Rescue Task Force Integration

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

Oakland County has been a regional leader in recognizing the need to have well trained and equipped special response teams capable of responding to active shooter incidents as well as any terrorist or civil disorder. The FBI reports there have been over 200 Active Shooter incidents between 2000 - 2015. Oakland County Homeland Security monitors best practices and lessons learned from actual incidents that have taken place across the country in order to continually build on the progress and success of the Oakland County Special Response Teams. Based on today’s current threats, an act of violence to our community is highly likely validating continual training and procurement of necessary safety equipment. Training together, across all response disciplines, has been an effective and successful method of mitigating the threats, providing aid to victims and saving lives. Oakland County has been a leader in integrating the Rescue Task Force (RTF) concept across first responder agencies to include all Fire Departments, Law Enforcement Agencies, Public Safety Departments and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. While Oakland County did not create this concept we have embedded it within our tactical response planning by providing introduction videos, developing trainings and mentors to assist all communities with the adoption of this policy. Oakland County has implemented training and exercise programs to assist the first responders to understand the concepts, learn the formation tactics and integrate response protocols. Numerous agencies in the county have begun to adopt the Rescue Task Force (RTF) concept. Communities that have not fully adopted the concept have been meeting to discuss other ways to integrate response in a coordinated effort.