Active shooters: The underutilisation of emergency operations centres — the need for a checklist to guide response and recovery
Abstract
The emergency operations centre (EOC) is a critical emergency response and recovery component that provides information management and resource allocation. EOCs are often used during all hazards; however, after reviewing over 25 after-action reports for active shooter incidents, they are frequently underutilised. Not activating or delaying activation can slow recovery efforts and lead to chaos for the first responders and the public due to a lack of situational awareness. Historical active shooter incidents, such as the San Bernardino attack, Uvalde school shooting and Aurora theatre shooting, highlight both the challenges and successes of EOC activations. Positive examples, including the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) shooting and Pulse Nightclub attack, demonstrate how timely EOC activation improved resource coordination, victim services and public communications. A specialised active assailant checklist for EOC operations has remained largely absent even though the incidents pose a complex threat. The City of Murrieta and the City of Temecula worked to fill that void. They developed an ‘Active Shooter EOC Checklist’, informed by lessons learned from previous mass shootings and resources such as the ‘United on Guns’ protocol. The checklist guides the agencies through emergency operations, ensuring public communication, victim assistance, volunteer and donation management, recovery and other critical functions are not missed. This paper describes how EOC utilisation can streamline response operations, reduce fatalities and support community recovery efforts. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Mikel Alford is the current (and very first) Emergency Manager for the City of Temecula. Selected in February 2021 after a nationwide search, Mikel has been responsible for developing a comprehensive emergency management programme that serves the community. Working alongside other emergency management professionals for the southwest region of Riverside County, his remit is to strengthen the capacity of the region in providing support during times of crisis. From 2017 to 2021, he served as the Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) Emergency Manager for Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton (NHCP). In this role he was instrumental to the command during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing direct support to the active duty and family members of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. This included overseeing the operations of the Emergency Management Working Group and the development of an external COVID-19 testing and treatment site and a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site working in collaboration with the installation, 1st Medical Battalion and the Naval Expeditionary Medical Training Institute (NEMTI). Prior to the pandemic, Mikel made significant strides in the reinvigoration of the NHCP Emergency Management programme. In 2012 he was selected as the Lead Planner and Team Lead with the Headquarters US Marine Corps (HQMC) Installation Protection Program in the development of Regional Exercise Team-West, a concept group providing direct exercise and planning support to Marine Corps installations validating their ability to execute emergency response operations during times of catastrophe. A retired 22-year veteran of the US Navy (16 years in support of the Fleet Marine Force), Mikel has an extensive background in military medicine, including military public health and epidemiology as well as trauma medicine. While obtaining his Master’s degree, he shifted his education to homeland security with a focus on disaster preparedness and emergency management. He has provided direct support to multiple wildfire response operations, natural disaster response, and served as a consultant to forward-deployed regional staff in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Certified as a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) exercise professional, Mikel also possesses certifications in various areas within the emergency management field, including the FEMA Professional Development Series.
Rachel Hollinger has a distinguished military career spanning over a decade, and has honed her skills in emergency preparedness, leadership and team building. As the Disaster Preparedness Coordinator for the City of Murrieta, Rachel oversees the emergency management division, coordinating all public education efforts for Murrieta Fire & Rescue and serving as the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) coordinator. Additionally, she manages the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), ensuring seamless coordination during crisis situations. Rachel has supported multiple EOC activations including the COVID-19 pandemic, winter storms, cyber incidents and wildfires. Additionally, she currently serves as the California Fire Chiefs Association Director of Preparedness and Response for the Emergency Management Section. Rachel currently is a Master Sergeant, and her military background includes various roles such as Inspector General and Emergency Manager in the US Air Force Reserve, where she executed inspection programmes and exercises to evaluate readiness and compliance of Air Force units. During her service she was stationed at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey and March Aire Force Base, California. Rachel also served in the Middle East and played a key role in expeditionary base defence planning during hostile escalations. Furthermore, she served as President of the 452 Air Mobility Wing Top 3 Association, providing visionary leadership and overseeing all organisational activities. With a commitment to professional development, Rachel has obtained a Level III HAZMAT certification, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Responder certification, completed numerous Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) courses and earned multiple military awards and medals, most notably Air and Space Commendation Medal, Air and Space Achievement Medal, Air Force Humanitarian Service Medal, Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Academy Distinguished Graduate, 514 Civil Engineering Squadron Airman of the Year, 452 Air Mobility Wing Civilian Category II of the Year, and 452 Civil Engineering Squadron Elite Engineer of the Quarter. Rachel holds an MBA from California State University, Long Beach, and a Bachelor’s degree in homeland security and emergency management from the University of Arizona Global Campus.
Citation
Alford, Mikel and Hollinger, Rachel (2025, May 4). Active shooters: The underutilisation of emergency operations centres — the need for a checklist to guide response and recovery. In the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, Volume 18, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.69554/WFRD1370.
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