Date

4-26-2024

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)

Chair

John Bentley

Keywords

direct threat, TCCC, TECC, incident command, indirect threat, rescue task force

Disciplines

Philosophy

Abstract

Regarding the killing or attempted killing of people in confined and populated areas, whether defined as an active threat, active shooter, or active killer, the results for public safety professionals responding to these incidents are the same. The Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics indicate that many mass killing events involve the use of firearms(s) with no pattern or method to the killer's selection of victims. The increasing frequency of these events, coinciding with the high number of casualties, is forcing first responders to adopt improved operational responses. Developing procedures through the collaborative efforts between first responders (e.g., fire, emergency medical services, and law enforcement) now addresses a common, unified response goal known as "stop the killing, stop the dying." Stop the killing refers to eliminating the threat, whereas stop the dying refers to treating life-threatening injuries on casualties, both of which are performed expeditiously and at greater risk to all responders. However, where this unified response goal has been applied in agencies and departments nationwide, data is lacking on responder efficacy post-training during a real-world mass killing event. By utilizing qualitative research methodologies, I identified localities where mass killing incidents occurred postdelivery of mass killing response training. Through interviews, surveys, case studies, and after-action reviews, I measured actions, including knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired from the courses.

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