BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1598
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Date of Hearing: May 14, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 1598 (Rodriguez) - As Amended: April 23, 2014
Policy Committee: Governmental
Organization Vote: 19-0
Public Safety 7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires fire, law enforcement, and emergency medical
services agencies to jointly establish standard operating
procedures and coordinated training programs for "active shooter
incidents," defined as incidents where an individual is actively
engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined
area. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the Curriculum Development Advisory Committee (CDAC)
to consult with the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and
Training (POST).
2)Requires that the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA)
training standards include criteria for coordinating between
different responding entities.
3)Requires the Interdepartmental Committee on Emergency Medical
Services (ICEMS) to consult with POST regarding emergency
medical services integration and coordination with peace
officer training.
4)Requires POST's guidelines and training standards to address
tactical casualty care and coordination with emergency medical
services providers.
FISCAL EFFECT
Substantial costs, in the hundreds of thousands or possibly
millions of dollars, to develop and implement the training
required in the bill, particularly with respect to local law
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enforcement and emergency medical services training.
COMMENTS
1) Purpose. According to the author, incidents like the November
2013 shooting at Terminal 3 of the Los Angeles International
Airport (LAX) are becoming increasingly frequent, and it is
important that local law enforcement agencies, emergency
medical care personnel, and other local agencies work together
in a coordinated, cohesive manner. This bill is intended to
decrease response times to those types of incidents and
therefore save lives.
2) Active Shooter Incidents. The Federal Bureau of Investigation
defines an "active shooter incidents" as "an individual
actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a
confined and populated area." According to data from the US
Attorney General, the number of those shot and killed in
active shooter incidents has increased by 150% over the past
15 years.
3) Staff Comment. While the goals of this bill are certainly
laudable, the agencies required to effect the sort of advanced
training required in the bill have expressed significant
concern over the scope of mandate. The first responders to
events such as active shooter incidents are usually local law
enforcement and emergency medical responders, not specialized
tactical teams. Providing the requisite specialty training to
all of California's local law enforcement and emergency
medical responders would require significant investment in a
training curriculum and potentially thousands of hours of
additional training for those affected. The author may wish
to consult with the agencies affected by this bill to see if a
more prescriptive approach to this issue could be achieved
with reduced, or at least contained, costs.
Analysis Prepared by : Joel Tashjian / APPR. / (916) 319-2081
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