The National Fire Protection Association has released the first active shooter/hostile event standard to help communities deal with mass casualty incidents.
NFPA 3000 provides unified planning, response and recovery guidance, as well as civilian and responder safety considerations. It is the first standard aimed at dealing with mass casualty incidents, developed in response to the rising number of active shooter and hostile events emergency services have to confront.
After the Pulse nightclub massacre in June 2016, Chief Otto Drozd of Orange County Fire Service in Florida requested that NFPA develop a standard to help authorities come together and create a well-defined, cohesive plan that works to minimize harm and maximize resiliency.
The NFPA Technical Committee on Cross Functional Emergency Preparedness and Response was established and in April NFPA 3000 was issued.
“The NFPA 3000 process, from start to finish, has been an exceptional example of emergency responders and other safety-focused practitioners swiftly coming together to provide invaluable perspective and address a significant threat in our world,” said NFPA President and CEO Jim Pauley. “The proactive, integrated strategies recommended and defined in NFPA 3000 will go a long way in helping communities plan, respond and recover from active shooter and hostile events.”
The 46-member Technical Committee responsible for NFPA 3000 is NFPA’s largest startup committee to date, with representation from law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, hospitals, emergency management, private security, private business, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice.
Committee members provided job-specific insight and real-world observations from mass killings at the Mandalay Bay resort, Pulse nightclub, Sandy Hook Elementary, the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., the Boston Marathon, and other less-widely reported incidents.
The standard helps communities develop an active shooter/hostile event preparedness, response and recovery program.
NFPA 3000 is available via a new digital subscription and NFPA is also offering an Online Training Series, a downloadable checklist, a readiness assessment document, and fact sheet for authorities to learn more about establishing a proactive, collaborative active shooter/hostile event program.
Find out more here