October 3, 2006

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MEDICAL TASK FORCE MEETS IN WEST LOS ANGELES FOR TRAINING The FBI in Los Angeles will host a meeting for members of the Southern California Tactical Medical Task Force on Tuesday, October 3 rd, announced J. Stephen Tidwell, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles. The afternoon portion of the meeting will be open to the media while task force members exercise scenarios which require tactical medical expertise using simulated munitions. The task force was established in March 2004 and currently has representation from over 50 law enforcement and public safety organizations. FBI Los Angeles provides coordination and administrative duties for the task force which has approximately 150 key members from the Southern California region, as well as neighboring areas, including, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Nevada and Arizona. Quarterly meetings afford the task force with the training to respond to critical incidents that result in mass casualties, such as a terrorist bombing, a school or workplace shooting. By incorporating tactical medical elements and by streamlining the tactical occupation and evacuation techniques, law enforcement tactical teams train to provide the earliest possible response to a crisis situation in order to save the lives of those injured or those with the potential to be injured. The tactical medical task force includes a panel of eighteen experts from a variety of fields who provide expert opinion, investigative strategy, court expert testimony, and guidance on all phases of the investigative process. Experts from the following backgrounds and others are represented on the task force: Tactics Weapons of Mass Destruction Forensic Evidence/Laboratory Procedures Psychology Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Counter Terrorism Assault Kidnapping The task force meets on a quarterly basis in order to share ideas, discuss the pros and cons of techniques used, and to conduct training. The task force’s objectives include the publication of improved practice guidelines and further research of a wide variety of topics dealing with tactical medicine. Task force members who are paramedics or EMT personnel receive Continuing Education units for participating in the training through FBI Los Angeles, which is accredited by the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency. Physicians receive American Medical Association Continuing Medical Educational units through Centinela Regional Medical Center. Tuesday’s conference, the first of a series of three to be sponsored by FBI Los Angeles, will focus on tactical rescue through a series of lectures, briefings and simulated munitions scenarios. During the scenarios, task force members will wear their uniforms and deploy their tactical equipment and medical gear, in order to evaluate the best tactical rescue movement and techniques from each agency. The media is invited to attend the afternoon portion of the training which will take place at the Veterans Administration grounds in West Los Angeles. Members of the media interested in covering this event should contact one of the below-listed public information officers for further information: CONTACT : FBI: Laura Eimiller: 310 996-3343 Lourdes Arocho: 310 996-4402 Centinela Medical Center: Trace Longo: Longo Communications Cell: 714 600-9811