First Responder Action Items
Encourage Partnership through coordination, training, sharing resources between grassroots/local communities, police/fire departments, medical/scientific communities, government, private sector, and the military.
Designate and train a civil defense coordinator on each local community board. For example, there are community boards in the borough of the Bronx, each representing several distinct communities. In case of a local crisis or a national emergency, these trained coordinators will be key to keeping evacuations and mobilizations orderly and consistent with civil defense emergency procedures.
Standardize Training for civil defense coordinators. This training can be coordinated through the local community organizations, and/or with government agencies and the American Red Cross. All of the civil defense coordinators should be Red Cross certified in both CPR and First Aid. They should also know procedures regarding crowd control and evacuation. Police and fire departments can also assist in the training of civil defense coordinators by providing knowledge of emergency planning and evacuation procedures. In an emergency, we want the training to be sufficient enough to help assist the appropriate agencies in minimizing the risks due to mass confusion, panic, depletion of limited resources, and overcrowding in hospitals.
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More for First Responders
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Identify and Stock civil defense sites. In every community district, there are numerous sites that can be set up as bomb shelters, emergency shelters, or triage centers that should paired with hospitals in case of a nuclear, bio-chemical attack, or natural disaster. These civil defense sites can include hospitals, schools, colleges, churches, and community centers and should be stocked (along with other designated locations) with adequate provisions, such medical supplies, water, beds, and food items.
Coordinate with major hospitals. Local hospitals can develop a triage plan to assist local communities in assessing who needs major medical treatment at the hospital(s) from the ambulatory patients and who can be treated at the local civil defense site(s) or outpatient clinics.
Utilize local police precincts as central points for dissemination of official information to avoid confusion.
Develop ongoing workshops and training seminars in disaster preparation for grassroots/local communities from experts in engineering, geology, medicine, FBI specialists in terrorism, the local police, and the military.
Disseminate brochures designed to educate the public about disaster preparation/relief and terrorist preparedness and prevention.
"We must continue to work to ensure that we equip our first responders with the equipment and training necessary to ensure both their safety and their ability to carry out their critical missions."
John McCain, Congressional Record, 9/29/04
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