AFTER ACTION1 REPORT (AAR)

Table of Contents
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 1
Intermodal Security Training and Exercise Program ...................................................................... 2
Exercise Overview ........................................................................................................................... 3
Exercise Data Capture and Analysis ................................................................................................ 9
Next Steps ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................... 13

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 Intermodal Security Training and Exercise Program
BACKGROUND
The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Intermodal Security Training and Exercise Program (I-
STEP) provides exercise, training, and security planning tools and services to the transportation
community. The program focuses on the security nexus of the intermodal transportation environment,
serving mass transit, freight rail, pipeline, maritime, highway and motor carrier, and aviation modes.
Working in partnership with the transportation modes, I-STEP enables security partners to:
 Enhance security capabilities – Strengthen plans, policies, and procedures; clarify roles and
responsibilities; validate planning needs; and strengthen grant proposals.
 Build partnerships – Develop relationships with regional transportation players and other
stakeholders.
 Gain insights in transportation security – Network with peers to gain a deeper understanding of
security lessons learned and best practices.
I-STEP is the only Federal exercise program to focus on the security nexus of the intermodal
transportation environment. As a result, the program reduces risk to individual systems as well as the
entire transportation network.
I-STEP aligns to TSA’s Transportation Systems Sector-Specific Plans (TSSSP) under the National
Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). The Office of Security Policy and Industry Engagement (OSPIE)
manages this program.
Lessons learned from I-STEP exercises, training events, and workshops help shape national
transportation security policy.

I-STEP PROGRAMMATIC GOALS

 Develop a comprehensive transportation-security exercise program.
 Serve as a training resource for TSA security partners.
 Foster information sharing/collaboration among security partners.
 Provide support services to TSA modal representatives.

POINT OF CONTACT
For more information on I-STEP exercises, contact:
Marie Binder-Sealy
I-STEP Branch
Exercise Project Manager
marie.binder-sealy@tsa.dhs.gov
(571) 227-3249

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 Exercise Overview
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The AASHTO SCOTSEM Active Shooter Exercise consisted of three parts:
1. A TSA presentation on industry security efforts, ongoing initiatives, and active shooter
resources/tools;
2. An active shooter training presented by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office; and
3. A live active shooter drill put on by the Pima County Regional Special Weapons and Tactics
(SWAT) Team.
The purpose of this exercise was to provide insight into how law enforcement may respond to an active
shooter incident (e.g., priorities, capabilities, actions), as well as expectations law enforcement may
have of state Department of Transportation (DOT) employees and how those employees may be able to
assist them in their response.

EXERCISE MISSION AREAS, CORE CAPABILITIES, AND EXERCISE OBJECTIVES

Mission Areas: Prevention, Protection, Response
Core Capability: Interdiction and Disruption, Physical Protective Measures, Environmental
Response/Health and Safety
 Objective 1: Discuss law enforcement and state DOT employee actions, considerations, and
expectations that could help prevent, protect against, or mitigate an active shooter situation.
 Objective 2: Discuss countermeasures and policies that state DOTs could implement to prevent,
protect against, or mitigate an active shooter situation in/on their facilities/infrastructure.
 Objective 3: Discuss and demonstrate methods to protect the health and safety of state DOT
employees facing an active shooter situation.

TSA PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

Presented by: David Cooper
Industry Engagement Manager – Highway
Office of Security Policy & Industry Engagement
Transportation Security Administration
Ongoing TSA and Industry Security Initiatives:
 Vulnerability Assessments (National Cooperative Highway Research Program [NCHRP] Report
525):
o Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE).
 TSA Assessment / Self-assessment.
 Security Planning (NCHRP Report 525):
o Transportation Security Template and Assessment Review Toolkit (T-START).
 Security Training:
o First ObserverTM Plus program.
o Counterterrorism guides.
o Security guidance (Highway and Motor Carrier [HMC] Toolkit).

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  Security Exercises:
o I-STEP.
o Exercise Information System (EXIS) Exercise Program.
 Information Sharing:
o Government Coordinating Councils (GCC)/Sector Coordinating Councils (SCC) Meetings.
o Over the Road Bus Peer Advisory Group/Industry Conference Calls.
o Transportation Sector Security Risk Assessment (TSSRA).
o Unclassified Intelligence Conference Calls.
o Security Awareness Messages (SAMs).
o Field Intelligence Officers/Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) Teams.
Securing Transportation Assets & Operations – Mitigation Strategies for Highway Modes:
 This is an industry-specific security guidance document, containing information on:
o Insider Threats.
o Active Shooter.
o Improvised Explosive Devices.
o Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
o Person-Borne IED.
o Bomb Threats.
o Additional Resources.
Active Shooter Resources and Tools available at www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-preparedness:
 Active Shooter: What You Can Do.
 Webinar.
 Workshop Series.
 “How to Respond” Resource Materials (booklet, pamphlet, poster, pocket card, policy and best
practices guide).
 “Options for Consideration” Active Shooter Preparedness Video.
 Conducting Security Assessments: A Guide for Schools and Houses of Worship Webinar.
 Active Shooter Resources for Law Enforcement and Trainers.
 Active Shooter Training Provided by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC).

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PIMA COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING OVERVIEW
Presented by: Sgt. Derek Ogden & Sgt. Ken Walsh
Pima County Sheriff’s Office
Active Shooter Mentality:
 In most cases, there is no pattern or method to victim selection.
 Attacks are sudden and impulsive, and the shooter usually does not have a plan/intent to
escape.
 Active shooters usually:
o Want to kill as many as possible, including themselves.
o Rarely take hostages.
o Are familiar with the location they choose to attack.
o Do not respond to logic/reason.
 Active shooter events are unpredictable and evolve quickly:
o Often over within minutes, before law enforcement arrives on scene.
o Individuals must be mentally prepared for this type of situation.
Your Actions:
 You must be aware of your surroundings and process your thoughts in a controlled manner as
the circumstances evolve in order to survive.
 Have a flexible plan in place ahead of time and do whatever you need to in order to reach a safe
place.
o Sometimes that means bypassing injured victims.
 If an active shooter is outside your building:
o Lock the room, barricade the doors, turn the lights off, close the blinds and stay away
from the windows.
o Stay low and remain behind solid objects.
o Have one person call 911 and do not respond to the shooter if he or she talks to you.
 If an active shooter is inside your building, you have three options:
o Run:
 Have a predetermined evacuation plan.
 Take a cell phone but leave everything else behind.
 Do not attempt to move wounded people.
 Shout warnings to others and call 911 when in a safe position (the further away
the better).
o Hide:
 Pick a place where the shooter cannot see or hurt you, from which you can still
escape if needed (i.e., behind a metal desk or file cabinet).
 Lock and blockade the door and be as quiet as possible.
o Fight:
 Be as aggressive as possible (use improvised weapons like fire extinguishers).
 Throw anything you can at the suspect.
 Divert the shooter’s attention and be realistic, given your own capabilities.

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  Helpful 911 Information:
o Number and location of suspect(s).
o Suspect race, gender, physical features, clothing color/style, etc.
o Type of weapons you see/sounds of gunshots or explosions you hear.
 Contact with Police:
o Empty your hands and make them clearly visible while listening to commands.
o Advise police of injuries and give as much information on the situation as you can.
o Let law enforcement know if you are armed and do not touch your weapon.
Law Enforcement Actions:
 Law enforcement will have a massive response and will go directly to the threat:
o This may mean they have to bypass injured/dead victims.
 Law enforcement’s goal is to locate, contain, and stop the threat (then they can
rescue/evacuate and treat/transport while setting up an Incident Command System).
 Law enforcement will set up a staging area for witnesses and victims to calm the scene and start
the investigation process:
o Evidence collection can take days to complete.
Emergency Care:
 Gunshots can cause massive bleeding, both internally and externally:
o Shock develops in minutes.
 Treat massive bleeding as soon as possible and remember that being shot does not mean that
you are going to die.
 Do not wait for Emergency Medical System (EMS) personnel to begin treatment:
o Use whatever is available for bandaging and tourniquets, and apply hand pressure over
open wounds.
Pre-Incident Planning:
 Create an Emergency Action Plan (EAP).
 Conduct training and exercises as well as hands-on site assessments.
 Have a crisis kit at your workplace.

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LIVE DRILL OVERVIEW
The following scenario served as a precursor to the live drill:
 State DOT employees are attending a public hearing, the subject of which is the reconstruction
of a section of US 123, a major commercial vehicle route with numerous pointed turns and
elevated/sloping terrain that hinders proper sight distance to ensure safe braking in advance of
recurring traffic congestion.
 Police are regularly responding to primary and secondary crashes on the route, and the
reconstruction project proposes to correct the roadway problems and reduce the number of
crashes.
 The reconstruction may impact the following:
o Migratory animals, protected waters, and wetlands.
o Six residential and five commercial property relocations.
o Mitigation plans to avoid archeological sites in the area.
o Traffic congestion.
o Discovery of contaminated grounds.
o Augmented entry to private properties.
o Access to impacted abutters during construction.
 Opposition to the reconstruction has been strong, and multiple individuals had previously
threatened to disrupt the public hearing.

The live drill then occurred as follows:

 A disgruntled citizen, unhappy with the US 123 reconstruction project, enters the public hearing
building, demanding to know the hearing room’s location and firing shots from an assault rifle
near the front door.
o At this point in the drill, exercise observers moved from their designated positions inside
the building, outside to observe the SWAT team approaching.
 The SWAT team arrives and begins to breach the building.
o At this point in the drill, exercise observers moved back inside to their designated
positions to observe the SWAT team’s response inside the building.
 The active shooter begins to make his way through the building room by room, as the SWAT
team responds and conducts their search while the shooting continues, until the shooter finds
the public hearing room.
o At this point in the drill, exercise observers moved to the public hearing room to view the
conflict’s resolution.
 The SWAT team kills the active shooter in the corner of the public hearing room.
o At this point in the drill, exercise observers moved back outside to watch the fire and
EMS response.
 Emergency medical teams evacuate and treat injured persons while the SWAT team provides
cover.
o At this point in the drill, exercise observers moved back into the public hearing room for
a final Q&A Session with the SWAT team.

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PARTICIPATING STAKEHOLDERS

Federal  Department of Homeland Security

o Southern Border Joint Task Force – West
o TSA
State  AASHTO – SCOTSEM Member Organizations (various)
 Arizona DOT
Local  Northwest Fire District
 Pima County Sheriff’s Office
 Pima County Regional SWAT Team

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 Exercise Data Capture and Analysis
Some strengths listed in this report rise to the level of best practice – a practice worthy of sharing with
industry partners due to its positive impact within the industry.

A checkmark icon denotes these best practices, each of which includes a “benefit analysis”
to provide additional context and “industry considerations” – strategies, operations, or
tactics that all highway motor carrier stakeholders may consider implementing.

OBJECTIVE 1
Discuss law enforcement and state DOT employee actions, considerations, and expectations that
could help prevent, protect against, or mitigate an active shooter situation.

STRENGTHS
1. Best Practice: Many state DOTs already have emergency action plans (EAPs) in place for active
shooter scenarios.
Benefit Analysis: Pima County Sheriff’s Office noted that it is very beneficial to have EAPs in
place, specifically geared towards active shooters, both for employees’ safety, as well as the
safety of law enforcement arriving on scene.
Industry Consideration: Pre-identify EAPs for active shooter situations and train/exercise those
plans on a regular basis.
2. Many state DOTs already have existing relationships with local law enforcement to help with
active shooter training and preparation.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
1. Exercise attendees noted that globally, mass transit is a ‘soft target’ for active shooters.
Root Cause Analysis: Buses are small, mobile, enclosed spaces, which makes reacting to an
active shooter situation even more difficult than in a physical structure setting. Participants
agreed that oftentimes there is not an option to run or hide in an active shooter situation on a
bus.
Options for Consideration:
A. When there is no way to run or hide, fighting may be the only option.
B. Individuals can help law enforcement in this type of situation by opening bus windows and
exit doors, and calling 911.
2. Exercise attendees recognized a need for law enforcement to train with fire and EMS personnel
to coordinate their responses to an active shooter situation.
Root Cause Analysis: Pima County Sheriff’s Office explained that rescue task forces (RTFs) are a
relatively new concept where police and fire/EMS work together to form a second wave of first
responders in an active shooter situation to give medical assistance to those in need. One
challenge to this new concept is changing the mindset of fire/EMS agencies from avoiding an

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 active shooter situation until law enforcement eliminates the threat, to being directly involved
in the scene even if the shooter is still active.
Option for Consideration:
C. Continue to train law enforcement and fire/EMS together via classroom style courses and
exercises to build familiarity with RTF concepts.
OBJECTIVE 2
Discuss countermeasures and policies that state DOTs could implement to prevent, protect against, or
mitigate an active shooter situation in/on their facilities/infrastructure.

STRENGTHS
1. Best Practice: Exercise attendees seemed to be well aware that chaos can distract an active
shooter, just like any other human being.
Benefit Analysis: During the active shooter training, Pima County Sheriff’s Office noted that in
an office setting, the more chaos employees can cause for an active shooter, the better chance
they have of escaping unharmed.
Industry Consideration: Pre-identify EAPs and procedures, including tactics/considerations for
distracting an active shooter if needed (e.g., throwing office supplies at the shooter).
2. Exercise attendees highlighted the fact that communication is a huge part of mitigating an active
shooter situation (e.g., text alert systems for schools).
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

1. Exercise attendees were not sure of the correct steps for an arms-bearing citizen to take during
an active shooter situation.
Root Cause Analysis: If a citizen is carrying a firearm when an active shooter situation occurs, it
may or may not be a good idea to use it. Exercise attendees and the Pima County Sheriff’s Office
presenters discussed this topic at length and agreed there is no “one size fits all” answer to this
question. If that arms-bearing citizen is confident that they can eliminate the threat, then it may
be the best option. However, if the firearm is not on their person (e.g., in their car), it is
probably not prudent to go get it and return to look for the active shooter.
Option for Consideration:
D. Be very familiar with one’s concealed weapon and understand that when law enforcement
arrives on scene, they will be unaware of who is an active shooter and who is an arms-
bearing civilian trying to assist.
2. The most important thing to note for state DOT employees in an active shooter situation is to
get out safely if possible, even if there are others who need help.
Root Cause Analysis: State DOT employees brought up the fact that it is human nature to try to
help injured coworkers in an active shooter situation. However, witnesses are key to law
enforcement response and the worst thing that can happen is multiplied damage.

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 Option for Consideration:
E. Emphasize in EAPs and training/exercises that even though it may be difficult to bypass an
injured coworker, it is paramount to get yourself (and others who are physically able) to
safety to prevent further loss of life.
OBJECTIVE 3
Discuss and demonstrate methods to protect the health and safety of state DOT employees facing an
active shooter situation.

STRENGTHS
1. Best Practice: Law enforcement agencies are willing to help state DOTs prepare for an active
shooter.
Benefit Analysis: Pima County Sheriff’s Office presenters noted that most local law enforcement
agencies would be happy to do threat assessments and active shooter trainings for state DOTs if
requested to do so.
Industry Consideration: Work with state DOTs and local law enforcement to develop and
regularly train on active shooter response plans.
2. Many state DOTs are willing and able to assist law enforcement during active shooter situations
by using digital highway message boards to communicate with the public as necessary.
AREA FOR IMPROVEMENT
1. Some state DOT employees noted that their places of work do not always have good areas to
hide in case of an active shooter.
Root Cause Analysis: Certain office locations may not have places for employees to hide, leaving
only options to run or fight.
Option for Consideration:
F. Have a safe room, a room only unlockable from the inside, at your place of work where
employees can safely hide from an active shooter.

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 Next Steps
TSA and the exercise planning team identified the following next steps/actions for consideration:
1. Action: TSA intends to develop an active-shooter training program, using footage, imagery, and
takeaways from the exercise.
Purpose: TSA will make this training program available to all state DOTs so they can better
prepare their employees to deal with an active shooter incident. The TSA Highway Motor Carrier
Section will push this training out to DOTs once complete. Please contact the TSA Highway
Motor Carrier Section at HighwaySecurity@tsa.dhs.gov for more information regarding this
program.
Timeline: TSA intends to publish this training program within the 2017 federal fiscal year.
2. Action: State DOTs should request active shooter training from their local law enforcement
partners.
Purpose: This not only increases DOT employees’ awareness of how to respond to and what to
expect during an active shooter incident, but it increases law enforcement’s understanding of
DOTs and their operating environments, and it builds/strengthens partnerships between DOTs
and their local law enforcement partners.
Timeline: Immediately, and on a regular basis.
3. Action: Both TSA and state DOTs should review, and encourage employees to review the DHS
Active Shooter Preparedness Program information, located at www.dhs.gov/active-shooter-
preparedness.
Purpose: This DHS program/website includes information and resources on active shooter
preparedness, applicable to all individuals and organizations.
Timeline: Immediately, and on a regular basis.
4. Action: State DOTs should review the Industry Considerations and Options for Consideration
listed in the previous section of this report and consider their adoption or implementation.
Purpose: The information captured during the exercise represents the perspectives of law
enforcement, state DOT, TSA, and other personnel that participated in the 2016 SCOTSEM
conference, lending credibility and relevance to Industry Considerations and Options for
Consideration included in this report. It is important to note that these are considerations, not
requirements, mandates, or even recommendations; therefore, any individual or organization
should implement these, only as they deem appropriate.
Timeline: Immediately, and on a regular basis.

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 Acronyms
Acronym Definition
AAR After Action Report
AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
BASE Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement
DOT Department of Transportation
EAP Emergency Action Plan
EMS Emergency Medical System
EXIS Exercise Information System
FLETC Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
GCC Government Coordinating Councils
HMC Highway and Motor Carrier
I-STEP Intermodal Security Training and Exercise Program
IED Improvised Explosive Device
NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program
NIPP National Infrastructure Protection Plan
OSPIE Office of Security Policy and Industry Engagement
RTF Rescue Task Force
SAMs Security Awareness Messages
SCC Sector Coordinating Councils
SCOTSEM Special Committee on Transportation Security and Emergency Management
SWAT Special Weapons and Tactics
T-START Transportation Security Template and Assessment Review Toolkit
TSA Transportation Security Administration
TSSSP Transportation Systems Sector-Specific Plans
TSSRA Transportation Sector Security Risk Assessment
VIPR Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response

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AFTER ACTION REPORT

AASHTO SCOTSEM ACTIVE SHOOTER EXERCISE

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