2022 SESSION DESCRIPTIONS
General Sessions | Thursday, October 6
Going Beyond the After Action Report
Presented by ALERRT Staff
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom
A full debrief of Robb Elementary, Uvalde
Incident Command Realities
Presented by Jacob Fisher
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom
Incident Command – Primarily Law Enforcement Focused
Mental Health Mayday and Mass Casualty Incident Mop-Up
Presented by Stephen Odom
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom
Eligible for CME Credit
80% of First Responders are dealing with health or mental health issues. Most are stressed out, burned out and exhausted from working long shifts, mandatory overtime, and more calls for service than ever before. Fill your toolbox with mitigation techniques for acute stress that will reduce the symptoms of PTSD and decrease burnout. This course teaches methods for dealing with traumatic impacts of catastrophes and calamities. We will explore protocols for managing and stabilizing one’s reactions within the nervous system (CARES).
Breakout Sessions | Friday, October 7 & Saturday, October 8
ALERRT Research
Presented by Hunter Martaindale and Lori Moore-Merrell
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom D
Times: Oct 7 at 10AM
In this session, U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell will discuss the US Fire Administration’s role in training for integrated response to active shooter/hostile events, risk/threat assessment from the fire perspective, and how the US Fire Administration is modernizing their data efforts. Dr. Martaindale will conclude this session by discussing ongoing ALERRT research and providing attendees with an update of the active attack data from 2000 through 2021.
Black Swan - The Platte Canyon Hostage Crisis and Aftermath - A Parent's Perspective
Presented by John-Michael Keyes
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom B
Times: Oct 7 at 1PM; Oct 8 at 1PM
Black Swan stems from the old belief that all swans were white, and was used in reference to something impossible. When black swans were discovered in Southern Australia, the meaning changed. It's now used to refer to an improbable event. Black swan events can be both negative and positive; John-Michael connects the violent incident at Platte Canyon High School with the Black Swan Theory. The Law Enforcement version of this presentation dives into the actions and the lessons learned from the PCHS hostage crisis. And the aftermath is also in that category; how the outcomes and programs of The 'I Love U Guys' Foundation are unpredictably positive.
Breaking the MOLD: Developing Combined PD/FD Training Programs for High-Risk Events
Presented by Evelyn Edwards and Kerri Bouse
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom C
Times: Oct 7 at 3PM; Oct 8 at 1PM
This presentation will discuss how Fairfax County public safety agencies developed training programs for joint response to hostile events. How training began, the obstacles encountered, and lessons learned. Instructors will review how the program has evolved to remain a training program that meets the needs of both departments while keeping Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue and the public safe. Discuss the ideas, concepts and curriculum that can be brought back to your agency for application.
Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks - A Research Prospective
Presented by Kevin Clement
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom B
Times: Oct 7 at 10AM; Oct 8 at 10AM
The presenter defines Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks and describes the characteristics, methods of attack, and challenges to responders. Using Mumbai 2008 attacks as a benchmark, he offers tools developed for First Responders, such as: Synopses of After Action Reviews for CCTAs and large Active Attacks; Drills, Synchronization Matrices, Emergency Message templates (in English and Spanish), Plans templates (CCTA Response, Family Assistance Centers); sample policy letters; and Community Action Plan with over 400 recommended actions to increase preparedness.
Effective Leadership
Presented by James Preston
Room: Annapolis 1-2
Times: Oct 7 at 10AM; Oct 8 at 10AM
Eligible for CME Credit
Effective leadership helps students understand the critical role they play as leaders in their organization. This training focuses on leadership concepts and principles that help students with developing reasonable goals and standards, creating a culture of excellence, and understanding why accountable leadership is needed at all levels in an organization.
Effectively Addressing Stress and Building Resiliency in Rapid Response Teams
Presented by Tina Jaeckle
Room: Annapolis 1-2
Times: Oct 7 at 8AM; Oct 8 at 8AM
Eligible for CME Credit
The stress and resiliency needs of rapid response teams are unique given the impact of often unpredictable and potentially volatile crisis situations. This session will identify, define, and discuss the nature of stress and resiliency in RRTs and how to effectively build a stronger foundation both prior to and after a critical incident. Case studies and best practices models will also be presented.
Fit 4 Duty Lecture
Presented by John Cantarella and Kevin Willis
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom C
Times: Oct 7 at 10AM; Oct 8 at 10AM
Lecture for the Public Servant to be Good To go
Greatness Beyond the Badge: The Three Key Principles for Self-Awareness
Presented by Michael Laidler and James Summers
Room: Annapolis 3-4
Times: Oct 7 at 3PM; Oct 8 at 3PM
Eligible for CME Credit
Each day, law enforcement officers place their lives on the line to protect and serve their communities. They love their career, but do they place enough emphasis on their growth to be the best version of themselves? This encouraging and uplifting presentation provides tools for law enforcement officers to increase their self-awareness to maximize their abilities to grow themselves and increase their skills to handle stressful situations. The program will challenge law enforcement officers to build on their growth journey today!
Hospitals: A Missing Link to Mass Casualty Response Plans
Presented by Maggie Hickey & Elliott Epping
Room: Annapolis 3-4
Times: Oct 7 at 8AM; Oct 8 at 8AM
Eligible for CME Credit
Integrating Hospitals into Mass Casualty Response Plans
Receiving Hospitals, from small community hospitals to large trauma centers, play an essential role in both the mitigation and response to high threat events in the community. However, most are overlooked when it comes to preplanning for mass response. Hospitals are a missing link to the chain of survival. Without integrating plans with local law enforcement, public safety, and fire/EMS this creates room for a break down in the chain of survival and thus leading to additional preventable deaths in the community. This break out session will lay out common misconceptions to disaster response and propose a new way to fully integrate together as a team to better care for the community.
Inclusive Care: An Intro to LGBTQIA+ in EMS
Presented by Katie Contreras
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom B
Times: Oct 7 at 3PM
Eligible for CME Credit
Often, people consider gender to be male or female. However, for many, gender simply does not exist in those binary terms; gender is more of a spectrum or flexible, with individuals identifying or expressing varying degrees of masculinity and femininity. As of 2022, there are an estimated 1.4 million transgender individuals in the United States, and, as EMS providers, we should strive to create a safe and inclusive treatment environment. This means being knowledgeable about the challenges and threats our patients face on a daily basis, as well as appropriate gender neutral/non-binary terminology, and how to keep a patient interactions from becoming an anxiety-inducing event.
IPAWS: A Communications Tool Before, During and After Incident
Presented by Antwane Johnson
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom C
Times: Oct 7 at 8AM; Oct 8 at 8AM
Almost 1,700 public safety officials utilize IPAWS for public alerts, warnings and notifications (AWN). It is a valuable and powerful tool that allows alerting authorities to send AWN to cellular phones, radio and television, and NOAA weather radios. What many do not consider is utilization of IPAWS before, during and after an incident in order to keep the public informed of pertinent information.
It's my first day as a front-line supervisor, and the mass casualty call comes in. Now what do I do?
Presented by Thomas "Sonny" Santos and Craig Uchimura
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom B
Times: Oct 7 at 8AM; Oct 8 at 8AM
Applying training techniques to real-world incidents. Leadership and incident response confidence building in the ranks. Building on the AAIR platform, this presentation will give some examples on how to understand, teach and apply basic tenants of the Incident Command System for your team's incident response training. Lessons learned from the Hawaii team in growing your multi agency incident response training. Detail will be focused on the Incident Response command boards, command and control and making ICS easy to understand for the rank and file.
Marter Incident AAR. Integrated Response to Fire as a Weapon.
Presented by Chris Walker and Frank Panza
Room: Annapolis 1-2
Times: Oct 7 at 3PM; Oct 8 at 3PM
In November of 2021, Ventura County FD and Simi Valley SWAT were presented with a barricaded subject that had used gasoline to set his house ablaze. Faced with heavy fire and initial limited information for both agencies, the two were able to come together and have a successful operation which prevented any damage to surrounding residences and no injuries to responders. This success can be directly attributed to the years of training together for fire as a weapon and the use of TEMS.
Mass Casualty Incident: The Intersection of the Medical Laboratory
Presented by Rodney Rhode and Shannon Billings
Room: Woodrow Wilson Ballroom D
Times: Oct 7 at 8AM; Oct 8 at 8AM
Eligible for CME Credit
A mass casualty incident (MCI) or disaster occurs when “a destructive event causes so many casualties that extraordinary mobilization of medical services is necessary.” During an MCI, it is understood that the emergency department (ED) and all of its personnel must be prepared to handle and prioritize the care for the (usually) massive patient volume that occurs in such a short span of time. Typically, the first 24 hours are critical to saving lives. While it may be known by most that the physicians, nurses, and other front-line responders in the ED are in critical demand during these events, we must not forget the vital role that the medical laboratory and its highly trained personnel in laboratory medicine play during an MCI and other emergencies. The presenter will utilize a case study from the lens of a medical laboratory professional describing her experiences during the catastrophic event in Las Vegas that required coordination from not just front-line healthcare workers but also the medical laboratory professionals that helped to coordinate the treatment of the victims.
Taking Control: The Successful Disruption of the Active Shooter Attack at Seattle Pacific University
Presented by Sean Lawler and Cheryl Michaels
Room: Woodrow Wilson D
Times: Oct 7 at 1PM; Oct 8 at 1PM
Eligible for CME Credit
An active shooter attack at Seattle Pacific University left one student dead, but a heroic response from a student disrupted the attack and saved lives. This response will be discussed in light of the body's neurological and physiological response, in addition to methods for building resiliency.
Using NFPA 3000 to Build a Cross-Functional Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program.
Presented by Steven Hamilton and Nicole Cassels
Times: Oct 7 at 3PM in Woodrow Wilson D; Oct 8 at 1PM in Annapolis 1-2
Across our nation and around the globe, communities face a growing number of tragedies that involve active shooter/hostile events (ASHE). The need for an integrated preparedness, response, and recovery program is greater than ever before. For the agencies responding to these incidents (e.g., law enforcement, fire department, EMS), communication and coordination are essential to a unified multi-jurisdictional response. NFPA 3000, Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program, identifies the program elements necessary to develop, plan, coordinate, evaluate, revise, and sustain a cross-functional (multidisciplinary) ASHER program. This presentation will discuss the response to dynamic ASHE incidents and illustrate the ways in which NFPA 3000 can be used as a blueprint for multiple agencies to effectively prepare, respond, and recover.
Whole Blood Administration in EMS: A Regional Approach
Presented by Kenneth Pippin
Room: Annapolis 3-4
Times: Oct 7 at 1PM; Oct 8 at 1PM
Eligible for CME Credit
The benefits of Low Titer O+ Whole Blood (LTOWB) transfusions for patients in hemorrhagic shock are well known. However, the logistics and cost of deploying LTOWB pre-hospital have largely prevented its expansion beyond Trauma Centers. Through partnerships between the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC), South Texas Blood and Tissue Center (STBTC), San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC), University Hospital, and other hospitals and EMS agencies in the San Antonio, Texas region, these logistic and cost hurdles have been overcome. This has allowed for the life-saving pre-hospital administration of LTOWB by helicopter and ground EMS agencies throughout the region. This successful regional approach to LTOWB administration in EMS is an example that could potentially be replicated in throughout the country.