Progress and Lessons Learned Using NFPA 3000 in Augusta, GA

In 2018, Augusta, Georgia, became the first community to implement NFPA 3000®, Standard for an Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response (ASHER) Program, to address mass casualty event mitigation, planning, response, and recovery. During a Tuesday session at the NFPA Conference & Expo®, NFPA 3000: Active Response in the Community, five panelists who have since played a critical role in bringing NFPA 3000 to life in Augusta came together to discuss lessons learned, and how they’ve reached across societal sectors, response disciplines, and geographic boundaries to create a safer community.RELATED: Learn more about the origins of Augusta’s journey to implement NFPA 3000John Ryan, a retired chief officer from the U.S. Department of Defense Fire & Emergency Services and current emergency manager at Augusta University (AU), moderated the discussion. In his opening remarks, he said that the United States is experiencing a public health crisis, and that the frequency of active shooter incidents continues to climb. “It’s not a matter of if one is going to happen, it’s when,” said Ryan. “And we’re going in the wrong direction.”The NFPA Journal article Strength in Numbers, which was recently published in the Summer 2023 issue, reinforces this point, showing that the number of mass shootings in the U.S. has increased from 273 in 2014 to 646 in 2022, with a high of 690 in 2021. This year, as of mid-April, there have been nearly 150 mass shootings across the country, according to. The Gun Violence Archive.Ryan also reinforced that planned recovery in the aftermath of a hostile event is everybody’s challenge. But it’s also everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the needed response measures are in place.Joe Webber, director of emergency management at AU and AU Health, believes relationships are key. “If I had to boil it down to one word that creates success, it’s relationships,” said Webber. “Having connection to the organizations and partners needed to thrive is critical to safety. We’re all operating independently a lot of times. Having those relationships that transcend industries really lends itself to building consensus.” Webber went on to say that when everyone with respective lanes of responsibility recognizes what they have the potential to accomplish, the result is a safer community.“All of us realize that each of us isn’t as smart as all of us working together to accomplish something good,” he said.  Natasha Roman, who serves as a risk mitigation advisor to Augusta and works at the Department of Homeland Security/Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said that communities need to shift from being reactive to proactive. “We often see that changes occur after a crisis occurs,” said Roman. Becoming more proactive includes assessing the capabilities of the community, understanding who knows whom, and how first responders operate. Webber recommends conducting risk-based assessments to better understand and address existing vulnerabilities. “Do first responders know what’s needed to respond to these types of risks? Do they know of infrastructure changes in the community? These are the types of questions you need to ask,” said Roman.“Part of proactivity is understanding the landscape and what’s at risk,” she added, noting that communities need to look at human resources carefully to make sure first responders are adequately trained and prepared to respond to incidents.Amado Baez, an academic physician/public health scientist who serves as the American College of Emergency Physicians representative to the NFPA 3000 ASHER technical committee, reinforced that active shooter incidents represent a public health problem in the U.S. unlike in any other country. He also discussed the challenges of effectively preparing for and responding to active shooter incidents, noting that healthcare facilities need to do a better job at making better integrations and breaking silos. “We need to learn from past mistakes,” he said.Brian Ozden, a supervisory senior resident agent with the FBI, expressed his enthusiasm for NFPA 3000, light-heartedly commenting that he felt like he a salesman for the standard, reinforcing the value of communities’ ability to adjust NFPA 3000 based on their specific needs.As the panel presentation concluded, Ryan noted the progress that’s been made over time. “There’s more societal awareness and acceptance of NFPA 3000 now than there was in 2018,” he said. “Five years into the process, you likely won’t get the pushback that you did then, but you need to be persistent in using the standard to build your program.”