The United States has witnessed a number of incidents in which a shooter randomly kills people. These incidents have occurred in schools, clubs, businesses and other places where members of the public congregate (FEMA, n.d). It is the mandate of the various law enforcement agencies to contain such incidents. Upon their arrival at the scene of an active shooting, the agencies attempt to end the shooting. Peaceful processes such as negotiations are usually preferred (McMains & Mullins, 2014). However, these processes are often ineffective and this prompts agents to engage the shooter in a violent confrontation. While the agents respond to a shooting are mainly concerned with bringing the shooting to an end, their mandate also includes minimizing harm to the public. Sharing information about the shooting with the public is one of the other functions that the law enforcement agencies serve. Among other issues, the agencies warn the public to stay clear of the area where the shooting is happening. As they relay information to the public, the agencies help to protect the public and minimize the harm resulting from the shooting. The successful resolution and minimization of harm resulting from an active shooter situation hinges on how well responders share information with the public.
Background
The case involves an active shooter situation. The position of a public information officer (PIO) is assumed. The main mandate of this officer is to relay information to the public and the media about the situation. In addition, the PIO is expected to take action and manage his responsibilities. Furthermore, this job demands that the PIO issue timely reports to relevant parties. In the discussion that follows, a look at some of the responsibilities of the PIO is offered. The discussion relates these responsibilities to the active shooter situation. Essentially, this discussion aims to explore the role of the PIO in releasing information to the public and the media and helping to end the active shooter situation.
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Responsibilities of the PIO
Providing assurances
The main responsibility of any PIO is to serve as the link between the government and the public (Roberts, 2017). The PIO delivers information to the public and other actors. They are particularly involved in emergency situations where the government wishes to keep the public informed about how a situation is unfolding. When such situations as active shooter incidents occur, panic and disorder often arise. The public is unable to make sense of the situation and rumors begin to surface. Since government agencies are intimately involved in responding to active shooter incidents, they are best placed to offer accurate and reliable updates. In the active shooter situation described above, the first responsibility of the PIO will be to restore calm. It is common for communication officers to assure the public that the situation is being responded to and that it will soon be under control (“San Bernardino Shooting”, 2015). While such assurances do not necessarily reflect the situation on the ground, they play a vital role in restoring calm and boosting confidence in the capacity of the concerned agencies to control the situation. Therefore, issuing guarantees to the public through the media that the government is in control of the situation is among the first responsibilities that the PIO will carry out. These guarantees will go a long way in enhancing public confidence and preventing panic. Furthermore, the guarantees will help to counter any rumors that have surfaced.
Managing flow of information
Many active shooter situations end tragically. While most of the pain and death is the result of the actions of the shooter, other individuals also take part in creating anguish and destruction. People who share information about the active situation with unauthorized individuals are among these. The United States has witnessed situations where junior officials who are not authorized to speak to the press issue statements (Combined News Services, 2016). The actions of these individuals compromise the response to the active shooter situation. For instance, suppose that the active shooter situation is taking place in a mall. A junior officer tells the press where those trapped in the mall are hiding. The press then relays this information to members of the public, including the shooter. Now that the shooter understands where the people are hiding, he can proceed to their locations and shoot them. This example underscores the importance of managing information. It is vital to ensure that all information flows through proper and formal channels (Thurman & Jamieson, 2014). Individuals who lack the authority to engage with the press should not be permitted to issue official statements. Given the importance of ensuring that all information flows follows formal processes and protocol, it is important to develop a clear flow chart that outlines the relationships and hierarchy of officials. This chart is offered below.
As the flow chart above indicates, the incident commander is the overall in-charge. In most emergency situations, the incident commander is charged with the responsibility of running the entire operation. It is his responsibility to coordinate the efforts of all the parties and agencies that are involved in the emergency response. The flow-chart above has been tailored to meet the unique needs of the active shooter situation described earlier. This situation requires that information be contained strictly. As is clear from the flow-chart, the PIO serves under the incident commander. Public safety, evacuation and security operations are among the programs that are expected to be established in response to the active shooter situation. The public safety program is meant to ensure that members of the public do not expose themselves to harm while the evacuation program is established with the aim of bringing trapped individuals to safety. The primary purpose of the security operations is to disable the shooter and to restore calm. The activities that are carried under the different programs must be well coordinated. For this to occur, information must be managed properly. The PIO will receive updates from the officials in charge of the different programs. The updates are then relayed to the incident commander who then takes appropriate action. Having received information from the heads of the various programs, the PIO then assesses the information and determines what is appropriate to release to the public and the media. The PIO then releases the information.
Guiding and warning the public
As already noted, panic usually results in active shooter situations. Chaotic scenes with members of the public scampering for safety are often witnessed (Cheng, 2016). Injuries and fatalities may result as people attempt to flee the scene of the shooting. It is important for the officials responding to the situation to manage the public properly. This is done through effective and timely delivery of information. It is the responsibility of the PIO to warn the public against the danger that the shooter possesses. When such incidences as shootings occur, some members of the public tend to run towards the scene. This is dangerous as it exposes these individuals to harm. The PIO will remind the public that the situation is still active and that the threat has not yet been eliminated. This warning should challenge the public to stay clear of the scene. Despite the warnings that are issued, stubborn members of the public still run towards the scene. This can occur as the various agencies respond to the active shooter situation. So that the risk of harm is minimized, the PIO will need to coordinate the efforts of the agencies. He may have to encourage the agencies to employ force if necessary to ensure that no individual enters the scene. Overall, as he guides and warns the public, the PIO will be playing a vital role in safeguarding the public against the shooter.
Speaking with victims and their families
It has already been made clear that chaos is usually witnessed in active shooter situations. While those fleeing the scene of the shooting are mostly responsible for the chaos, victims and their families also add to the confusion. The families of the victims demand information about the status of the family members. For example, when shootings happen in schools, parents mill around the school, demanding information regarding whether their children are safe. While the concern and agitation that the parents express is justified, it hinders the efforts of the rescuers. It also exposes them to the threat of harm since stray bullets may hit them. This example makes it clear that it is important for the PIO to deliver information to victims and their parents in a timely fashion. During emergencies, stations where families can obtain information about their members are usually set up. In addition to providing information, these stations also offer counseling and other support services that aim to enable the families to cope with the tragedy (Wilson, 2016). The PIO in the active shooter situation will facilitate the establishment of such a station. At this station, families will receive information. One of the challenges that PIO and other officials grapple with when attending to the families of victims is the lack of information to give to the families. This challenge sets the stage for frustration and hinders the entire process. It is expected that this challenge will be encountered. To ensure that the challenge does not hamper the response process, all effort will be committed to gathering all information and supplying the families with this information as soon as is practicable. This will allow the families to experience calm and create assurances that the government is fully committed to resolving the active shooter situation.
Seeking information from the public
The government usually takes center stage through its agencies during active shooter events. The government is responsible for managing the public, coordinating rescue efforts and disabling the shooter. While the government remains the primary actor, it is important to recognize that other stakeholders also serve a vital function in resolving these situations. The public is among these stakeholders. Members of the public can provide vital information that enhances the response to the situation (FBI, 2013). For example, the public may provide details about the identity of the shooter. This information can be used to convince the shooter to surrender and abandon his murderous campaign. While this strategy is not always effective, it indicates that information that the public provides can be used to resolve such situations. The PIO will appeal to the public to provide any information that may aid in the resolution of the crisis. This information ranges from the identity of the shooter to the location of survivors. This information is then relayed to relevant officers and agencies. The information aids the agencies in identifying the areas to focus their efforts on. The application of the information that the members of the public provides goes beyond helping to resolve the crisis. It can also be used in the investigative process. Investigators can rely on this information to determine such issues as the individuals with whom the shooter collaborated. Overall, the public can supply crucial details that enable the PIO to deliver on his mandate.
Coordinating medical response
Injuries and fatalities are often reported in active shooter situations. For example, dozens of people died and many more were injured when a shooter opened fire in an Orlando night club (Ellis et al., 2016). This and other incidences involving active shooters highlight the need for speedy medical response. The providers of emergency medical services need to be at the scene as soon as possible to deliver life-saving care to the injured. For this to occur, an elaborate and efficient communication system must be established. It is the duty of the PIO to ensure that this system is in place. The PIO needs to communicate with hospitals and other medical facilities for the purpose of ensuring that medical care arrives in good time. Whether a victim of the shooting survives hinges on how quickly medical services are delivered. Numerous instances of victims succumbing to their injury due to poor medical responses have been reported. Such instances could occur in the active shooter situation that the PIO is confronted with.
Central information management
Whenever a shooting occurs in the United States, it is common practice for agencies to carry out an assessment of their response to the shooting. The assessment allows the agencies to identify challenges and issues that require improvement. Following the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, one of the lessons learned was that officers responding to the incident were unable to communicate effectively (“Active Shooter Incident”, 2016). The communication lines were overwhelmed as many officers attempted to relay information. This incident sheds light on the communication hurdles that are faced when responding to active shooter situations. It is possible that the PIO will struggle in his efforts to create a seamless communication system. Various agencies and individuals will attempt to deliver information to the public and the media. This could overtax the communication network. To guarantee that the communication system is not compromised, the PIO should establish a central and unified information management system. This system will be based on the flowchart provided earlier. The different agencies will supply the PIO with all their information. The PIO will then share this information with the public and the media as he deems appropriate. In addition to ensuring that the communication system functions efficiently, the creation of a unified central system for information sharing also helps to minimize chaos and confusion. This system provides the public and the media with a reliable and authoritative source of information regarding the active shooter incident.
Social media management
Law enforcement agencies in the United States understand that social media is a powerful tool in the fight against crime (Goldsmith, 2013). Police departments and other security agencies have set up accounts on social media platforms. Through these accounts, the agencies are able to engage with the public directly and quickly. As opposed to other channels which involve extreme levels of bureaucracy and complexities, social media is easier to use. While responding to the active shooter incident described in an earlier section, the PIO will rely on social media. Various social media platforms will be used to inform the public about the progress being made in restoring peace. The use of social media is fraught with a range of challenges. Among these challenges is the difficulty in verifying information. Today, it is possible for an individual to post falsehoods on the internet. Since it is difficult to verify information, such falsehoods spread quickly and are accepted as the truth. The PIO will need to ensure that official social media accounts are used and that any lies and half-truths are pointed out and addressed. As an example, a situation where social media users report that a certain number of attackers are responsible for the shooting can be considered. Such misleading and false information gets in the way of responding to the situation. There, the onus is on the PIO to move with speed and offer clarity. The PIO must use the agency’s social media accounts to provide the public with timely, accurate and reliable information. As he does this, he ensures that the public is not misled.
Integration with other functions
The discussion has focused on the various functions and responsibilities of the PIO. These responsibilities mostly concern communication and the sharing of information. It is crucial to understand that the PIO does not function in isolation. Responding to an active shooter situation calls for the involvement of numerous agencies and individuals. For example, the police and medical personnel are involved in the situation. As he coordinates information sharing and communication, the PIO must understand that it is important to consolidate his efforts with the strategies of other stakeholders. For example, before making any statements, the PIO must first consult with other important stakeholders. This goes a long way in guaranteeing that the information that the PIO shares with the public and the media reflects the positions of all the agencies and officials who are involved in responding to the crisis. A well-coordinated effort that combines the thoughts and efforts of all concerned stakeholders is effective in resolving crises.
The role of the PIO extends beyond partnering with other officials and agencies. There is need for the PIO to also ensure that his functions are aligned to the overall objectives of the mission and the functions that other stakeholders execute. When the parties responding to an active shooter situation pull in different directions, lives are lost and the rescue mission is compromised. It is for this reason that the PIO must see to it that the functions of his office correspond to the general aims of the emergence response. For example, in the active shooter situation described in an earlier section, the priority objective will be to disable the shooter. For this to happen, armed officers must be directed to the location of the shooter. It is the mandate of the PIO to inform all involved parties that the main objective is to eliminate the threat that the shooter poses. The PIO needs to inform other parties such as the medical personnel to pave way for the armed officers. After the attacker has been disabled, focus can now shift to such other objectives as treating the injured and carrying out an assessment of the aftermath of the shooting. It is only when the PIO ties his mandate to the overall mission that information can flow smoothly and the situation can be brought under control.
From the discussion so far, it is clear that the public information officer is an integral component of the response to active shooter incidents. These incidents are usually very volatile and they can escalate quickly. Law enforcement agencies, medical personnel and other parties must move with speed to minimize the loss of life and disable the attacker. The PIO serves as the link among these parties. He relays information from the responders to such other parties as the public and the media. The PIO also assesses information to ensure that it is accurate and reliable. It is also the duty of the PIO to respond to any false information that could hamper the efforts of rescuers and police officers. It is evident that how an active shooter situation concludes depends on how the PIO executes his function. The CIO must remember that his position is vital and that it is important to provide the public with credible and truthful details in a timely manner.
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