NFPA Journal - Summer 2023 - 28

20
23
C&E
PREVIEW
which is why churches are playing a key role in the
NFPA 3000 implementation process.
Recovery can take many forms, such as counseling
and decompression, hosting anniversary
remembrance events, or installing a permanent
memorial. It can also take a long time. It may
become " part of the history and
the DNA of that community, "
Webber said.
That shift in the identity of
a community can exist in stark
contrast to the mindset that
existed prior to a hostile event,
one that boiled down to " it
can't happen here. " That reflexive
belief that world-altering
shootings or bombings or other
acts of violence only happen
somewhere else-in Columbine
or Uvalde or Sandy Hook, perhaps,
but not here-represents a
significant challenge to a wider
embrace of NFPA 3000.
" When we were developing
the standard, one of the biggest
opponents initially were some of
the volunteer fire departments
that came from rural communities
around the country, " Drozd
recalled. Their concern was
that implementation could be
costly to cash-strapped departments
and that they might be
preparing for a vague and rare
event. But almost every time
the committee met during the
initial development process,
Drozd said, a mass shooting
event took place during or
around the time of the meeting,
including the 2017 shooting in
the rural community of Sutherland
Springs, Texas, when 27
people died in a shooting at a
church. " That's when we kind
of crossed a threshold, where
rural firefighters came to us and
said, 'You know what? It could
happen anywhere,' " Drozd said.
" And that's the message we have
to get across. "
There's no denying, however,
CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Leadership Decisions
Amidst Mass Violence
Response Efforts:
What to Consider and
How to Keep Victims at
the Forefront
Date
Tuesday, June 20, 8-9 a.m.
Speakers
Krista Flannigan, Steve
Redfearn, Rian Glassford
ICPTTA
NFPA 3000: Active
Shooter Response in
the Community
Date
Tuesday, June 20,
10:30 a.m.-noon
Speakers
Amado Alejandro Baez
EM
Antonio Burden
Augusta Fire Department,
Augusta Richmond County
Fire Department
Brian Ozden
Federal Bureau of
Investigation
Natasha Roman
Department of Homeland
Security, Cybersecurity
and Infrastructure Security
Agency
Joe Webber
Augusta University/AU Health
John Ryan
Augusta University
that the training needed to successfully implement
NFPA 3000 can add extra costs and time requirements
to fire and law enforcement departments.
Drozd and others suggest each community assess
its own risks, looking at high-hazard targets such
as stadiums and government buildings, and match
resources to the level of risk. " The cost of doing
nothing is much greater than any cost of preparing
28 | NFPA JOURNAL * SUMMER 2023
for what is unfortunately a more and more common
occurrence, " Drodz said.
In Augusta, Ryan isn't giving up on the hope that
the problem of mass shootings across the country can
somehow be addressed. But he acknowledges that
it's a challenge far beyond the capacity of individual
communities. He uses the fire
threat as an example. " When we
started putting fire extinguishers
in schools, we didn't give up on
the hope of minimizing schools
catching on fire, " he said. " We're
still trying to figure out how
we make shooting violence go
away. Is it possible to make it
go away entirely? That's a huge
question. In the meantime, what
can we do to be a more prepared
community? "
In the coming year, Ryan
and #StrongAugusta will seek
to expand the focus from first
responders to the community
at large. Trainings have been
scheduled at stakeholder venues
across the region, including
churches and other civic organizations.
The multiagency
exercise scheduled for this
spring may also identify gaps
in planning and training, and
the committee will then work
to address those gaps.
Perhaps the biggest challenge
is making the residents
of Augusta not only aware that
a hostile event could happen in
their community, but that they
have a role to play in the preparation
and response process.
The #StrongAugusta committee
is considering setting up a " certificate
of training " program for
members of the public willing to
learn hands-only CPR, bleeding
control, and other emergency
techniques, and act in the event
of an attack. " The intention is to
get the general public to fill in
the gap between the 911 call and
the arrival of the first responders
by giving them education
and training to be 'immediate responders,' " Ryan
said. " We need to take advantage of the fact that
people are thinking about the issue of safety. "
STEPHANIE SCHOROW (stephanieschorow.com) is an
NFPA Journal contributor and the author of nine nonfiction
books, including The Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire: A Boston
Tragedy and The Great Boston Fire: The Inferno that Nearly
Incinerated the City.
http://www.stephanieschorow.com
NFPA Journal - Summer 2023

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