Bexar County Sheriff's Office Policy: Active Shooter Response PDF

BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE POLICY MANUAL Issue Date Effective Date Chapter Number June 1, 2022 June 1, 2022 Thirty-Two Appendix A Subject Office Response t...

BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE POLICY MANUAL Issue Date Effective Date Chapter Number June 1, 2022 June 1, 2022 Thirty-Two Appendix A Subject Office Response to Active Shooter Incidents Special Operations Div./Patrol Div. References Enclosures None None Distribution Supersedes Reevaluation Date Pages All Sheriff’s Employees New Appendix December 1, 2023 8 Approved by: Javier Salazar, Bexar County Sheriff 32A.01 POLICY It is the policy of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) to take necessary immediate action when the safety of innocent lives is at stake. The BCSO’s primary goal in dealing with Active Shooter Incidents is to protect human lives and to resolve the incident by utilizing techniques designed to stop the loss of life by isolating, distracting, and neutralizing the actions of an active shooter, and expediting medical treatment of injured victims. All officers involved in an Active Shooter Incident should wear body armor available to them and attempt to make use of specialized equipment (ballistic shields, shoulder weapons, etc.), if possible. The first arriving deputy(s) shall immediately proceed to the area of the incident to isolate, distract, and neutralize the actions of an Active Shooter. 32A.02 PURPOSE This policy establishes guidelines for responding to Active Shooter Incidents by assigning responsibilities to initial responders and identifying other critical functions. This policy also provides guidance for deputy response during ongoing violent events which may be very chaotic, rapidly evolving, and unpredictable. 32A.03 DEFINITIONS A. ACTIVE ATTACK - An incident in which one or more armed persons have used, or are reasonably likely to use, deadly force in an ongoing manner, and where persons have been injured, killed, or are under imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm by such persons. B. ACTIVE SHOOTER - An individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people. In most cases, active shooters use firearms and have no pattern or method to their selection of victims. An “Active Shooter” includes anyone who uses any deadly weapon (knife, club, explosives, etc.) to continuously inflict death or serious bodily injury. C. ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENT - Per the National Tactical Officers Association, “one or more subjects participate in a random or systematic shooting/killing spree, demonstrating their intent to continuously harm others. An Active Shooter’s overriding objective appears to be that of inflicting death or serious bodily injury on a mass scale, rather than criminal conduct such as robbery, kidnapping, etc.” D. CASUALTY COLLECTION POINT (CCP) - A designated location within the Warm Zone with security measures allowing assemblage of nearby casualties needing medical care. 1 E. COLD ZONE - A geographic area where first responders can operate with minimal threat to personal safety or health. F. COMMON CHANNEL - A system-wide talk-group programmed into all radios for use by users on the Bexar County radio system. The Common Channel can be quickly accessed by turning the radio select knob all the way to the right (position 16) regardless of the “fleet” the radio is set to monitor. G. CONTACT OFFICER - The first deputy at the scene of an active shooting tasked with locating the suspect(s) and stopping the threat. H. CONTACT TEAM - A group of 2-5 deputies who move in a coordinated effort into the hot zone to address a threat. I. DRIVING FORCE - A set of circumstances which would lead a reasonable person to believe that there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to another person, which would prompt a deputy to take immediate action in an effort to mitigate the threat. E.g.; gunfire is heard, someone is actively slashing with a knife, sounds of injured persons, actionable intelligence that victims need immediate lifesaving medical care, etc. J. HOSTAGE BARRICADE CRISIS - An incident in which one or more suspects hold an individual(s) against their will and try to hold off the authorities by force, by threatening to kill the hostage(s) if provoked or attacked. In a hostage barricade crisis, the primary objective is usually not to inflict death or serious bodily injury on a mass scale, but instead to use the hostages as a bargaining tool. K. HOT ZONE - A geographic area, consisting of the immediate incident location, with a direct and immediate threat to personal safety or health. All violent incidents are considered hot until law enforcement determines otherwise. Only law enforcement should operate in the hot zone. L. IMMEDIATE ACTION - Rapid response by one or more deputies to an active shooting based on a reasonable belief that failure to swiftly seek out and address the threat would result in death or serious bodily injury. M. INCIDENT COMMAND POST (ICP) - A specified tactical location within the Warm Zone identified and established by a supervisor in order to command the incident and direct responding officers and other resources in a coordinated fashion. N. INNER PERIMETER - An area established to keep the threat contained to a specified location. O. OUTER PERIMETER - An area established to keep the inner perimeter secured and to prevent outside elements from entering the incident. P. RESCUE TASK FORCE (RTF) - A team consisting of fire/emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, paired with law enforcement officers. Fire/EMS personnel are tasked with initial treatment and triage of victims in the warm zone. Law enforcement officers are assigned as the protection for this team and should not separate from the fire/EMS personnel. The RTF deploys in the Warm Zone to provide immediate medical care and evacuation of casualties. 2 Q. STAGING AREA - An area or location near the incident where outside resources respond and are quickly inventoried for utilization and assignment at the incident. There may be more than one staging area per incident. R. UNIFIED COMMAND - An organized team effort which allows all involved agencies with jurisdictional authority or functional responsibility for the incident to jointly provide management direction through a common set of objectives and strategies and a single Incident Action Plan (IAP). S. WARM ZONE - A geographic area where law enforcement has either cleared or isolated the threat to a level of minimal or mitigated risk; can be considered clear, but not secure. 32A.04 PROCEDURES A. Situational Assessment: 1. Active Shooter Incidents require coordinated efforts among first response agencies to ensure the preservation of life and security of their missions. Use of Unified Command protocol enhances proper command, control, communication, cooperation, and organizational functions, allowing field supervisors to concentrate on the tactics required to stabilize the incident. Use of Rescue Task Force (RTF) teams increases a victim’s probability of surviving an incident. 2. The initial responding deputy plays a critical role in the intervention and ultimate resolution of these events, and they may be forced to deviate from procedures due to the totality of the circumstances encountered. 3. The first arriving deputy(s) must be aware it is critical to distinguish the difference between an Active Shooter Incident and a Hostage Barricade Crisis in order to prepare an appropriate response, understanding dynamics may change rapidly. 4. If determined to be an Active Shooter Incident, the response should be immediate and rapid and in keeping with the following goals: a. Stop the threat; b. Secure the immediate area; c. Treat the injured/wounded; d. Use rescue teams; e. Secure the crime scene; f. Establish and maintain unobstructed ingress/egress routes for emergency response vehicles; g. Establish security details for all critical incident facilities including but not limited to: command posts, staging areas, casualty collection points, triage, treatment, and transportation areas, and temporary shelters. 3  5. If determined to be a Hostage Barricade Crisis, be prepared to follow the standard law enforcement response to a Hostage Barricade Crisis, in line with the 5-C’s: a. Contain; b. Control; c. Communicate; d. Call Special Operations (SWAT, Crisis Negotiators, K9); e. Create a Plan of Action. B. Responding Deputies: 1. All available deputies, including supervisors, from the affected district and adjacent districts will respond or be dispatched to the scene of an Active Shooter Incident. 2. The primary objective of every responding deputy is to isolate, distract, and neutralize the actions of an active shooter. 3. Arriving deputies shall immediately proceed to the area of the incident to isolate, distract, and neutralize the threat. Deputies shall proceed alone, if necessary, when Driving Forces are present. 4. Immediately after accomplishing the primary objective, deputies will focus on preventing the loss of life by identifying and providing point-of-injury care to victims and facilitating the immediate deployment of Rescue Task Force teams as required. 5. Upon arrival, while focusing on the primary objective, assess and communicate the tactical situation: a. Number of actors, descriptions, and last known locations; b. Type of weapon(s) being used; c. Other pertinent tactical information readily available. 6. When multiple deputies arrive simultaneously, they shall proceed as a 2-5 deputy contact team. 7. All tactics employed should be guided by these basic principles: a. Communicate; b. Stay together; c. Provide 540 degrees of cover; d. Work the angles; 4  e. Threshold evaluation; f. Speed of Movement (only move as fast as you can think and shoot accurately). C. Responding Supervisors: 1. Focus on the primary objective to isolate, distract, and neutralize the actions of an active shooter while assessing and communicating the tactical situation, in accordance with Section 32A.04, B- 5. 2. First arriving supervisors shall immediately proceed to the area of the incident to isolate, distract, and neutralize the threat. Supervisors shall proceed alone, if necessary, when Driving Forces are present. 3. When a supervisor arrives simultaneously with the initial responding deputy, they shall proceed as a 2-5 deputy contact team. 4. All tactics employed should be guided by the basic principles, in accordance with Section 32A.04, B-7. D. Incident Command Post Supervisor 1. The first supervisor arriving and not needed for immediate engagement will assume command and become the Incident Commander to focus on the tactics and strategies required to resolve the incident. 2. Responsibilities: a. Identify and establish an Incident Command Post and announce its location via radio; b. Provide instructions to responding deputies/supervisors and other resources reporting to the Incident Command Post; c. Establish perimeters (hot, warm, and cold zones); d. Liaison with responding agencies at the Incident Command Post; e. Liaison with fire/emergency medical services (EMS) personnel supervisor to coordinate the joint response of Rescue Task Force teams to treat injured victims in the affected area as soon as they are requested; f. Request appropriate Specialized Units and/or other resources; g. Ensure ingress and egress routes are clear for emergency vehicles; h. Assess the need for additional deputies and/or other resources; 5  i. Notify the Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC) dispatcher if and when responding units need to switch to the Common Channel for further instructions; j. Ensure instructions are provided on the Common Channel to responding deputies; k. Evacuate those sheltered when safe to do so. E. Incident Command Post Assistant Supervisor 1. Once an Incident Command Post Supervisor is established, the next supervisor arriving on scene and not needed for immediate engagement will become the Assistant Incident Commander. 2. Responsibilities: a. Establish a Unified Command Post consisting of representatives from all responding agencies; b. Establish a Staging Area; c. Establish a BCSO liaison to Unified Command until relieved by a supervisor. d. Ensure Command Staff notification is accomplished; e. Request additional resources (PIO, Traffic, CSI, etc.); f. Ensure security of the crime scene. F. Supervisors responding from various specialized units will assume supervisory roles as needed and described above. G. Active attack(s) shall be handled in the same manner and fashion as an Active Shooter Incident. 32A.05 RESCUE TASK FORCE (RTF) A. Rescue Task Force teams are deployed into the Warm Zone by the Incident Commander. B. The Rescue Task Force team leader will be a law enforcement officer. C. Law enforcement officers assigned to a Rescue Task Force team are solely responsible for providing force protection to their assigned Fire/EMS personnel. D. Rescue Task Force teams will remain together at all times until relieved by a supervisor. 6 32A.06 COMMUNICATIONS A. Recognizing Active Shooter Incidents to be of utmost importance, the Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC) dispatcher will give the incident priority over other matters and will relay all obtained information related to the incident. B. Upon report of a confirmed active shooter or other high profile law enforcement incident which is likely to initiate a multiple-agency response, the PSCC dispatcher will: 1. Patch police radio channel Mutual Aid 21 to the primary BCSO channel on which the incident is occurring. a. Outside agency personnel who are responding to the Active Shooter or other high profile law enforcement incident are expected to switch to the equivalent of radio channel Mutual Aid 21 for situational awareness and status updates. b. Outside agency responders are expected to maintain radio silence while responding to allow dispatch and deputies/supervisors on scene to provide active information. 2. Notify the commander of the Special Operations Unit who will determine if activation of the Special Operations Unit is necessary. 3. At the request of the Incident Commander, ensure the primary channel dispatcher announces for ALL deputies who are responding and have not yet arrived at the incident location to switch their police radio to the equivalent of the Common Channel for instructions. a. The Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC) dispatcher will broadcast these instructions on the primary channel frequently and often to ensure compliance; b. The Incident Commander, or designee, will provide instructions on the Common Channel to responding deputies prior to arriving at the incident. C. The PSCC dispatcher will direct responding units to the location, maintaining radio liaison with the initial responders, the Incident Commander, and Assistant Incident Commander. 1. If already established, the PSCC dispatcher will direct all responding resources to the Incident Command Post, unless the Incident Commander requests otherwise. 2. At the direction of the Incident Commander, the PSCC dispatcher will repeatedly broadcast over the primary channel for responding units who have not yet arrived to switch to the Common Channel in accordance with communications protocol. 7 D. Deputies involved in an Active Shooter Incident will remain on the primary channel and all other deputies will switch to other channel(s), identified by the PSCC dispatcher, for the duration of the event. E. The Communications Shift Supervisor will ensure available Patrol supervisors are dispatched and will make required notifications to all responding agencies through their Unified Command liaisons. F. Upon notification from the Incident Commander, the Public Safety Communications Center will resume normal radio operations. 32A.07 POST ENGAGEMENT A. Once an active shooter has been isolated and neutralized, deputies will remain vigilant for the presence of additional actors and will continue their active shooter response if additional threats are identified. B. Immediately after an active shooter has been isolated and neutralized, if not already deployed, deputies will request Rescue Task Force teams from the Incident Command Post to provide medical care to injured victims and evacuate them to a higher level of care. C. The Active Shooter Incident will only be declared “SAFE” by the Incident Commander. 32A.08 POST INCIDENT Post incident activities will be in accordance with the Sheriff’s Office Policy and Procedure and demobilizing of resources. 8