Association Update: August-September 2022

NAEMT Unveils Defense Tool Kit for Mass Attacks

The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians’ new Mass Attacks Defense Tool Kit is intended to help reduce casualties from mass shootings and other violent attacks.

Funded by the US Department of Justice, RAND Corporation researchers created this tool kit to help reduce the likelihood of mass shootings and other public attacks and reduce the casualties of completed attacks. Whatever your role or level of experience, this tool kit can make you a better defender against mass attacks.

After studying 600 mass attack events and plots, interviewing dozens of experts, and reviewing hundreds of references, the team identified the “mass attacks defense chain,” a series of defenses that work together to reduce the probability of mass attacks and their impacts.

Find the tool kit here. 

—National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians

DHS Program Trials Unmanned Vehicles for Dangerous Situations

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate is leading an effort to develop a new system that could help first responders save lives without putting their own in jeopardy. Called the Remote and Rapid Recue Capability (3RC), the program is working to incorporate unmanned aerial (UAV) and ground (UGV) vehicles into day-to-day rescue operations—something responders have indicated is a top priority. 

As prices decrease and functionality increases, UAV and UGV (commonly called drones) are becoming a staple for emergency response. S&T is working with industry partner Robotic Research to leverage this technology for first responders. It is developing an integrated system of ground and aerial autonomous vehicles that can independently, or working together, provide logistical support, search and rescue capabilities, and more. The system will also allow responders to deliver emergency aid and communicate with civilians in high-risk locations. 

The system being developed through the 3RC program is called the Transformable Marsupial Robotic Rescue System (TraMRRS). It makes use of Robotic Research’s Pegasus Transformable Air-Ground Robotic System, which can fly and move along the ground, as well as link with other Pegasuses via AI to autonomously coordinate searches. 

—DHS Science & Technology Directorate

AARP, FEMA Offer Disaster Resources for Seniors

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have released new resources to help local officials protect older adults in their communities before, during, and after natural disasters and extreme weather events. 

The Guide to Expanding Mitigation: Making the Connection to Older Adults highlights how natural hazards uniquely affect older adults and provides recommendations for how local mitigation and emergency planners can include older adults in community efforts to lower their risks. The AARP Disaster Resilience Tool Kit features strategies to help local, state, and community leaders and advocates reduce the risk and impacts of disasters on older adults.

Older adults are disproportionately impacted by the types of weather-related emergencies and natural disasters that are becoming increasingly frequent and severe. Individuals who have chronic illnesses, functional limitations, or disabilities are especially vulnerable. 

To view and download the FEMA guide, visit FEMA.gov. To download the AARP tool kit, visit AARP.org/DisasterResilience. 

—AARP

IAFC Launches Online Community Disaster Plan Training

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), in partnership with the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), announces the launch of a new online training course, Whole Community Planning for Disaster.

The purpose of the Whole Community Planning for Disaster course is to explain why and how government, community organizations, faith-based organizations, and other groups can participate in an inclusive emergency planning process to improve the resilience of their community and subsequently the nation.

The course takes up to 2 hours to complete and includes interactive features such as knowledge checks and learning activities. It is available at no cost and offers a certificate of course completion. Register at www.iafc.org/blogs/blog/iafc/2022/06/06/iafc-launches-whole-community-planning-for-disaster-online-training. 

—International Association of Fire Chiefs