AA PPLAN FOR LLOCAL TTACTICAL RRESPONSE TO WWMMDD//TTERRORISM EEVENTS SSuubbmmiitttteedd ttoo tthhee IIoowwaa CCoommmmiissssiioonneerr ooff PPuubblliicc SSaaffeettyy bbyy tthhee May 2005 Planning, facilitation, staffing, writing, and other services provided by State Public Policy Group, Inc. www.sppg.com TABLE OF CONTENTS A PLAN FOR LOCAL TACTICAL RESPONSE TO WMD/TERRORISM EVENTS.......... 5 Tactical Capacity for Local Response – Background ...................................... 5 Challenge.................................................................................................. 5 Cooperation and Collaboration – Tactical Officers Task Force and Chiefs and Sheriffs..................................................................................................... 6 Key Elements of the Plan for WMD Capacity for Local Tactical Response ........ 7 Components of Local Tactical Response Capacity ...................................... 7 Role of Existing Tactical Units.................................................................. 8 Regional Structure and Response ............................................................ 8 Response Triggers.................................................................................. 9 Composition of Type 2 Units.................................................................... 9 Training Standards ................................................................................. 9 Physical Standards ............................................................................... 10 Equipment........................................................................................... 10 Sustainability of Designated Type 2 Tactical Units ................................... 10 Tracking and Recordkeeping ................................................................. 10 28E Agreement .................................................................................... 11 Funding Considerations............................................................................ 11 Additional Considerations ......................................................................... 11 The Participants ...................................................................................... 14 APPENDICES ................................................................................. 17 Plan Implementation................................................................................ 17 Timeline .............................................................................................. 18 Implementation Plan ............................................................................ 19 Budget ................................................................................................ 27 28E Draft............................................................................................. 29 Map........................................................................................................ 36 Tactical Officers Task Force Meeting Notes ................................................ 37 Outreach Process .................................................................................... 70 Task Force........................................................................................... 70 Police Chiefs and Sheriffs ...................................................................... 70 Stakeholders and Policymakers.............................................................. 70 Timeline .............................................................................................. 71 Outreach Summary.................................................................................. 73 Outreach Notes ....................................................................................... 78 Other States...........................................................................................127 Training –Tactical Teams .....................................................................127 State Associations ...............................................................................127 Research ...............................................................................................129 Tactical Officers Task Force 3 A PLAN FOR LOCAL TACTICAL RESPONSE TO WMD/TERRORISM EVENTS Tactical Capacity for Local Response – Background In the wake of increasing threats and of events worldwide, Iowa cannot assume that its citizens are immune to any variety of terrorist and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents. While that risk may be lower than risks on either coast, Iowa is in position as a key agricultural producer and home of numerous critical assets. Consequently, local response capacity to threats of all types calls for creation of adequate tactical response, and developing that capacity has been identified as a priority in Iowa. Also determined was that local capacity must be developed strategically so that there is little duplication in the specialized local capacity for WMD/Terrorism level tactical response. In keeping with the national priorities expressed by US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Iowa’s state and local homeland security, emergency management, and first responder leaders sought a process that would foster cooperation and collaboration to achieve the goal. Tactical response capacity, or Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) response capacity, in Iowa consists of a number of independent multi-jurisdictional teams, one multi-county Task Force, and several dozen county and municipal teams that cover their respective jurisdictions. The Iowa State Patrol has four tactical teams and has a statutory responsibility to respond to any tactical incident in any local jurisdiction if requested by that jurisdiction. (See Appendix for map.) No formal data exists regarding teams or trained officers, though estimates are that there are more than 60 teams and more than 600 officers serving on those teams. To further complicate the issue, there are no statewide or national guidelines, standards, or other requirements for unit composition, necessary equipment, or for the training or physical ability of officers serving on a tactical unit. The Iowa Department of Public Safety (IDPS), Iowa State Patrol retained State Public Policy Group to design and manage a decision process to meet timelines of the DHS Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) Grant requirements. Challenge The challenge of the Tactical Officer Task Force (TOTF) was to create local response capacity to WMD/Terrorism incidents anywhere in the state. The TOTF was established to review the issues, suggest solutions, and reach consensus on an implementation plan. Though there are more than 60 local tactical units across the state, the lack of standards and tracking of tactical teams mean it is difficult to determine the level of capacity of any team or all teams as a whole. It is known and generally Tactical Officers Task Force 5 accepted that jurisdictions’ tactical units are staffed, trained, and equipped based on the commitment of the local law enforcement leadership and the local budget. That said, while some of the larger existing teams train more than 16 hours a month in tactical operations, no team in Iowa, including the ISP teams, are equipped with specialized equipment needed for a WMD/Terrorism level response. The Tactical Officers Task Force faced making decisions to outline a mechanism to establish and maintain consistent tactical unit response capacity to a WMD/terrorist incident anywhere in the state. Issues to be resolved included, but were not limited to: • Composition of and standards for teams. • Designation of jurisdictions to meet WMD/terrorist criteria. • Triggers for “regional” team call-out. • Protocols for statewide tactical unit response. • Form and general contents of contractual document; 28E Agreement. The Task Force members began their responsibilities with the understanding that not every tactical unit in Iowa could benefit from the federal funding available for this initiative. With an approach of developing equitable access to WMD/Terrorism tactical response for all jurisdictions, the Task Force worked through the issues to be resolved, one by one, to achieve consensus. Cooperation and Collaboration – Tactical Officers Task Force and Chiefs and Sheriffs The TOTF is a group of tactical team commanders and other stakeholders charged with the responsibility to develop guidance and standards that will ensure available, appropriate and consistent local tactical unit response to WMD/terrorism incidents throughout the state of Iowa. Through a work group process facilitated by SPPG, the TOTF developed statewide standards for training levels, personnel requirements, protocols for unit activation, and other issues that directly affect tactical units and the communities to which they are responsible to protect in the event of a terrorist or WMD event. Earlier in 2004, the Iowa State Patrol convened an informal working group to begin to address this challenge. It provided a valuable background along with some preliminary positions on several of the key issues. The Tactical Officers Task Force was formed in October 2004 and included the members of the earlier group plus several additional stakeholders representing other resources and jurisdictions with no tactical units. The chiefs and sheriffs of the jurisdictions represented on the TOTF were also indirectly involved from the outset as their officers were responsible to keep them engaged and informed. Because a final plan would require consensus