Active Shooter Protocol for Law Enforcement

Question 1

What is the intention of this protocol?

Answer 1

To empower a competent and multi-jurisdictional response to any critical situation that may confront our county or its integral city jurisdictions

Question 2

By who will new policies, procedures and incident summaries be reviewed periodically by to insure that the latest tactics and methods are deployed?

Answer 2

A subcommittee of the Police Chiefs’ Association of Santa Clara county

Question 3

Law enforcement agencies need to modify their traditional tactical concepts and engage in preparatory training to deal with critical threat criminal incidents. As a result, who planned to address these types of events and when?

Answer 3

planning to address these types of events was initiated by our area tactical teams, spearheaded in meetings hosted by the SJPD, in mid 2000

Question 4

what was the name of the private training contractor that received input from our county tactical teams

Answer 4

International Training Resources

Question 5

“Active Shooter Situation” can be characterized as an event that incorporates one or more of the following high-risk criminal situations:

Answer 5

1) Where ongoing acts of violence are being perpetrated by a suspect or suspects and where a continuation of violence dangerous to life presents an imminent peril to victims and/or potential victims
2) Where the actions of the suspect(s) do not allow, or are not conducive to, negotiations, i.e., the active shooter scenario
3) Where acts of violence, either directed or random, are the perpetrator’s ultimate objective.
4) Where the taking and holding of hostages may not be the main object
5) When the crime scene has not been contained and where the potential for life threatening violence persists.

Question 6

what is an “Adjoining Jurisdiction”

Answer 6

An adjoining jurisdiction means any Santa Clara County law enforcement agency that maintains a jurisdictional boundary bordering, but not in, the agency jurisdiction where an active shooter situation is occurring

Question 7

What is a communications Center?

Answer 7

The radio communications network or radio dispatching operation associated to the law enforcement agency in question.

Question 8

Designation of Command Responsibility

Answer 8

The designation of an “on scene incident Commander” will be given to the first officer to arrive at the scene. It shall be this officer’s responsibility to assume command of the situation and to coordinate the activities and operations specific to that incident…regardless of rank, jurisdiction, or agency of employment until that officer is relieved by the first supervisor arriving on scene or by an officer employed by the agency of jurisdiction.

Question 9

On scene incident commander

Answer 9

person responsible for the overall command of the entire operation, including all tactical and support resources committed to the incident site.

Question 10

Operational Control

Answer 10

authority authorized by the incident commander to direct activities and make decisions at the scene of an active shooter incident

Question 11

Plan of Action

Answer 11

describes those planned actions necessary to quickly effect the beneficial resolution of an active shooter incident or active shooter threat condition. The plan of action is characterized by those plans that are initiated and will remain in effect until such time the on scene incident commander can develop and issue a formal operations order

Question 12

Primary objective

Answer 12

1) stop the criminal acts being committed and
2) protect against or minimize the loss of life to victims, hostages, citizens or residents and officers of the county who may be imperiled,
3) Secondary objectives shall include the apprehension of suspects, the security of the crime scene and the protection against and minimization of a loss of property

Question 13

Resources

Answer 13

Any personnel, group of persons, or items of equipment that may be considered beneficial to the timely resolution of an active shooter incident

Question 14

Tactical Commander

Answer 14

person designated by the on scene incident commander who has specific operational control of the crime scene from the inner perimeter forward. It shall be the responsibility of the tactical commander to effect the tactical response segment of the plan of action

Question 15

Tactical Priority

Answer 15

1) Contact
2) Rescue
3) Search

Question 16

Threat Conditions

Answer 16

1) Crimes involving multiple weapons of various configurations
2) Incidents involving stockpiled ammunitions and weapons.
3) Crimes involving explosives or expected explosives.
4) Continuous or repeated sporadic firing of weapons.
5) The involvement of victim hostages
6) Acts of violence dangerous to life are ongoing or imminent
7) Lethal behavior has occurred and is likely to continue

Question 17

The On Scene Incident Commander shall:

Answer 17

a) Formulate an initial assessment of the situation
b) Formulate an immediate response to the critical threat.
c) Notify the jurisdictional communication center and watch commander of the event as soon as practical, to include:
1) The basic situation, as it is known
2) An estimation of immediately needed resources
3) Where immediately needed resources should respond
4) Who has been advised.
d) Request the response of a supervisor of jurisdiction.
e) Establish and communicate the location of the Tactical and incident command posts
f) Collect and evaluate information.
g) Provide that assessment to the communications center
h) Initiate a request for backup personnel, tactical teams and special equipment needs
i) Formulate a plan of action and initiate an immediate tactical response
j) Request Sheriff’s office Tactical Medical Team respond to the scene
k) Request buses from Valley transit authority for evacuation, if needed
l) Establish operational control of on-scene units, coordinate the deployment of arriving personnel and initiate the implementation of the plan of action
m) Request air support resources if necessary…and designate a land zone
n) identify staging areas for the media, and incoming support personnel
o) Identify a reunification center location for incoming family members of those involved

Question 18

Who should the Incident Commander check compliance with?

Answer 18

The Incident Commander will ensure the event is managed in compliance with NIMS/ICS and that all pertinent ICS positions are occupied by the appropriate agency/jurisdiction

Question 19

Communications: Who should establish a priority protocol for any active shooter incident situation occurring within their jurisdiction

Answer 19

The communications center serving the agency having jurisdiction over the active shooter incident.

Question 20

Along with establishing protocol for any active shooter, the communications center serving the agency will do what as soon as practical:

Answer 20

a) Notify and provide developing information to all adjoining law enforcement jurisdiction communications networks.
b) notify area hospitals to allow for medical aid preparation.
c) Notify applicable Fire Department personnel to prepare for first-aid and triage contingencies.
d) Notify communication center of a multi-causality incident

Question 21

Upon initial notification of an Active shooter Incident in any adjoining jurisdiction, what will communications centers of the adjoining jurisdiction do immediately?

Answer 21

The communications centers of the adjoining jurisdiction shall immediately provide all available information concerning that incident to the ranking field supervisors, watch commanders and to the senior on duty staff officer associated to their jurisdiction.

Question 22

Whose responsible for providing information to their communications center regarding resources?

Answer 22

It shall be the responsibility of any adjoining jurisdiction ranking field supervisor to provide information to their communications center regarding all available resources that could be called upon to assist in the resolution of the active shooter situation.

Question 23

Who shall immediately initiate the process of staging available resources to appropriate locations?

Answer 23

The allied jurisdiction field supervisors shall immediately initiate the process of staging available resources to appropriate locations that could compliment a timely response if a deployment of resources is requested.

Question 24

The responsibility that the ranking allied agency field supervisor, watch commander, or senior field officer on duty has to evaluate the nature of the developing active shooter situation and to deploy available resources shall proceed only under what conditions

Answer 24

a) that any deployment shall only commence after notification to and with the concurrence of ranking personnel of the agency jurisdiction
b) deployment without notification and concurrence of the agency of jurisdiction shall only commence after all reasonable attempts to notify the agency have failed, and then only if failure to deploy would represent a clear and immediate danger to life from ongoing and imminent criminal action

Question 25

Complying with Unity of Command suggests:

Answer 25

a) the on scene incident commander should be prepared to provide specific mission assignments and instructions to these responding officers.
b) wherever possible, members of the same agency should be grouped together or associated to the assignment of the same mission
c) Assigned officers should attempt to carry out their mission using tactics consistent with their department training , policies and procedures
d) Officers who are unable, or incapable of performing an assignment or mission should immediately notify the on scene incident commander of that status

Question 26

Duties of first responding officers

Answer 26

a) the first duty of responding officers shall be to notify the On Scene incident commander of the arrival and location.
b) the notification shall always be accompanied by a request for mission or assignment.

Question 27

the tactical commander operating under direction of the incident commander is to initate the tactical response segment of the plan of action which considers what?

Answer 27

the tactical response shall be designed to effect a timely and beneficial resolution of the incident
b) the scope of the response shall depend on known threat conditions, available resources to law enforcement and the likelihood of a successful tactical intervention.

Question 28

the objective of the tactical response shall be:

Answer 28

1) Stop the criminal acts being committed by either eliminating the threat or by confining the suspects movement to a point where a threat to others is eliminated (the threat is neutralized).
2) Protect against or minimize injuries or the loss of life to victims, hostages, citizens or residents and officers who may be so imperiled,
3) Apprehend suspects and secure a crime scene
4) Protect against, or minimize the loss of property

Question 29

What are the ways a threat is eliminated or neutralized, and once a threat has become eliminated or neutralized what must the tactical commander do?

Answer 29

a) the threat shall be considered eliminated upon the death, physical incapacitation or taking into custody of all criminal perpetrators at the scene
b) the treat shall be considered neutralized only when the perpetrator(s) ability to endanger life is eliminated
c) The tactical commander shall immediately inform the incident commander when the event is either neutralized or contained.

Question 30

In the event of neutralization, the on scene incident commander shall make immediate arrangements for what?

Answer 30

1) site security
2) medical assistance to victims,
3) Preservation of the crime scene
4) Initiation of the investigative process
5) Preparations for a return to normal activity