SOP 209.06 RIOTS/ASSAULT SITUATIONS

PURPOSE

The purpose of this procedure is to outline the Fire Department's approach to dealing with incidents involving civil disturbances. The procedure describes response modes, security, command structures, and cooperative approaches with the Ennis Police Department and other agencies.

DEFINITION

Within this procedure, a civil disturbance is defined as a situation involving a random act, or several random or specific acts of violence directed at firefighters or other persons, or property.

PROCEDURE

The Ennis Fire Department shall use a three-tiered approach to respond to incidents involving civil disturbances. It shall be the responsibility of the Dispatch Supervisor, Company Officers and the Fire Chief to be alert to potential or actual hazards due to a civil disturbance. There are times when such potential is high and well known throughout the system; however, at other times, a single act or incident can spontaneously escalate into a significant disturbance. When an incident occurs, the Shift Commander shall be notified immediately by the Dispatch Center to assist in determining a proper response to the situation.

It is critical that the Dispatch Center Supervisor remain alert at all times to the potential of a civil disturbance. What may appear to be a few unrelated incidents in a particular part of the City can be the only warning of a significant disturbance in its early stages. Incidents can also occur in more than one area of the City simultaneously. Unnecessary delay in implementing this procedure can result in significant risk to fire department companies and negatively affect the development of the Command System.

NOTIFICATIONS

Initiation of a Tier 2 or Tier 3 response requires initial coordination between companies experiencing acts of violence, Dispatch, and the Chief.

Any company experiencing an act of violence against them shall immediately report the incident to the Dispatch Center. The Dispatch Center will notify the appropriate Chief. If the severity of the situation dictates that a Tier 2 or Tier 3 response is in order, the following notifications will be made by Dispatch:

Fire Chief

Assistant Fire Chief

Police Liaison Officer

City P.I.O.

Additional communications between any of the mentioned parties will be necessary, but aren't part of the notification process and will vary from situation to situation.

The Shift Officer or Station Commander of the District affected should review the Tier Response Plan frequently and initiate communication to the department of any changes and the current status of the situation.

TIER-ONE RESPONSE

When responding to an incident involving potential violence, the Dispatch Center and all responding units shall follow the procedures outlined in the response to violent incidents procedure.

TIER-TWO RESPONSE

When an actual act of violence towards firefighters has occurred at a specific location of the City (i.e., a random bullet fired at a fire apparatus, but resulting in no injuries), and there are no indications that the situation involves any other related acts, a perimeter shall be identified a minimum of 1/2 mile in each direction from which the act occurred. For at least the remainder of that work shift, fire department companies shall not respond into that area without a police escort, and shall stage according to the requirements of the response to violent incidents procedure when they do enter the area. Future Code 3 response shall not occur into or through the area, companies shall stay clear of the area when returning from other calls. All surrounding fire department companies shall return to and remain in their stations except to respond to and return directly from calls.

Any fire stations located inside the established perimeter shall have all their resources reassigned to a station outside the perimeter or to a Level II staging area. All support apparatus, such as brush trucks, tankers, etc., will also be relocated.

Fire stations located adjacent to the perimeter area will remain in their stations but shall go into a "Lockdown" mode for security reasons. All doors will be closed and locked. Members will remain indoor at all times.

TIER-THREE RESPONSE

When a series of actual acts of violence have occurred in a specific area of the City (i.e., unrelated set fires, a series of assaults, or looting), a perimeter encompassing one or more square miles shall be established around the area. A Command Post shall be established well outside that perimeter utilizing the command van, staff cars, or if appropriate, a fire station. When possible, a joint Command Post should be established with the Police Department. If this is not possible, a ranking Police Officer should be requested to report to the fire department Command Post.

Command shall establish Level II Staging near the Command Post and request appropriate resources from Dispatch. The following Branches and Sectors may be assigned:

Logistics Section

Rehab Sector

Staging Sector

Accountability Sector

Dispatch Liaison Sector

Police Liaison Sector

Resource Sector

Treatment Sector

Public Information Sector

Other Sections Branches and Sectors as required

Close communications shall be maintained between the fire alarm (via a Dispatch Liaison Sector located at the Command Post), and the Police Liaison. The Command Post will direct all responses into the Hazards Zone. Dispatch will provide Command all requests for emergency service in the identified area. Dispatch will also advise command of all emergency requests to perimeter areas. Command shall determine the appropriate response to the incident (if any), the radio channel, obtain a police escort, and actually direct the companies to respond.

All resources responding into the perimeter will be grouped (no single company responses) and with police escorts. Responding units will communicate only with Command. Request for additional assistance by a company/unit shall be directed to Command, utilizing the emergency traffic procedure if necessary. Upon completion of the call, the companies shall return to the Command Post, be accounted for, and return to Level II Staging. In addition to Command, Dispatch must also monitor all radio traffic. Command should consider rotating units from throughout the City into the Level II Staging area to respond. This can help reduce tension and maintain alertness among the crews. If disturbances are occurring in more than one area of the City, this system may be duplicated in other locations. When operating in a Tier-Three situation, emphasis must be placed on stabilizing the incident as rapidly as possible, if safe to do so, and then pulling out.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

No single company responses will be permitted in Tier-three situations.

Police escorts will be required.

All fire department personnel will respond to and from all emergencies in full protective clothing (helmet, bunkers, etc.) in Tier-two and three modes, and will remain in full gear until returned to staging or their assigned fire station.

Use of sirens and air horns within the perimeter should be avoided. Emergency light may be used.

When responding to Tier-two and three situations, apparatus must be placed in a manner that will allow for rapid, unobstructed, retreat from the area. Apparatus must also be parked in a manner that best protects the crew.

When operating in Tier-two and three modes, all tools and equipment located on the exterior of apparatus must be removed and placed in interior compartments.

Crews should be careful about what is said over the radio. Outside speakers on apparatus broadcast all messages (to the public). Cellular phones should be used as much as possible for sensitive communications.

Our members must control their behavior. We should back off in most potentially violent situations so that we don't fuel a major disturbance when it could have been avoided with the use of discretion.

Body armor may be acquired from the police department in a Tier-three situation if it is deemed necessary by command.

TACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Patients may be more effectively treated in a potentially violent situation if the patient is rapidly removed from the scene to an exterior treatment area (scoop and run).

When no lives are at stake, emphasis will be on protecting savable property. Buildings, vehicles, etc. that are fully involved with no or little exposure problem, may be left to burn.

Emphasis will be fast attack, heavy streams to rapidly control and extinguish the fire and then to get out of the area. Routine salvage, ventilation and overhaul practices may be discontinued. Use of hand lines should be limited.

All fire units will enter the perimeter as intact groups, travel in groups, operate in groups, and return in groups.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Any civil disturbance has the potential of escalating into a major situation.

We should escalate the response to a civil disturbance to include Chief OFFICERS quickly to provide Command support and other agency liaison responsibilities.

There are several apparatus located at fire stations (i.e. brush, ambulances, etc.) that can be staffed to substantially increase the number of units available to respond to emergencies (in groups).

Call back of off-duty personnel and staffing of reserve apparatus may be necessary.

A fire station or other City facility, or school, if appropriately located, may make an excellent Command post and staging area and can be easily secured. Think big! Schools may allow more effective space.

The City EOC may be activated, and if so, will require appropriate liaison with Command.

ASSAULATIVE SITUATIONS

This procedure describes the response of fire department companies to a request for assistance from the Ennis Police Department's SWAT Team.

The Ennis Police Department may request assistance of the fire department for standby medical assistance during special incidents requiring the response of the Police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT). These incidents include barricade and hostage situations, school assaults and etc. This procedure does not necessarily apply to incidents where injuries have already occurred.

COMMUNICATIONS

Due to the critical need for stealth in certain police operations and easy public access to public safety radio communications, all fire department communications on Police SWAT incident will be conducted over direct telephone line (telephone, and/or face-to-face whenever possible. Units shall avoid any radio traffic in regards to the nature of the incident, address, etc.

DEPLOYMENT

The nearest fire company will be dispatched to police SWAT operations anywhere in the city. Response will be CODE 1 unless the police department requests Code 3.

The chief will establish a unified command with the police department. For long-term low-key situations, the chief may choose to assign Fire Command responsibilities to the captain on-scene and depart. The battalion chief shall maintain an appropriate ongoing awareness of site operations to ensure adequate safety and support. For situations of serious nature, the battalion chief will assume Fire Command and remain at the Police Command Post.

SIGHT OPERATIONS

Responding companies will stage at least two blocks from the scene, outside the Police control perimeter, and out of the line of any possible gunfire, or to a staging area designated by the police department. Once companies are staged, the company officer, followed by the battalion chief, will report to the police liaison officer for a briefing on the situation and needs for fire department assistance. If assessment indicates a stable situation with a need for standby only, the ALS Company will be released. If the standby is to be of a long duration (more than 2 hours), a rotation of companies should be considered.

If the chief departs, the company officer will notify the chief prior to any planned police assault and/or upgrades in the seriousness of the event and request the return of the chief to the scene.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE

The Rehab Unit will be dispatched to the Police staging area Code 3 if requested by personnel on the scene. The Rehab is fully equipped as an ALS unit and extra portable fire and medical radios. The Rehab unit will remain on-site unless needed for a more significant incident elsewhere.

SAFETY

Fire department response to SWAT operations is for standby medical assistance only should a police officer or civilian be injured. Fire personnel WILL NOT become directly involved in assault operations. Fire personnel WILL NOT enter an area that is not secure and safe to enter. If the area is not safe, the police department may have to deliver the patients to Fire personnel at the perimeter.

Should an unexpected event occur (i.e., sudden unexpected gunfire injuring a person), the fire company or Command will request the appropriate additional resource (i.e., rescue, medical, etc.).

Should a planned assault be scheduled by SWAT, the appropriate backup resources should be requested prior to the assault action. Fire department units should avoid using radios for this request and should use telephone. This backup response should respond Code 3 to the selected staging area. Deployment personnel and responding companies must avoid radio traffic relating to the address, etc.

Occasionally, Police will need to use fire department equipment (i.e., ladders, forcible entry tools, etc.). If this equipment is not available at the scene, the fire company or Command will contact the Dispatch Center via telephone. The nearest appropriate fire company that meets the on-site needs will be dispatched via direct telephone. Radio dispatch must be avoided. The company will report to the designated staging area.