Please respond to two of the following discussion posts to peers:
Post 1:On February 14th, 2018, in Parkland, Florida, a former student at Stoneman Douglas high school stepped into school grounds armed with a semiautomatic weapon. Within 7 minutes of entering the building, the former student, the gunman, had shot and killed 17 individuals and injured an additional 17 (Kennedy, 2019, pg. 27). Unfortunately, since many lives were lost and harmed during this incident, this is considered a mass shooting. As soon as the incident occurred, the resources that were deployed included the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BSO) that was responsible for initiating the response of the law enforcement, Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department (CSPFD) was mainly responsible for emergency medical services, and since the incident occurred on school grounds Broward County Public Schools took the role of creating a plan for recovery and resilience (Straub, 2019). Many students experienced an extremely stressful and traumatizing experience. Therefore, several other organizations, including the city and county government, lent a hand in providing the students/teachers with resources for mental health and free counseling sessions (Straub, 2019).
Many sources and the media have claimed that law enforcement handled the school shooting incident very poorly and failed to act quickly and diligently. As the gunman continued to fire shots in the building, there were three sheriff deputies with their guns in hand, taking guard behind their cars, and stood there for a total of four minutes before entering the school and intervening or taking action (Wamsley, 2018). Additionally, the FBI and law enforcement had received several tips and calls regarding the gunman’s previous outrageous behaviors and still failed to do the least and conduct an investigation (Wamsley, 2018). Nonetheless, the gunman was successfully arrested and charged for the incident. Improvement in response to these school shootings begins with prevention. Providing students with a safe environment and a place where trust exists can open the door to many students who struggle with issues at home or school (Center for Violence Prevention, 2020). Student hardships rarely begin or end in the classroom since there are surrounding socioeconomic factors that produce such atrocities. In addition, putting locks on classroom doors for maximum security can assist in these types of emergencies. Lastly, preparation for the worst case is crucial; though every case is different and hard to plan for, having at least some type of plan or drill is essential and could save lives.
Post 2: The critical incident I chose to discuss is the Boston Marathon bombing that occurred in 2013. During the 2013 Boston marathon “2 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were detonated among the spectators approximately 100 to 200 yards from the finish line” (Gates, 2014). The Boston Marathon bombing is an example of a man-made disaster that used explosives and resulted in “a total of 281 people injured, and 127 patients receiving care at the participating trauma centers” (Gates, 2014). A mass casualty event is described as “ numbers ranging from 100 to 1000 or anytime there is a sudden influx of injured or ill patients into the emergency department” (Veneema, 2008, para 1). Resources consisted of a medical tent that initially was for marathon runners, “staffed with paramedics, physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and others” (Gates, 2014) that was then used to treat victims. All victims were transported and cared for at 26 hospitals in Boston (Gates, 2014) as hospital EDs were notified a “rapid decompression aided in preparation for the anticipated patient surge” (Gates 2014). A Unified Command Center (UCC) was formed “less than 40 minutes following the explosions” (Police foundation, 2015, p.4) that provided information to the public and followed through with the investigation of the bombs. The protocols that were implemented successfully included the triage and transportation of patients as well as the investigation of the suspect. For example, a “significant amount of coordination continued in support of law enforcement activities and the provision of mental health and human services to survivors” (Police foundation, 2015, p.5). Ways to improve the response for the future is to have each department “designate a representative at the Boston EOC to provide situational awareness and coordinate resources for the response” (Police foundation, 2015, p.88). There was no one emergency command and roles were confused during the emergency response command center. Overall, the emergency response teams did great in transferring patients and saving lives. There is always room for improvement but no one can ever be fully prepared for an attack.
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