Tempe firefighters to get crime-scene protective gear

Tempe is investing in training and equipment to enable the city’s Fire Medical Rescue personnel to provide responses that can be coordinated with police units being dispatched to the same active crime scenes.

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The new procedures are designed to bring Tempe into line with efforts across the U.S. to ensure organized, cohesive readiness in urgent-response situations.

Throughout 2015, Tempe firefighters have trained in partnership with Tempe police while wearing new, specialized protective gear.

Historically, firefighters would wait at safe distances from active crime scenes until police personnel communicated that it was safe to enter and assist victims, according to Tempe Fire Assistant Chief Paul Nies.

Today, a new approach is being advocated and used nationally; it involves firefighters taking more active roles by wearing protective gear and entering active crime scenes in order to treat and evacuate victims.

This allows police officers to focus on containing or neutralizing threatening individuals.

Tempe’s training is modeled after best practices advocated by the International Association of Firefighters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and U.S. Fire Administration.

“This special training and equipment makes it possible for our professionals to more safely put themselves in the middle of the worst possible scenes, increasing the chances that we will be able to rescue innocent victims,” said Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Chief Greg Ruiz.

Tempe’s program builds on its existing Medical Services Unit, which allows firefighters to receive advanced training to operate as medical support for Tempe Police SWAT officers.

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