The Austin American-Statesman
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr on Tuesday testified in front of a U.S. Senate committee about the changing nature of terrorism and how first responders’ must now be prepared for a variety of attacks.
Kerr, the president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, spoke before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs about how firefighters prepare themselves for large attacks since 9/11. Since then, terrorist attacks on U.S. soil have been mainly committed by small groups or lone wolf attackers, such as in San Bernardino, Fort Hood and Boston.
“We are seeing a different terrorist threat,” Kerr said. “They used tactics like gunfire and explosives. In some cases, they may have communicated with overseas actors. In all cases, the planning for these attacks was hard to detect.”
Kerr said fire and EMS departments have to plan and coordinate with a variety of government agencies to be fully prepared for terrorist attacks. In Austin, Kerr said, the fire department has representatives at the Austin Regional Intelligence Center, an intelligence fusion center that serves as a clearinghouse of information between federal, state and local agencies.
Kerr said that as threats evolve, local first responders need to continue to practice with scenario-based exercises, including preparing themselves to respond to ISIS-inspired shooter events.
“It will take a whole community effort to be prepared for these threats, which requires the active participation of all federal, state, local and private sector stakeholders, including the American public,” she said.
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