Active Threat Annex

Section 1 – Purpose and Scope

This annex is designated as “Active Threat Response” of the Temple College Department of Public Safety (TCDPS) Emergency Response Plan. It outlines additional operational concepts and procedures specific to active threats impacting, or having potential impact to TCDPS and its various campuses. This annex establishes the policies and procedures under which the Temple College Department of Public Safety (TCDPS) will operate in the event of an Active Threat incident by addressing planning and operational actions for the five phases of emergency management (prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery).

This annex is designed to be flexible in its application based upon the severity of the Active Threat, impact potential, and initial emergency response. Additionally, specific law enforcement responses shall always be dictated by agency policy, a bias towards swift action, and adapting to changes in the incident’s “threat picture” or threat analysis.

Section 2 – General Information

2.1 Hazard Overview

The US Department of Homeland Security defines an active shooter as “…an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area…” (n.d.). This definition is applicable to all forms of active killers, regardless of the weapon used.

2.2 Campus Specific Hazard Risk

TCDPS identifies the following active threats as high priority.

Active Shooter

An attack that involves an assault with firearms to kill or attempt to kill people in a confined and populated area. An Active Shooter Appendix to this Active Threat for Schools Annex includes specific actions taken before, during, and after an active shooter incident.

Shooting

A shooting incident involves an attack with firearms being discharged at others. An Active Shooter Appendix to this Active Threat Annex includes specific tasks taken before, during, and after an active shooter incident.

Stabbing and Blunt Force Trauma

A stabbing attack involves use of a pointed object intended to harm others. A blunt force attack involves use of a dull, firm surface or object. Trauma from these attacks could result in stab wounds, contusions, lacerations, or fractures.

Bomb Threat

A bomb threat incident occurs when an individual threatens to harm others with a bomb or improvised explosive device. A bomb may look as harmless as a coffee cup or as obvious as a pipe bomb with a timer. Bomb threats may be received by telephone, written message, in person, or by electronic means.

Vehicular Assault

A vehicular assault incident involves an individual operating a vehicle with the intent to cause harm.

2.3 Hazard Preparedness and Warning

TCDPS acknowledges that campuses across the country are equally at risk for an active threat incident; therefore, the risk for a campus is unpredictable. Consequently, it is difficult to determine an individual’s risk for harming themselves or others without the assistance of a comprehensive Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS), which includes threat assessment and case management. MTSS is one of six student support components within Texas Education Agency’s Safe and Supportive School Program (SSSP). More information on SSSP is also available in the Psychological Safety Annex to our Basic Plan.

Threat Assessment Team

TCDPS has a threat assessment team, consistent with Texas Education Code 37.115. The Threat assessment teams’ operations are rooted in best practices established by the United States Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center and are guided by state legislation. The threat assessment team is a multidisciplinary group that meets regularly to assess two distinct categories of behavior: concerning and prohibited. The threat assessment team maintains a low threshold for intervention and may offer resources from the MTSS to assist in the prevention and de-escalation of threats.

TCDPS’s threat assessment team acts as a buffer to violence and provides support to campus community members in crisis before persons pose a threat to themselves or others. The threat assessment team reviews observed and reported concerning and prohibited behaviors objectively to assess the risk to the school community. The team maintains a record of these reviews within its case management system. TCDPS acknowledges that a key goal of threat assessment is to distinguish between making a threat and posing a threat.

Detecting Suspicious Activity

TCDPS uses the following methods to detect suspicious activity on campuses:

• Employee or student misconduct referral
• Student & Employee Assistance Program / Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Center referrals
• Temple College Police Department referrals
• Instructor referrals

2.4 Access and Functional Needs

In compliance with Texas Education Code 37.108, TCDPS utilizes the following measures to ensure the safety and security of individuals with access and functional needs during an active threat incident:

• Implementation of the Standard Response Protocol and Standard Reunification Method (SRP/SRM)
• Install evacuation chairs, Stop-the-Bleed kits, and Automated External Defibrillator devices in each building
• Establishing a Unified Command Structure for all Active Events
• During an active threat event, staff will be assigned to directly assist persons with access and functional needs in order to direct them to the best available shelter area, until more assistance can be acquired.

Section 3 – Annex-Specific Incident Command System (ICS)

3.1 Annex-Specific ICS Organizational Chart

TCDPS will designate an Incident Commander for an active threat incident. The Incident Commander will have the ability to expand or contract the ICS structure as necessary during the incident.

The structure below applies to both the Emergency Command Center (ECC) and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

Section 4 – Actions and Responsibilities

Prevention Phase

Safeguard against consequences unique to an active threat incident.

Mitigation Phase

Reduce the impact of an active threat incident.

Preparedness Phase

Regularly review campus readiness for an active threat incident.

Response Phase

Campus actions during an active threat incident.

Recovery Phase

Return to normal campus operations following an active threat incident.

Section 5 – Resources

5.1 Acronyms

• ADDAvoid, Deny, Defend
• COOPContinuity of Continued Operations
• TCDPSTemple College Dept. of Public Safety
• TCPDTemple College Police Department (Campus Police)
• ICSIncident Command System
• MTSSMulti-tiered System of Support
• SEAP/SARCStudent & Employee Assistance Program / Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Center
• SRP/SRMStandard Response Protocol / Standard Reunification Method
• SSSPSafe and Supportive School Program

5.2 Definitions

After Action Review

Collaborative engagement objectives with preparedness doctrine to include the National Preparedness Goal and related frameworks guidance. Summarizes key information related to the event or evaluation.

Incident Command System

The standardized approach globally used during an incident to provide a coordinated, efficient, and effective response among multiple individuals and agencies.

Mitigation

Capabilities necessary to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. Mitigation capabilities include, but are not limited to, community-wide risk reduction projects; efforts to improve the resilience of critical infrastructure and key resource lifelines; risk reduction for specific vulnerabilities from natural hazards or acts of terrorism; and initiatives to reduce future risks after a disaster has occurred.

Preparedness

Actions taken to plan, organize, equip, train, and exercise to build and sustain the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from threats and hazards.

Prevention

The capabilities necessary to avoid, prevent, or stop a threatened or actual act of terrorism. For the purposes of the prevention framework, the term “prevention” refers to preventing imminent threats.

Recovery

Those capabilities necessary to assist communities affected by an incident to recover effectively, including, but not limited to, rebuilding infrastructure systems; providing adequate interim and long-term housing for survivors; restoring health, social, and community services; promoting economic development; and restoring natural and cultural resources.

Response

Those capabilities necessary to save lives, protect property and the environment, and meet basic human needs after an incident has occurred.

Purpose and Scope

Purpose

This Active Shooter Appendix is being written to direct the specific campus tasks necessary before, during, and after an active shooter incident. For the purposes of this appendix, the term active shooter is defined as any attempt to kill or seriously injure people in a populated area. This appendix may serve as the campus’ active shooter policy, in accordance with Texas Education Code 37.108.

Scope

This document applies to the whole campus community, including first responder agencies. All campus staff, including student workers, who are assigned emergency management roles and responsibilities should receive training in and have access to all TCDPS emergency plans. External stakeholders likely to respond to an active shooter incident should also review this appendix for compatibility with their operations and resources.

Specific Tasks Taken Before, During, and After an Incident

Before an Active Shooter Incident

During an Active Shooter Incident

After an Active Shooter Incident

Resources – Acronyms

• AARAfter-Action Review
• CRASECivilian Response to Active Shooter Events
• TCDPSTemple College Department of Public Safety
• SRPStandard Response Protocol
• TCOLETexas Commission on Law Enforcement

Definitions

1. After-Action Review

An AAR will be conducted by the campus following every drill, exercise, planned event, and incident. An AAR captures feedback on what went right, and what went wrong; gathers information and perspectives to create lessons learned; generates recommendations for the next drill, exercise, planned event, or incident; and becomes a catalyst for updating the current EOP.

2. Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events

CRASE was developed in 2004 to provide civilians with knowledge and training on the Avoid, Deny, Defend strategy for responding to active shooter events.

3. Improvement Plan

A document that includes a consolidated list of corrective actions and responsible parties and a timeline for completion.

4. Incident Debriefing or Hotwash

A guided discussion usually held immediately after an exercise or event while elements of the exercise are fresh on participants’ minds.

5. School Behavioral Threat Assessment Team

A multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment team of school personnel, including faculty, staff, administrators, coaches, and available school resource officers, who will direct, manage, and document the threat assessment process.

6. School Guardian

A school board may adopt a local policy that authorizes the designation of specified employees who are authorized to carry firearms on school premises.

7. School Marshal

State law (TEC 37.0811) allows a school campus or charter school to appoint one or more specially trained and licensed employees as school marshals. The appointment must be made by the board of trustees, and the Marshal must have the appropriate licensing and certification by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. Information on the School Marshal Program can be found on the TCOLE website.

8. Standard Response Protocol

Provides clear, consistent language and actions to be used by all students, staff, and first responders in an emergency. These include SRP actions [Secure (Lockout), Lockdown, Evacuate, Shelter, and Hold] in a school setting.

9. Trauma-Informed Care

An approach to providing caring and supportive physical and psychological assistance, with training concentrations on recognizing various signs and symptoms indicating that trauma has occurred and understanding the paths for recovery without further traumatization.