Page 62 - JSOM Winter 2022

After Action Report

Lessons Learned From Simulating Unified Command
In Response to an Active Shooter Incident
Using a Command Competency Laboratory

Daniel J. Neal, PhD, TP-C *; Paul Loconti ;
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Thomas Mengel ; Kim Holway ; Dennis Wenner 5
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ABSTRACT
On October 10, 2019, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office the fire and law enforcement command structures.” Effec-
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(LCSO) and Loudoun County Fire and Rescue (LCFR) led one tive, unified command is an essential National Fire Protec-
of the largest act of violence (AVI) exercises ever conducted tion Association (NFPA) 3000 principle of responding to an
in Loudoun County, Virginia. Over 300 participants and 50 AVI. “The success or failure of the response will hinge on the
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role-players participated across 15 county departments and quality of unified command.” After-action reports from AVIs
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agencies within Loudoun County. The exercise identified an across the United States emphasized the importance of unified
important recommendation: “future joint unified command command. A second exercise recommendation proposed
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trainings are needed throughout the fire and law enforcement “a joint AVI unified command competency scenario between
command structures.” Effective, unified command is an es- LCFR and LCSO should be developed and delivered across all
sential NFPA 3000 principle of responding to an AVI. “The levels of supervision . . . this scenario should demonstrate ‘best
success or failure of the response will hinge on the quality of practices’ for establishing and operating unified command be-
unified command.” After-action reports from AVIs across the tween LCFR and LCSO.”
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United States emphasized the importance of unified command.
A second exercise recommendation proposed “a joint AVI uni- Command Competency Laboratory Design
fied command competency scenario between LCFR and LCSO
should be developed and delivered across all levels of super- In 2019, LCFR renovated the lower level of the Oliver R. Dube
vision . . . this scenario should demonstrate ‘best practices’ for Training Academy into a command competency laboratory.
establishing and operating unified command between LCFR The command competency lab presents incident simulations
and LCSO.” The authors developed two active shooter com- through a combination of incident scene videos, role-player in-
mand competency simulations that require LCSO and LCFR teractions, and radio traffic to an incident commander. These
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to form unified command and manage the initial response. simulations challenge the incident commander to perform an
The simulations reinforced accepted response practices, such appropriate size-up, identify critical scene factors, deploy units
as identification of cold/warm/hot zones, early unified com- safely and appropriately, and develop decision-making skills.
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mand, rescue task force team deployment, and protected Neal (2000) described detailed simulations could help emer-
corridor establishment. The simulations were packaged into gency responders prepare for the most critical (and most in-
a unified command competency training and simulation pro- frequent) tasks. This learning “experience is vivid and real; it
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gram. Through the facilitated debriefings with participants will likely change or have an effect on the learning.” 9
and facilitator debriefs, three types of lessons learned were
identified: 1) high threat incident response lessons, 2) lessons The authors developed two active shooter command com-
for conducting AVIs in the command competency lab, and 3) petency simulations that required LCSO and LCFR to form
active threat operational considerations for command officers. unified command and manage the initial response to an AVI.
Focused on the incident commanders, the objectives of the
Keywords: active shooter training; rescue task force; unified simulations were:
command; mass casualty; training
1. Rapid deployment and tracking of contact teams by the
initial law enforcement commander(s).
2. Early establishment of unified command by law enforce-
Introduction
ment and fire commanders.
On October 10, 2019, the LCSO and LCFR led one of the larg- 3. Establishment of a common operating picture at the com-
est AVI exercises ever conducted in Loudoun County, Virginia. mand post.
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Over 300 participants and 50 role-players participated across 4. Selection of appropriate strategies to provide warm zone
15 county departments and agencies within Loudoun County. care.
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The exercise identified an important recommendation – “fu- 5. Joint deployment and management of rescue task force
ture joint unified command trainings are needed throughout teams and extraction teams.
*Correspondence to daniel.neal@loudoun.gov
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1 Dr Daniel J. Neal is a battalion chief and paramedic with the Loudoun County (Virginia) Fire and Rescue, Leesburg, VA. Paul Loconti and
3 Thomas Mengel are lieutenants with the Loudoun County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg, VA. Kim Holway is a captain with the Loudoun
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County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg, VA. Dennis Wenner is a retired battalion chief from Frederick County, MD, and the command com-
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petency lab manager in Loudoun County, VA.
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