By Allison G. S. Knox
Contributor, APU Edge
This past week, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States, respectively. In view of the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol, there was a serious security concern at the inauguration and at state capitol buildings throughout the country.
The Emergency Medical Services office at the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released a document explaining how EMS practitioners should effectively prepare for civil unrest. Mitigation and preparedness activities should always be considered in every facet of public safety. But the insurrection brought these concepts to the forefront once again and help us to understand what we need to do in terms of preparedness activities.
Mitigation and Preparedness Activities
Mitigation and preparedness activities are often at the forefront of public safety operations and other measures of emergency management because they are part of FEMA’s emergency management protocols. When these activities are performed correctly, they significantly reduce the costs associated with disasters and other emergencies. They are essential components of emergency management and public safety.
EMS Preparing for Civil Unrest
The recent Fire and Emergency Medical Services Response to Civil Unrest instructions from NHTSA point out that civil unrest “may occur as a period of social upheaval, following sporting events or during periods of heightened community tension.” That period could include the days leading up to and following the presidential inauguration.
More importantly, however, the instructions serve as a reminder that situational awareness remains one of all public safety professionals’ most important aspects of managing 911 calls. Public safety professionals are likely to become fatigued on the job. In these moments, they become more dangerous because they stop paying attention to the little clues that could keep them safe. Training helps to prevent fatigue, but there is only so much that public safety agencies can do to prevent loss of focus.
Unfortunate events like the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol tend to force public safety professionals to consider how they would act if they faced a similar situation. Thus, major incidents like the rightwing insurrection create a good opportunity for those in public safety leadership to discuss situational awareness once again so as to help protect innocent victims from the violence and volunteers from having to deal with serious safety issues.
Protocols as Policy Statements
Ultimately, policy documents like that from NHTSA give those in leadership positions the opportunity to revisit situational awareness concerns and address how the department should prepare for potential civil unrest. Mitigation and preparedness operations are always a part of emergency management and public safety operations. Documents like this, however, serve as important reminders for managing potentially serious incidents.
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