treatment protocols, and accountability systems for on-scene incident operations shall be utilized.