Palm Coast – The Palm Coast Fire Department recently participated in Active Threat and Shooter Incident Training hosted by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO). The training was coordinated by the FCSO Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team at Fire Station 21, utilizing the skeletal walls of the recent Halloween haunted fire station experience, Hall of Terror. The training emphasizes the importance of creating an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Task Force comprised of law enforcement with fire department personnel to deploy into a warm zone of an active threat and shooter incident.
Deployment to the warm zones of active threat and shooter incidents requires firefighters to wear ballistic helmets and a ballistic vest, as they work to deliver medical aid to victims found within the warm zones. Wearing ballistic gear and entering an active scene is a relatively new concept as one of the longest and most defining principles of delivering emergency medical services has been the concept of scene safety. In 2019, all the front-line fire engines were outfitted with ballistic helmets and vests.
Scene safety teaches that non-law enforcement first responders should stage until there is no longer a threat to first responders, allowing them to be able to safely render medical care. Tragic events like the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the Las Vegas shooting, and the Pulse Night Club shooting have motivated first responders to take a new approach in their response to active threat and shooter incidents.
The research found that this training is paramount to gaining early access to victims and is critical in our steps to deliver medical aid. In addition, without medical assistance, most victims died within 20 minutes of their serious injuries. “From an EMS aspect, the timeframe involved in accessing victims is the most important factor,” said Lt. Daniel Driscoll, who is the lead EMS Field Training Officer for the Palm Coast Fire Department. The new method of response allows the EMS task force to begin rapid treatment and removal of the most critical victims within 5 to 10 minutes on scene. In addition to gaining access, firefighters practiced their EMS skills of being able to stop the bleeding and quickly packaging patients to remove them from their location and deliver them to waiting rescues. Lieutenant Driscoll also said, “This is the most progressive step each of our agencies has taken towards a solution to these types of incidents.”
For more information on this training, contact the Palm Coast Fire Department at 386-986-2844. More photos are available on the Palm Coast Fire Department’s Facebook Page. You can also follow @PalmCoastFire on Twitter for more updates.
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