On Sunday Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill 1598 by Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez, which improves the way first responders train for active shooter situations. Assemblymember Rodriguez introduced the bill in response to the shooting that occurred in November of last year at Los Angeles International Airport in which a Transportation Safety Administration officer was killed.
“I heard too many stories about injured victims at LAX having to wait to receive medical care,” said Rodriguez. “As an Emergency Medical Technician of 30 years, I know how critical it is for the injured to receive prompt medical attention. Our law enforcement, fire and emergency medical responders must work together to prepare for and respond to these incidents. A coordinated emergency response will help bring medical attention to victims faster and could save lives.”
Assemblymember Rodriguez, Chair of the Select Committee on Local Emergency Preparedness, held an informational hearing earlier this year examining the emergency response to the LAX shooting as well as state and local law enforcement protocols pertaining to active shooter incidents.
“I wanted to see what we learned from the incident that occurred at LAX and how we could apply those lessons moving forward,” said Rodriguez. “What we found was that more coordination between first responding agencies is needed—and it begins with training and practicing for these types of incidents.”
AB 1598 requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards Training, the California Emergency Medical Services Authority and the Office of Emergency Services to coordinate training standards for active shooter incidents.