Response Methods

 

After observing multiple possible response methods during a mass shooting, I found that I was conflicted when deciding between two of these methods. I feel as though both rescue task forces and single or double officer entry could be argued as the most effective for saving as many lives. The rescue task forces, or RTFs, is the medical team whose job is to stabilize as many victims in a short period of time. Accomplished by bringing EMS onto the scenes. This response forces on those who have already been hurt, while the officer entry response focuses on those who are still in danger and could still get hurt. This is why I feel it is difficult to decide between each of these methods. If an officer is able to disarm the threat fast before too many people are harmed, then that would be the most effective response. But, if a team is unable to enter the building then it makes more sense to focus most of the attention to those who are hurt through RTFs. So, really I feel as though that the method that has the greatest ability to save lives depends on what each situation calls for. 

Some of the most significant challenges that officers face when responding to mass shootings are planning an effective response and of course having to engage with the shooter. There are so many factors that have to be considered before even thinking about entering a situation like this and engaging with the threat. For example, determining how many shooters there are, where they all are located, how many people are in what areas to know where they should not engage, and discovering if there are any additional bombs or threats like there were in Columbine that need to be disarmed. After learning about as much as they can in as little time as possible, which in itself is a challenge, these officers have to then engage with these shooters. Which is of course an incredibly dangerous sacrifice for these people to make. They have to worry about not only their own safety, but the safety of all of the civilians around them. The courageous teams that are responsible for the first wave of response in a mass shooting should be commended. And, despite the fact that there could be better and more effective methods of response, the teams risking their lives should not be discredited as a result of argument. It is a rare occurrence, but I have seen articles pushing the blame for how many people are hurt onto some of the responders and their decisions. With each event, as well as with the help of some new technology, we learn a bit more about how to improve these response methods and I feel as though eventually a balance of all of the response methods will be developed that results in the most victims saved during as mass shooting as possible.

Virtual reality is an example of how technology will help response teams improve their plan of action: