Bexar County Sheriff's Office Policy Manual - Emergency/Critical Incident Operations PDF

BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE POLICY MANUAL Original Date Effective Date Chapter Number December 1, 2003 May 6, 2023 Thirty-Two Subject Office Emergency/Critical I...

BEXAR COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE POLICY MANUAL Original Date Effective Date Chapter Number December 1, 2003 May 6, 2023 Thirty-Two Subject Office Emergency/Critical Incident Operations Patrol Division References Enclosures None None Distribution Supersedes Reevaluation Date Pages All Sheriff’s Employees April 30,2014 May 6, 2024 9 Approved by: Javier Salazar, Bexar County Sheriff 32.01 POLICY The protection of each citizen’s life, welfare, and safety from threat of harm is essential to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office’s (BCSO) primary duty of preserving the peace. Therefore, it is the policy of the BCSO to resolve all critical incidents and unusual occurrences in a manner that minimizes the risk to life by and through a process that employs the expertise of specially trained personnel using techniques designed to contain, isolate, stabilize, and negotiate the critical incident to a non-volatile resolution and without loss of life, or significant loss of or damage to property. 32.02 PURPOSE This policy provides deputies and supervisors with guidelines for controlling and resolving emergency/critical incidents by assigning responsibilities to initial responders, to critical incident response teams, and to support functions. This procedure also provides guidance for deputy response during an unusual occurrence. It can be applied to a variety of unusual occurrences and command personnel may find the need to deviate from it to address obstacles arising during unusual occurrences. 32.03 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. CASUALTY COLLECTION POINT (CCP) - A designated location within the Warm Zone with security measures allowing assemblage of nearby casualties needing medical care. D. CIVIL DISTURBANCE - Any domestic emergency such as a demonstration, strike, riot, and/or public panic which has the potential of producing casualties or major property damage. E. COLD ZONE - A geographic area where first responders can operate with minimal threat to personal safety or health. 1 F. CRITICAL INCIDENT COMMAND STAFF - Personnel designated by the Incident Commander to provide information, safety, and liaison services. G. CRITICAL INCIDENTS - A high-risk emergency that poses imminent and/or continuing threat of death or serious bodily injury to any person by any other person, to include but not limited to hostage situations, barricaded subjects, terrorist, sniper incidents, bomb threats, and threatened suicides. H. 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. I. HAZMAT - Hazardous materials that, by the nature of their existence, present a danger to life or property (i.e., nuclear material, chemicals, explosives, liquid fuels, compressed gas, etc.) J. 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. K. INCIDENT COMMANDER - Supervisor responsible for conducting and managing all operations and incident activities, including the development of strategies, tactics, and the ordering and release of resources. L. INCIDENT SUPERVISOR - The first on-duty BCSO supervisor to arrive at the scene of an emergency or critical incident. M. INITIAL RESPONDER - The first deputy arriving at the scene of an emergency or critical incident. N. INNER PERIMETER - An area established to keep the threat contained to a specified location. O. NEGOTIATIONS SUPERVISOR - The senior negotiator at the scene of an emergency or critical incident. P. OUTER PERIMETER - An area established to keep the inner perimeter secured and to prevent outside elements from entering the incident. Q. 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. R. 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. S. 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). 2 T. UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE - An emergency of such magnitude that it compels the recall of personnel or requires the support of other agencies to protect and preserve life and property, prevent escalation and to restore order. Such incidents include civil disturbances, natural and manmade disasters. U. WARM ZONE - A geographic area where law enforcement has either cleared or isolated the threat to a level of minimal or mitigated risk for casualty collection points and rescue task forces; can be considered clear, but not secure. 32.04 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER RESPONSIBILITIES A. The Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC) has the responsibility of monitoring, recording, facilitating, and coordinating the response activities of personnel assigned to unusual occurrences and/or emergency/critical incident responses. The PSCC dispatcher will give the incident priority over other matters and will relay all obtained information related to the incident. B. The on-duty PSCC supervisor will immediately be notified of any request for services or receipt of any information that has the potential of becoming an emergency/critical incident or other unusual occurrence. C. Upon being notified of an actual or potential unusual occurrence or other emergency/critical incident, the on-duty PSCC supervisor or their designee will: 1. Assess the information received and ensure that the appropriate response has been initiated at the request of responding command personnel; 2. Ensure, based on their assessment, that an adequate number of PSCC dispatchers are available during the initial and subsequent stages of incident operations; 3. Ensure that a designated radio channel is established for incident communications and that a dedicated PSCC dispatcher is assigned to monitor that channel. 32.05 INITIAL RESPONDER RESPONSIBILITIES A. Critical Incident 1. Deputies, as initial responders to critical incidents, have several important functions essential to the successful resolution of the incident. Depending on the situation, these responsibilities include: a. Quickly recognize the potential or existence of a critical incident; b. Request additional support and supervisory personnel through the PSCC dispatcher; NOTE: Radio/cellular transmissions from a situation involving the threat or existence of explosives may trigger the device. c. Seek positions of safety from where the situation may be contained within the smallest possible area; 3  d. Isolate non-participants from the threat; e. Evacuate bystanders and/or injured persons, if necessary; f. Request EMS and Fire Rescue, if necessary; g. Notify the PSCC of established safe ingress and egress routes for emergency vehicles and personnel; h. Attempt to establish communication with the suspect, hostages, and/or witnesses to help assess the situation: 1) Maintain communications, however, do not attempt to negotiate with the suspect; negotiating is the responsibility of a certified crisis negotiator assigned to the Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT); 2) Do not use threats or intimidating gestures; and 3) Maintain a calm, even disposition when conversing with the suspect. i. Communicate information to the responding units through the PSCC dispatcher (i.e., number, names, actions, and descriptions of suspect(s) and hostage(s), weapons involved, and direction of flight, etc.); j. Maintain maximum firearms discipline at all times; and k. Properly document all pertinent information and remain at the scene until released. 2. If the initial responding deputy determines there is an active shooter or an active attack, the response should be immediate and rapid. The primary objective of every responding deputy is to isolate, distract, and neutralize the actions of an active shooter to prevent the loss of life. (see Chapter 32 Appendix A) 3. Supervisory deputies, as supervisors of initial responders, have several important functions to perform upon arrival at the scene which, depending on the circumstances, include: a. Make an assessment of available options upon confirmation of the deputy's initial observations. If the incident is determined to be a critical incident, assume duties as the Incident Commander until properly relieved by a higher authority; b. Determine the type of law enforcement response needed (if any) to safely resolve the situation, either with available law enforcement resources or critical incident response teams. Notify the PSCC dispatcher of the determination; c. Request the on-duty PSCC supervisor to make appropriate notifications; d. Notify the PSCC dispatcher of required deputy positions to establish incident zones that contain and isolate the threat; 4  e. Assign necessary units for directing and controlling traffic around containment area; f. Ensure all non-participants are evacuated from the incident zones; g. Establish a mobilization point within the established cold zone for on-scene assignments; and h. The first supervisor arriving remains in control of the scene until he/she is relieved. Upon relief, he/she provides a formal transfer of command briefing for the incoming Incident Commander and ensures the PSCC dispatcher notifies all personnel a change in command is taking place. B. Unusual Occurrences 1. The first deputy encountering or responding to an unusual occurrence must identify the nature and extent of the unusual occurrence as soon as possible to determine the appropriate level of response. 2. The first deputy arriving on the scene of an unusual occurrence has several important functions essential to the effective management and control of the unusual occurrence. The major tasks performed are: a. Assess and report to the PSCC dispatcher the approximate nature, size, and location of the unusual occurrence; b. Determine the location of any injured or deceased persons. Ensure sufficient medical attention is given to injured persons by: 1) Rendering first aid when necessary; 2) Providing emergency apparatus ingress and egress; 3) Assisting medical personnel in establishing triage areas. c. Protect and contain the area in the same manner as a major crime scene; d. Notify the PSCC dispatcher of established safe entrance and exit routes for emergency vehicles and personnel; e. Responding deputies request assignment positions from the PSCC dispatcher. In other than life saving efforts, these assignments are directed toward establishing control of the situation. f. Arriving deputies should park their vehicles to allow rescue and other emergency vehicles unrestricted entrance and exit routes to the scene. 3. The first supervisor arriving on-scene assumes command of all law enforcement activity. This supervisor performs the following tasks: 5  a. Establish liaison with the Incident Commander if the incident involves more than just law enforcement assets. If the incident involves only law enforcement assets, assumes the role of Incident Commander until properly relieved by a higher authority; b. Identify the hot, warm, and cold zones of the scene, and the number of personnel required to properly secure the scene; c. Report the personnel and equipment needs to the PSCC dispatcher to control the situation, including the request of Special Operations (SWAT, Crisis Negotiators, K9, etc.) and command personnel; d. Assign deputies to specific duties required to correctly protect and process the scene; e. Establish Unified Command with other responding agencies or departments to coordinate the response and necessary support; f. If the incident involves more than law enforcement assets, coordinate all incident management efforts with the Unified Incident Command; g. The first supervisor arriving remains in control of the scene until he/she is relieved. Upon relief, he/she provides a formal transfer of command briefing for the incoming supervisor or Incident Commander and ensures the PSCC dispatcher notifies all personnel a change in command is taking place. 4. The PSCC dispatcher directs responding units to the location, maintaining radio liaison with the initial responders and supervisors to establish crowd and traffic control. 32.06 INCIDENT SUPERVISOR A. The first BCSO supervisor to arrive at the scene of an emergency or critical incident will: 1. Assume command and control of the incident and become the incident supervisor; 2. Receive a detailed briefing from the initial responding deputy with emphasis being on the incident type, severity, and personnel available, and actions taken. B. Once the Incident Supervisor ascertains that a critical incident exists, they will have the PSCC supervisor immediately notify the appropriate Deputy Chief. The incident supervisor will then: 1. Reassess the situation; 2. Establish an incident command post; 3. Maintain communications with PSCC dispatchers and field units; 4. Communicate requests for additional personnel, equipment, and other agency assistance to the PSCC dispatcher; 6  5. Re-position personnel, perimeters, entrances, and exits based upon observations and assessment of the situation; 6. Maintain command and control of the incident until relieved by the incident commander, and at that point assist the incident commander. 32.07 INCIDENT COMMANDER A. Upon the arrival of the Incident Commander at the Incident Command Post the incident supervisor will give a detailed briefing with emphasis on: 1. Incident type; 2. Severity (Threat); 3. Damage/injuries sustained; 4. Location of outer and inner perimeters; 5. Personnel and resources present/requested; 6. Additional hazards/threats (if known); 7. Ongoing rescue/evacuation efforts; 8. Scene boundaries (inner/outer perimeters); 9. Subject/suspect intelligence briefing; 10. Deployment of personnel/vehicles/equipment. B. The Incident Commander will make the following reassessments once command has been turned over: 1. Extend/retract perimeters; 2. Request for personnel/equipment; 3. Request for outside agency support; 4. Sustained negotiations; 5. Tactical Team deployment; 6. Order/Continue evacuation; 7. Termination of operation. 7 32.08 EVACUATIONS A. In the event there is a necessity for evacuation of any area, the Incident Commander: 1. Assigns a liaison deputy to coordinate with other agencies involved; 2. The American Red Cross may be contacted via the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on behalf of the Incident Commander to set up evacuation centers and provide assistance to displaced persons; 3. Establishes and maintains the hot, warm, and cold zones to prohibit unauthorized persons from entering; 4. Assigns the necessary personnel for hot, warm, and cold zones patrols to safeguard the properties vacated; 5. Divides the area into sections, assigning units to evacuate specific sections, working from the unusual occurrence outward; and 6. Establishes a limited access area allowing residents, media, owners, and managers of businesses limited entrance. B. The Incident Commander may direct the Public Information Officer (PIO) to request radio and television stations to broadcast evacuation information. C. Deputies should record the names, addresses, and ages of persons evacuated and of persons who choose to remain in their homes or businesses during voluntary evacuations. D. In some instances, it may be in the best interest of public safety to have persons remain isolated within their homes or businesses in lieu of evacuating them (shelter in place). 32.09 HAZARDOUS MATERIAL INCIDENTS Hazardous material incidents and chemical spills present unique circumstances and require specialized instructions and training. Under normal circumstances the appropriate Bexar County Emergency Services District (ESD) has principal responsibility for determining the necessary course of action and the BCSO’s role consists of perimeter control, security, and support of ESD’s operations. (see Chapter 32 Appendix B) 32.10 RESOLUTION OF INCIDENT/DEMOBILIZATION A. All personnel/equipment must be accounted for. B. All personnel will prepare and present a detailed report of their activities, assignments, and actions during the incident. C. Personnel required to write a report under this Chapter and after reviewing any video from in-car or body-worn camera, shall have no more than 48 (forty-eight) hours to complete said detailed report 8  of their involvement and activities. Deputies shall refer to Chapter 44 Body Worn Camera and Digital Media Evidence for further guidance. 32.11 AFTER ACTION REPORT Reports submitted will be reviewed by a designated person(s), and an incident management report will be submitted no later than ten (10) days after the event to the Sheriff for review, which contains the following information: 1. Date, time, location, and type of incident; 2. Incident commander’s name; 3. Number of personnel assigned; 4. Injuries sustained; 5. Property damaged; 6. Resources used; 7. Resources needed; 8. Outside support received; 9. Problems experienced; 10. After-action review and future recommendations. 9