Citation

Vernon A. Fire Eng. 2007; 160(9 Suppl): 4-12.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Penn Well Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

First responders at all levels must learn to work together to stop suicide bombers from attacking locations in their jurisdictions and to safely respond if an attack occurs. The first step in their preparation is a review of their agency's guidelines and procedures when responding to these types of events. Another important step is to bring all the key agencies together, including fire, EMS, emergency management, law enforcement, and hospitals, to discuss this type of event. The responders should develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for responding to potentially violent situations. They should also develop integrated emergency communication systems that include the ability to directly relay real-time information among the caller, dispatch, and all responding emergency personnel. All responders including fire, EMS, and law enforcement should approach the location without lights and sirens. This avoids alerting the suspect and allows police to choose the best approach.

Language: en