EMERGENCY RESPOSE TRAINING

Importance of Emergency Response Training through Various Agencies, Civilian and Government

Importance of Emergency Response Training through Various Agencies, Civilian and Government

Introduction

At the scene of an emergency such as a natural or accidental disaster, a terrorist attack, an act of mass violence, or an incident in which a considerable number of fatalities occur, law enforcement personnel are among the first to respond and are responsible for the management of the rescue, recovery, and investigation. Mass violence can be defined as a criminal incident whose consequences result in a massive number of casualties and traumatized survivors (Patterson & Telesco, 2003). A terrorist attack is a prime example of such mass violence.

The federal government's response to a large-scale critical incident anywhere in the United States is most frequently managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA, which was created in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter to merge a number of disaster-related responsibilities in the federal government, remained an independent agency until March 2003, when it was merged into the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The role of federal law enforcement, particularly in the case of a terrorist attack, lies in the coordinated management of the consequences of the incident as well as a planned approach for prevention. The emergency preparedness plans and procedures developed by federal law enforcement agencies have become the models for state and local agencies (Alexander, 2002). Each agency has a unique role and performs specialized tasks at the scene of the emergency. In the case of natural disasters such as tornados or hurricanes, FEMA remains in charge. In disasters in which criminal conduct is involved, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) takes on a much larger role in conjunction with the state or local police agency in whose jurisdiction the event occurred. FEMA is the lead agency responsible for coordinating the federal response to the consequences of an emergency incident such as a terrorist attack and has developed comprehensive plans for emergency operations.

Initial Response

Since its creation in 2003, the DHS has had primary responsibility for the prevention of terrorist attacks within the United States and has been delegated to lead the recovery from any attacks that may occur. To address these objectives, the Federal Response Plan and the U.S. Government Interagency Domestic Terrorism Concept of Operations Plan were developed. These plans include guidelines on the coordination of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, emergency public information and media relations procedures, and plans for recovery efforts.

Another important part of emergency preparedness plans has been the establishment of color-coded threat levels. The threat levels are severe (red), high (orange), elevated (yellow), guarded (blue), and low (green). These threat levels were established to help state and local law enforcement officials provide for the safety and welfare of their communities. Warnings of a potential incident can come from the Central Intelligence Agency, FBI, or from any law enforcement agency.

Local law enforcement's responsibility lies in the first response, establishing incident command and assessment of personnel and equipment needs, evacuation, and ...