HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10123 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10123
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 27, 2018
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SUBJECT: FORT WORTH PREPAREDNESS FOR SUSPICIOUS PACKAGES
1873 AND RECENT EVENTS
In light of the recent incidents in Central Texas,the City Council has requested an update on the readiness of
the City of Fort Worth response community in the event that bombings or suspicious package situations were
to occur in the Fort Worth area. The following is a summary of the training and coordination that is ongoing
with partner agencies along with response planning and public education efforts.
Trainin2/Drills/Exercises
Fort Worth Fire and Police Command staffs along with the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) meet
monthly to ensure response coordination related to active threat incidents, terrorism, and special event
planning. Fort Worth Fire& Police have been participating in regional drills involving hazardous materials,
technical rescues, and multijurisdictional/multidisciplinary training events since the 2013 Urban Shield
exercise. Additional tabletop exercises are scheduled for large special events covering terrorism and active
threat incidents.
Response
The City of Fort Worth maintains an All Hazards Emergency Response Program with an Emergency
Operations Plan that covers response to all threats whether natural, hazmat or terrorism. The City would
utilize all aspects of the plan to ensure the safety of our citizens and first responders.
As the Central Texas bombings unfolded, Fort Worth Fire, Police, and Office of Emergency Management
(OEM) gleaned lessons learned from the Austin first responder community and reviewed and revised
procedures as needed. A response to a suspicious package in Fort Worth would initially result in a Unified
Command involving Fire, Police, and MedStar, and then include federal partners as needed. Currently, there
is 1 EOD (explosive ordinance device) team in Fort Worth along with 9 additional teams within the North
Texas region; each EOD team consists of multiple bomb technicians. The Fort Worth EOD team consists of
6 bomb technicians and 3 bomb canines.
Multiple ongoing incidents would include activation of larger pools of resources coordinated through
channels already in place. Requests for regional EOD teams or other state/federal assets would be made as
needed utilizing existing mutual aid agreements and/or the State of Texas Assistance Request (STAR)
process. The Joint Emergency Operations Center in Fort Worth would be activated to maintain situational
awareness and support of field operations. This would include fulfilling resource requests,recommendations
on evacuation or"sheltering in place,"public information and media coordination, and other logistical needs.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10123
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 27, 2018
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o Page 2 of 2
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SUBJECT: FORT WORTH PREPAREDNESS FOR SUSPICIOUS PACKAGES
1873 AND RECENT EVENTS
Public Education
The Fort Worth Fire EOD Team provides guidance to both the public and private sectors regarding bomb
threats, IED (improvised explosive device) awareness, and other related topics. OEM has also utilized the
"See Something Say Something" campaign for several years to heighten public awareness with respect to
reporting suspicious situations to public safety authorities. During 2018, OEM will be releasing a total of
eight articles for the "See Something Say Something" campaign. In February, the first article was released
via City News and social media and it provided examples of suspicious sightings or actions to report. The
campaign emphasizes that Fort Worth residents help local authorities mitigate the possibility of a local
terrorist act by reporting suspicious actions or behavior to local law enforcement agencies. In the event of a
situation similar to the Austin bombings, the City of Fort Worth Joint Information Center would be able to
utilize this already established framework and has drafted information for continued public education. OEM
is working with our public safety departments to efficiently streamline tip information for investigative teams.
As with any significant event, a dedicated hotline would be established and social media outlets would be
monitored in order to receive tips from the public.
If you have any questions please contact Chief Pat Vasquez, Fire at 817-392-6801.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS