12. Violent Incident Response

National protocols for response to violent incidents should be developed and championed.

From the beginning of America’s fire service, firefighters have been responding to incidents that were the result of, or caused by, an act of violence. Fire departments respond to a wide range of events from the simple Saturday night altercation at the corner bar, to the events like: Watts, Columbine, Oklahoma City, 9/11, Webster, NY, or Gwinnett County, GA. On most occasions, the fire department responds, renders service, and returns to quarters. Unfortunately, over our history, not every member has been able to return home due to factors associated with violence.

In March 2006, former Peoria (AZ) Fire Department Fire Inspector Howard M. Munding produced a thesis titled “Violence Against Firefighter: Angels of Mercy Under Attack.” In the thesis, he quotes the stunning statistic that an estimated 700,000 assaults occur on paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) annually. Additionally, according to a 2008 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Firefighter Fatality Report, 32 firefighters died from assaults while on duty in the report’s 32-year history. At the end of 2010, that number grew to 34, or one firefighter per year. In order to ensure that we meet our mission, to make sure everyone goes home, we offer the following strategies designed to reduce the likelihood of injury or death from responding to incidents of violence.

• Improved understanding and application of Dynamic Risk Management
• Initiate or improve communication with the local law enforcement component.
• Define and expand role of dispatchers in reducing risk
• Prohibit single (person) resource response to violent incidents
• Require use of an Incident Management System
• Communicate directly with Law Enforcement component prior to operating at an incident of violence.
• De-commit personnel and equipment and leave if violence commences or reoccurs during fire department operations
• Obtain stakeholder understanding and buy-in of response and deployment policies including non-response and non-engagement at incidents of violence.

Implementing these strategies will help reduce the likelihood of fire service members being injured or killed during a response to a violent incident. The 12th Initiative expands our understanding of how and where firefighters can be injured and demonstrates the need for the development of national protocols regarding violent incidents.

Latest Initiative 12 News

• Send the Everyone Goes Home® Program Your SOPs– We’re collecting information about SOPs on cancer reduction, violent incidents, mental health, and response policies to highlight best practices.
• Two Organizations Selected Co-Recipients of the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award– The Florida Firefighters Safety and Health Collaborative and the Denver Fire Department will receive the award at the 31st Annual National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner on April 25, 2019, in Washington, DC.
• Are you part of a High School Fire or EMS Cadet program?– The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is planning the 2019 High School Fire and EMS Cadet Program Symposium and have developed a survey to identify specific areas of interest.
  » Take the Survey
• CFSI and NFFF Accepting Nominations for the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award– Co-sponsored by CFSI and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, the Senator Paul S. Sarbanes Fire Service Safety Leadership Award was established in 2009 to recognize public safety organizations for outstanding contributions to the advancement of firefighter health and safety. Deadline for nominations is Dec. 6, 2018.
• Responding to Violent Incidents Training Program Announced– Responding to Violent Incidents Training is one-hour, self-paced program provides participants with a basic knowledge of best practices gleaned from fire departments across the country and provides recommendations in-line with NFPA 3000™ (PS) Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response Program.
• Wildland Firefighters Want to be Sure Everyone Goes Home®– Wildland firefighters from around the country say the status quo about safety must change. Too many wildland firefighters are dying and getting hurt. This is the key message from a series of listening sessions the NFFF held across the country.
  Learn More:
  » A Conversation with Vicki Minor & Ron Siarnicki
  » 16 Initiatives for the Wildland Firefighter
  » Everyone Goes Home® in the Wildland
  
• Make Health, Safety and Wellness Your Department’s Priority– The September issue of Firehouse Magazine features the 2018 Fire Service Health and Safety Report. This 32-page supplement emphasizes the value of a progressive, safety-focused fire service culture, and provides information and resources to help firefighters implement the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.
  
• Everyone Goes Home® Program Wants Your SOPs– We’re collecting information about SOPs on cancer reduction, violent incidents, mental health, and response policies to highlight best practices.
• Strategic Vision Helps Ensure Firefighter Safety and Enhance Service– To help fire departments around the nation adopt the 16 initiatives, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation has created a new handbook, The Strategic Vision Guide: An Action Plan Using the 16 Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives.
• Any incident can become violent: Preventing firefighters from becoming targets– It’s not just the tragedies in San Bernardino and Colorado Springs or the ISIS attack in Paris that should keep us alert. In the past week alone there were a handful of incidents in the U.S. where someone attempted to do harm to firefighters & EMS crews with guns or knives. Chief John Oates, who put together NFFF’s 2013 report on dealing with violence, reminds us of some of the key elements in trying to prevent firefighters from being targets.