EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AS TARGETS

Any WMD training exercise should be an all hazard approach for all the agencies in the system.

In the given area where the EMS work I would want a hazard analysis of the possibilities and a risk/vulnerability/threat assessment on paper so a plan could be devised as to priorities before any event occurred. In this way resources could be allocated, and training developed to prepare for the possibilities. The plan would have to be flexible to be capable be working in an unexpected event (all hazard).

Some specific training requirement needed.

a. All agencies would need to be familiar with the NIMS with a ICS chart with each division (operations, planning, logistics, and finance/administration) assigned to a qualified person and a backup for that person.

b. EOC developed with dedicated space with pre assigned personnel that would staff in an event of an emergency along with deciated equipment in place prior to the event (s)

c. The EOC should contain representatives from Fire, Police, EMS, hospitals, utility department, transportation, local officials, and volunteer organizations.

d. A redundant communication system tying all departments together on dedicated frequencies. I would require that the system be checked on a weekly basis with all departments included.

e. MOUs in place with neighboring communities and agreements with state, and federal departments if assistance is required.

f. I would want all hospital in the area to be trained in (HERT) Hospital Emergency Response Team course put on by FEMA

g. I would want the hospitals to have addressed the surge capacity requirements and made arrangements to comply.

h. I would have the police and fire department to pick designated personnel and have them attend the DHS courses at NMT, Nevada Test site, and FT. McClellan, Ala. so they could return and train the other personnel. I think this is very important to have the front line responders know what they are dealing with at the scene since a WMD event is not the typical crime scene they are familiar with and reorganization of ordinance is extremely important and in talking to policemen and firemen they have not had any training or if any training maybe one course and they will be the first as the scene.

i. According to Cole’s book “Terror” , every time a ER changes shikts in Israel they at least discuss their emergency plan of attack if they get a MCI on their shift.---that to me is training.

j. I would have table top, functional, and full scale exercises to improve cooperation with all department and the EOC at least two times per year.

k. There should be some type of incentive for the personnel to participate in the online course offered by FEMA (ISC) related to emergency events.

l. A continuing education program for IRIB, PRSBI, and MRTCBNE for the EMS, police and fire departments.

What considerations should be addressed when dealing with the threat of responder targets?

I think all first responders, in training, should have it drilled into their heads to take care of number one (themselves) first and have them understand the why of this rule. Too many young EMS personnel, with good intentions, go into this field to save lives and it is hard not to rush to the aid of an injured person and disregard their own selves, then they become a victim and add to the problem.

The three main guidelines for EMTs are life safety, property and environment, and scene stability.

I think the essential guidelines of the U.S. Fire Administration says it all;

1. Anticipate the presence of secondary devices at any suspicious event.

2. Search for a secondary device before moving into the incident area. This should be done by qualified personnel like EOD or hazmat and certainly not by the EMTs. In many incidents, the EMT can “eye ball” the area and get a feel if he can get a victim out quickly without injury to himself and not trigger a secondary device. This type decision can only be made at the time and no hard and fast rule can be made.

3. Avoid touching or moving anything at the site until cleared by the hazmat team or bomb squad. One should consider that an unconscious or dead victim could be triggered to a secondary device or even have a secondary device under them and activate the device with moving the victim. The adversary do not play by our rules.

4. Effectively manage the scene with boundaries, zones, triage area, etc. In fact in the suicide bomb course at NMT they establish the hot zone line at the site of the most distant fragment from the explosion. This line demarcates the hot or from the warm zone and there are relatively safe ways for an EMT to penetrate this zone and recovery victims with some training in this type scenario.

5. Evaluate victims and non essential personnel as quickly as possible.

6. Preserve the scene as much as possible for evidence since this is a crime scene.

If the event is cause by a LEE (low energy explosion) there will be incomplete explosive fragments that are hot and probably there are other explosive elements in the hot zone that are still active.

Again realistic training is the answer to getting the EMTs ready to handle a WMD and stay alive to work again.

References:

1. www. osha.gov/SLTC/emergencypreparedness

2. Prevention and Response to Suicide bombing Incidents Aug.28- Sept.1,2006 DHS, New Mexico Tech.

3. Incident response to Terrorist Bombings April 18-21, 2006 DHS New Mexico Tech.

4. Cole, Leonard Terror: How Israel Has Coped and What America Can Learn Indiana University Press 2007