USFA Praises Response in Illinois Campus Shooting
The USFA has released a technical report praising the actions of first responders in the mass shootings at Northern Illinois University last year.
The USFA has released a technical report praising the actions of first responders in the mass shootings at Northern Illinois University last year.
The Feb. 14, 2008 shootings occurred when a graduate student walked onto the stage of a lecture hall and began firing his gun. Five students were killed and 18 others were wounded. He took his life following his rampage.
The report states that the DeKalb Fire Department, NIU Department of Public Safety, Kishwaukee Community Hospital and other responders had practiced emergency drills together and coordinated their planning.
They also had studied official reports on the Virginia Tech shootings and had integrated those lessons learned into their emergency response plans.
"We as firefighters in this nation continue to witness the positive outcomes of emergency preparation, preplanning, practicing plans and executing the plans when an emergency occurs," Acting U.S. Fire Administrator Glenn A. Gaines said in a statement. "The Dekalb Fire Department demonstrates the fire service commitment to emergency preparedness for all emergencies through the study of lessons learned, and the application and practice of Incident Command and the National Incident Management System."
In an interview with Firehouse.com shortly after the incident, DeKalb Lt. Karl Froehlich said: "Things went smoothly. There were no communications issues. We've practiced it, and everything came together."
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