Group Releases Free-Use Active Shooter Protocol

In the wake of the Newtown (Conn.) school massacre, a national standards organization has released a new protocol for handling active shooter incidents, and is allowing any communications center to use the information without the group’s usual licensing restrictions. The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) posted their Police Protocol 136  today as part of their well-established set of law enforcement, fire and emergency medical set of call-handling cards. According to the group, the protocol was developed, “to address these very extreme and dynamic incidents by providing responding law enforcement officers with an immediate notification of the event, followed quickly by critical scene safety information.” Using the protocol, a 911 calltaker would provide pre-arrival instructions, including lock-down or evacuation advice, and collect information about the suspect, including description, weapons and location. The IAED notes that the protocol is copyrighted, and it provides a “pre-implementation awareness” document for agencies who plan to use the information. The IAED has previously released other key protocols for general use, including ones that covered stuck vehicle accelerators and vehicles submerged in water. Read today’s press release announcing the protocol release here, and find the new protocol itself here. Also download (pdf) the full explanation of Protocol 136, which provides background on the questions and advice contained in the protocol.