U . S . Special Operations Force Veterans Adapt A Valuable Tool that Increases Situational Awareness and Enhances Command and Control During an Emergency
Using building floorplans to increase situational awareness during an emergency response has been called out in many after-action reports following tragic shooting events over the past twenty years . Issues operationalizing this valuable piece of site data has been solved using lessons learned by United States Special Operation Force ( USSOF ) military leaders , who faced the challenge of operating and communicating about unfamiliar locations with diverse groups and nationalities while under stress during counter-terrorism missions . Similar to dynamic emergency situations first responders confront domestically , USSOF deal with chaotic operations and collaborate with partners who do not share a common background . To solve that problem , USSOF developed a visual communication tool , called a Gridded Reference Graphic ( GRG ), that combined a grid overlay with high-resolution overhead imagery so all mission participants could communicate from a site-specific common operating picture . In 2015 , the leadership team of Critical Response Group , Inc ., a New Jersey-based company , first assembled to study how the concept of the GRG could be adapted to increase the situational awareness of first responders and enhance their coordination capabilities during a crisis response . They avoided viewing the problem through the lens of theory and instead focused on the true nature of an emergency response . The study was framed by decades of collective experience dealing with real-time military operations , domestic emergencies and largescale disasters . The team studied how lessons learned from military operations overseas could improve domestic public safety and examined After-Action Reports , radio communications , and best practices that emerged from critical incidents over the last two decades . The focus was on challenges that responders face while involved in a multi-disciplinary response while communicating under stress in unfamiliar locations . Four specific findings emerged :
• Accuracy of Floor Plans on File – Floor plans on file in most facilities are often inaccurate , and when changes are made those updates rarely reach emergency responders . First responders need quick access to accurate building floor plans to increase situational awareness when responding to an unfamiliar location .
• Standardization of Content - Building floor plans on file with public safety organizations are typically oriented toward an abstract “ project ” north and are not tied to key terrain surrounding a building . There is no standardization to the presentation of floor plans across organizations within the same area of responsibility , which renders floor plans difficult to use tactically in an emergency .
• Inadequately and / or Improperly Labeled Building Floor Plans - Critical features first responders would use to coordinate resources and communicate quickly during a multi-disciplinary response are often not identified on the schematics .
• Disconnected and Non-interoperable Platforms - Systems in place throughout the public safety environment prevent mutual aid partners and public entities from sharing information and collaborating when responding to an incident . There is an endless list of disconnected systems being adopted by public and private organizations , so there is no common threat --- or language --- that can connect how responders will communicate .
Critical Response Group , Inc . was established in 2016 with the specific goal of addressing these issues and adapted the concept of a GRG by expanded its features to create a Collaborative Response Graphic ® ( CRG ®) for the domestic public safety community . CRGs are standardized , site-specific and geo-rectified common operating pictures that combine facility floor plans , high resolution imagery and a gridded overlay together into one map . They include the accurate labeling of important features like room numbers or descriptions , hallways , external doors , stairwells , key utility locations , parking areas , and locations of security cameras . Regular interaction with facility managers allows CRGs to be updated , which keeps them accurate and relevant to emergency responders .
Over the past four years , refinements to the design of CRGs occurred following multiple full-scale emergency response drills and pre-planned events to ensure first responders could utilize them quickly under stress to
46 FALL 2021
P A I D A D V E R T O R I A L