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HomeMy WebLinkAbout202.009b - Operations in an Active Shooter and Hostile Event Response (ASHER)Effective Date: May 2025 Sean A. Johnson, Battalion Chief Current Revision Date: 05/23/2025 Section 202.009b Next Revision (2) Date: 05/23/2029 Page 1 of 5 Fresno City Fire Department 200 Standard Operating Procedures Manual SECTION 202.009b OPERATIONS IN AN ACTIVE SHOOTER AND HOSTILE EVENT RESPONSE (ASHER) PURPOSE To establish guidelines for Fresno Fire Department (Department or FFD) members on the appropriate use of body armor and warm zone medical operations during Active Shooter and Hostile Event Responses (ASHER). The mission of FFD intervention in ASHER incidents is to implement unified command with the Fresno Police Department (FPD), assist with the rescue of injured persons, and/or provide fire suppression when appropriate. This policy ensures member safety and operational effectiveness while fulfilling these responsibilities. The scope of this policy applies to casualty collection points and victim removal. Command actions and considerations will be in accordance with the Fresno Police and Fresno Fire Critical Incidents Memorandum of Understanding. APPLICATION Body armor deployment is required for Department members responding to active shooter incidents, hostile events, or riot conditions. Department members will operate only in designated warm zones established by the unified command of Fresno Police and Fresno Fire. These warm zones must be secured by law enforcement, with police escorting fire personnel to the casualty collection point through an established evacuation corridor. The priority in these responses is the swift removal and stabilization of patients, ensuring timely medical intervention. The safety of fire personnel will be maintained through close coordination with law enforcement. No action should be taken that is unplanned or without controls. As time permits, at least one person possessing all available information will remain at the command post to brief arriving personnel. Supervisory personnel must be on scene and fully briefed before assuming incident command. OPERATIONAL POLICY The mission of FPD intervention in critical incidents (ASHER) is to neutralize the threat, prevent access to potential victims, and assist with rescuing injured persons. The mission of FFD intervention in ASHER incidents is to implement unified command of FPD, assist with the rescue of injured persons, and provide fire suppression when appropriate. Effective Date: May 2025 Sean A. Johnson, Battalion Chief Current Revision Date: 05/23/2025 Section 202.009b Next Revision (2) Date: 05/23/2029 Page 2 of 5 OPERATIONAL GUIDELINE This section intentionally left blank. PROCESS 1. Incident Management Principles and Functions a. Contact with Dispatch Centers: Responding Officers from Fire/Police agencies shall contact their respective dispatch centers who will utilize the dispatch direct line to assist with establishing the initial command post b. Assume Tactical Responsibility: One initial FPD officer must take charge of the critical incident. As soon as the tactical situation allows, an FFD officer will join the FPD officer to unify command. ASHER incidents are under the jurisdiction of FPD. Generally, the first officer on scene is defined as the person who is in overall command of the incident. Incident command may be assumed by a more superior officers for both FPD and FFD as the situation evolves. The FFD Officer will also request a supervisor from American Ambulance for Unified Command c. Establishment of Hot, Warm and Cold Zones: As soon as it is feasible the FPD Incident Commander along with the FFD counterpart must establish Hot, Warm and Cold Zones. These zones must be established to facilitate the removal of victims and provide for rescuer safety. Removal of victims from FFD will be under the protection of FPD from mainly the warm zone through the evacuation corridor to the cold zone. 2. Movement of Patients from Hot to Cold Zones a. Once contact units have deployed and the threat is in the process of being contained, as time permits, the FPD commander will confer with the FFD Battalion Chief to facilitate the evacuation of wounded and other victims contacted during these efforts. b. Contact and removal of victims from the hot zone to the warm zone will be performed by law enforcement and/or tactical medics. Effective Date: May 2025 Sean A. Johnson, Battalion Chief Current Revision Date: 05/23/2025 Section 202.009b Next Revision (2) Date: 05/23/2029 Page 3 of 5 c. Warm zone medical evacuation efforts from established casualty collection points will consist of rescue teams comprised of FFD, FPD, and EMS personnel. FPD will perform their duties in the capacity of force protection for fire and paramedic personnel assigned to the rescue team d. Cold zones are the location where American Ambulance will coordinate and facilitate secondary triage and transport with the goal to stabilize and transport patients to definitive care as soon as possible. FFD may assist in secondary triage and treatment in the cold zone. Consider disaster medical resources available from the County and American Ambulance. 3. Casualty Collection Points (CCP) a. The selection of a CCP shall be made at unified command that considers the following tactical requirements in accordance with the Fresno Fire/Fresno Police Critical Incidents Memorandum of Understanding. i. A position of cover. ii. Concealed vehicular ingress and egress. iii. Adjacent to an exterior wall to aid in victim removal. iv. Proximity to the majority of injured. v. Other factors determined by the medical threat assessment. vi. Area is to be cleared before accepting injured. vii. There shall be a continuous law enforcement presence. 4. Victim Removal a. The operation of victim removal from a warm zone is only done after the area is secured and under the immediate control of law enforcement. Movement to and from the warm zone will occur within the evacuation corridor. Effective Date: May 2025 Sean A. Johnson, Battalion Chief Current Revision Date: 05/23/2025 Section 202.009b Next Revision (2) Date: 05/23/2029 Page 4 of 5 b. The removal of victims will be done with a team comprised of FIRE/EMS as well as law enforcement representatives that will act as Force Protection for victims and rescuers. c. Victims will be removed as quickly as possible from the warm zone CCP. Following the concepts of Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC), FIRE/EMS may provide limited hasty stabilization treatment such as tourniquet application, chest seals and pressure dressings as the tactical situation allows. The goal is to save lives while getting victims to definitive care as soon as possible. d. Law enforcement will ensure victims brought to the CCP are searched and will also attempt to not bring deceased persons to the CCP. e. Unified command will determine methods of transport to be utilized based on intelligence and the tactical situation. Examples include Armored Personnel Carriers (APC), EMS transport unit, foot, litter, etc. f. CCP personnel that are moving from the hot to warm zone such as law enforcement and tactical medics (TEMS) will provide the IC with regular updates and resource management requirements. 5. Triage and Treatment a. Triage procedures in the warm zone casualty collection points will follow CCEMSA Policy 620 (Multi-Casualty Incident Management – Prehospital Operations) as the tactical situation allows (hasty stabilization vs. rapid extraction). The goal is to rapidly stabilize and get patients from the warm zone to the cold zone as quickly as possible. b. Patient tracking such as the use of triage tags or tape will be initiated at the earliest opportunity. The method employed will be communicated to command c. Law enforcement will segregate victims/suspects within the CCP who are in custody and are restricted by the use of hand cuff flex cuffs. These persons will always be under the watch of a law enforcement officer. Effective Date: May 2025 Sean A. Johnson, Battalion Chief Current Revision Date: 05/23/2025 Section 202.009b Next Revision (2) Date: 05/23/2029 Page 5 of 5 INFORMATION This section intentionally left blank. DEFINITIONS This section intentionally left blank. CROSS-REFERENCES City of Fresno Fresno Police Department and Fresno Fire Department Response to Critical Incidents Memoranda of Understanding National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) NFPA 3000, Active Shooter/Hostile Event Preparedness and Response Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) 2nd Edition. National Association of EMTs