Research Opportunity

The Disaster Medicine and Management Program has been awarded a Faculty Research & Design Grant for the upcoming academic year. We are looking for three (3) interested students to take part as researchers for the grant. Students can take advantage of the project for "life experience", Capstone, or an internship. The project includes some travel and field interviews as well as the study of policies and procedures.

For anyone that is interested, please contact Aaron Richman direct to: richmana@philau.edu or arichman@itrrintel.org

Details regarding the research is below:

The grant research question is:
Can a standard response methodology be designed and developed to prepare local agencies for the response to suicide bomber incidents?

Abstract for Research Paper:
The research paper to be compiled will address various responses and decision making in the field for suicide bomber interdiction by emergency responders (law enforcement, fire-rescue, emergency medical) and emergency managers. Local law enforcement, fire-rescue, and emergency medical services are the first and last line of defense for the interdiction of a suicide bomber. Critical decision making needs to be made at a fraction of a second, when an emergency responder is confronted with this threat. The various tactical options are almost limited solely to lethal force against the threat; however, jurisdictions have been hesitant to develop any clear directive for the “cop on the street”. From past experiences, many agencies, globally, have identified and assessed different tactics that have been supported by response plans in various jurisdictions. The research paper will address a number of response plans, interviews, site visits, after action reports, and case studies that have successfully and unsuccessfully been used throughout the world and in the United States in an attempt to identify clear tactical principles that local jurisdictions can consider for the response to such a threat.