Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 94
CHAPTER 30
Relative to emergency services.
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Filed with
Secretary of State
May 09, 2014.
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LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 94, Rodriguez.
Emergency services: active shooter incidents.
This measure would recognize that active shooter incidents are increasing and would encourage local fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical services agencies in coordination with the Office of Emergency Services to develop standard operating procedures and coordinated training programs in an effort to more efficiently respond to active shooter incidents in California.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines an active shooter as an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area; and
WHEREAS, Since the Columbine High School attack in 1999, active shooter incidents have captured a substantial amount of public and law enforcement attention; and
WHEREAS, Eighty-four active shooter events occurred between 2000 and 2010, 16 of which occurred in 2009 and 21 of which occurred in 2010; and
WHEREAS, More than 250 people have been killed in the United States during active shooter incidents since the Columbine High School shootings in 1999; and
WHEREAS, Active shooter incidents often occur in small and medium-sized communities where police departments are limited by budget constraints and small workforces; and
WHEREAS, The average active shooter incident are 12 minutes in duration, with 37 percent of incidents lasting less than five minutes; and
WHEREAS, Fifty-one percent of active shooter incidents have been found to occur in the workplace, while 17 percent occurred in a school, 17 percent occurred in a public place, and 6 percent occurred in a religious establishment; and
WHEREAS, During 56 percent of active shooter attacks that were ongoing when police arrived, officers had to use force to stop the killing; and
WHEREAS, Patrol officers are most likely responding alone or with a partner to an incident, with one-third of those officers who enter an incident alone being shot by the intruder; and
WHEREAS, The recent shooting incident at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in November 2013 serves as a grim reminder that a mass casualty incident can happen at any moment, in any location; and
WHEREAS, In response to this incident, LAX created an Airport Response Team, composed of airport employees who will voluntarily mobilize during future airport-related emergencies to specifically assist with passenger communication and care; and
WHEREAS, The entry of emergency medical services to an attack site are often delayed because law enforcement must conduct a thorough search of the scene in order to declare it secure; and
WHEREAS, The inability, or severely delayed ability, of emergency medical services personnel to access an active shooter scene have caused a paradigm shift in law enforcement training and tactics, as victims are not necessarily expected to escape or even survive these situations; and
WHEREAS, Recent active shooter incidents have underscored the need for a coordinated response by law enforcement and others to save lives; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature recognizes that active shooter incidents appear to be increasing and further encourages local fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical services agencies in coordination with the Office of Emergency Services to develop common tactics, communications capabilities, and terminology to enable seamless and effective operations during an active shooter incident; and be it further
Resolved, That local fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical services agencies are encouraged to establish standard operating procedures and coordinated training programs for these volatile and dangerous situations in an effort to mitigate risk to law enforcement officers, as well as the general public; and be it further
Resolved, That airports, college campuses, and entertainment venues, where large groups of people often congregate, should consider implementing response teams, similar to that employed by LAX, in order to streamline communications with persons trapped inside a venue and to maximize crowd control measures and evacuation procedures; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the Office of Emergency Services, the Department of Justice, and to the author for appropriate distribution.