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Mission Manager Demonstrates the Power of its Incident Command Software to SWAT Teams at the TaCops West Tactical Training Conference and Exposition

Mission Manager is pleased to showcase its incident management software at TaCops West – the largest and most prestigious SWAT conference and expo in the Western U.S. –  which runs May 18-20 in Las Vegas, Nev.

TaCops West is sponsored by the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA), Arizona Tactical Officers Association (ATOA), Utah Tactical Officers Association (UTOA), the Washington State Tactical Officers Association (WSTOA),  the California Association of Tactical Officers (CATO), and local Nevada SWAT teams.Capture

The conference includes more than 40 elite training tracks as well as a trade show exposition with approximately 100 vendors showcasing their latest technologies and products.

At booth #111, Mission Manager’s staff will demonstrate how its incident management software can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of an agency’s daily operations and tactical deployments, ranging from active shooters and high-risk warrant service to large-scale public events and training exercises.

As an all-encompassing, automated solution for daily team management and mission execution, cloud-based Mission Manager helps speed response times and ensures a Unified Command structure. With a click of a button, administrators can quickly deploy members based on qualifications, track personnel and events in real time on robust maps, and produce accurate ICS reports.

PREPARATION. READINESS. EXECUTION.

It all begins with team readiness and preparation, which lays the foundation for a strong infrastructure needed to save lives. Mission Manager uniquely provides an operational environment for daily team management and serves as an online command center. In the field, Mission Manager provides a common operational picture on multiple devices in multiple locations. After the incident, users can produce instant reports for legal compliance, debriefs and government reimbursements.

It all boils down to infsafetyormation sharing, and information is power. Here’s how it works:

PREPARATION begins with the personnel roster, where members can manage their own contact information such as medical information, issued gear and personal equipment, training, certifications and expirations. Administrators can also track and manage their team’s equipment and maintenance schedules. Because this data is readily available, incident managers can quickly deploy the right people at the right time.

READINESS is achieved with the day-to-day management of documents and forms, timekeeping, scheduling and tasks. Permission levels control who can see and edit the data.

EXECUTION is initiated with simple drag-and-drop team-building. Incident commanders can easily create missions with pre-set or customized checklists. They can quickly callout members via SMS text, email or voice (or all three simutaneously).

  •  Situational Awareness: Mission Manager enhances situational awareness in the field with real-time communications and tracking, along with robust maps featuring approximately 100 mapping layers.
  • Automated Reporting: Mission Manager’s robust database provides a second-by-second record of every event. This data can be easily exported as ICS/NIMS-compliant reports. Through automation, Mission Manager reduces unnecessary paperwork and bottlenecks with a click of a button.

KEY BENEFITS

SAVES TIME AND MONEY
As a “one-stop shop” integrated system, Mission Manager streamlines the workflow and consolidates functions such as scheduling, timekeeping, callouts, real-time tracking and reporting.

USER-FRIENDLY
Mission Manager is intuitive, easy to use and highly customizable.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
Mission Manager provides a user-defined Common Operational Picture that can be shared with agencies that are providing mutual aid.

SCALABLE
Mission Manager can easily scale to thousands of users as needed, including spontaneous volunteers.

ROBUST MAPPING
Mission Manager features nearly 100 mapping overlays that include topography, weather, natural hazards, locations of hospitals, fire and police departments, as well as social media feeds at points of interest.

SECURE & CLOUD-BASED
Mission Manager, which recently received Homeland Security SAFETY Act Designation, operates securely in the cloud on laptops, smartphones and tablets. It can also be used offline and syncs the data when web connection is restored.

About Mission Manager
Mission Manager provides cloud-based software designed to help save lives and property by enabling first responders to operate more efficiently and effectively. Mission Manager’s team member and asset management capabilities, combined with its calendar and communication functions, allows users to enhance team readiness through optimized training and seamlessly integrate mission-specific operations during real-time events. Since 2011, Mission Manager has supported approximately 7,000 actual missions ranging from single-person rescues to large public events and full-scale natural disaster response. Mission Manager is currently used in all 50 US states, and on every continent except Antarctica. Truly a global tool, Mission Manager is available in 80 languages. 

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Mission Manager Reps Demonstrate Incident Management Tool at Texas TEMC Emergency Management and TTPOA SWAT Trade Shows

Mission Manager representatives have converged on Texas this week to showcase the company’s incident management software capabilities to the Emergency Management and Law Enforcement communities during two prestigious trade shows – the Texas Emergency Management Conference (TEMC), which runs today and tomorrow in San Antonio, and the Texas Tactical Police Officer Association (TTPOA) SWAT show, scheduled Thursday and Friday in San Marcos.

TDEM LogoThe TEMC conference, which is hosted by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, attracts approximately 3,000 elected officials, first responders, emergency managers and decision makers from across Texas. At Mission Manager’s booth #412, company representatives will demonstrate how the cloud-based incident management software can help agencies control the chaos during disasters, and in the process, help save lives and property.

At the TTPOA Conference – one of the largest SWAT conferences in the United States – Mission Manager’s staff will demonstrate how the same
TTPOAtechnology applies to tactical missions ranging from active shooters, high-risk warrant service and campus security to large-scale public events and training drills. During live demos at booth #T-58, the staff will show tactical officers first-hand how Mission Manager can help ensure a Unified Command, assist with crime scene management and reports needed for legal compliance.

About Mission Manager

Based on the core principles of Preparation, Readiness and Execution, Mission Manager is designed to serve as a daily team management tool and online command center. As a daily tool, Mission Manager automates personnel and asset management functions, as well as scheduling, task management and reporting processes.

Because personnel data is readily available and kept current – with customized login access levels for each member – incident commanders / emergency managers can quickly assemble teams and manage deployments.

During callouts, Mission Manager provides immediate/rapid personnel notification though SMS text, voice and email (or all three simultaneously). This expedites the Mission Manager Screenresponse effort when every second counts. Administrators can quickly build teams through drag-and-drop functions, and establish the Command Post location and other area of interest on mission maps.

When used in the field, Mission Manager provides a common operating picture – on multiple devices regardless of location – that can be shared among agencies responding to the mission. All messaging is secure and cannot be picked up by radio/police scanners. 

Every detail of the incident is captured and fully integrated into Mission Manager’s highly secure database –  including event logs, team assignments and radio logs – making the reporting process easy. Rather than re-tracing the chain of the events with pen-and-paper, administrators can quickly produce ICS reports and after action reviews with a click of a button.

For more details on how Mission Manager can assist agencies, check out these posts:

Emergency Management:
Learn How an Automated Incident Management Software Tool can Improve Emergency Preparedness and Response – Anywhere at Anytime in the Cloud

Tactical SWAT Teams
10 Steps to an Effective Active Shooter Response with Mission Manager Incident Management Software

About the Texas Tactical Police Officers Association

TTPOA  is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of excellence for SWAT units. TTPOA fosters the exchange of information between agencies and members; creates standards of training; and provides affordable training resources for tactical officers and teams. Established in 1983, TTPOA has grown to more than 3,000 members representing Texas and the U.S., as well as Europe and South America.

About the Texas Division of Emergency Management

TDEM coordinates the state emergency management program, which is intended to ensure the state and its local governments respond to and recover from emergencies and disasters, and implement plans and programs to help prevent or lessen the impact of emergencies and disasters. TDEM also provides an extensive array of specialized training for emergency responders and local officials, and administers disaster recovery and hazard mitigation programs in the State of Texas.

A Multifaceted Approach to Active Shooter Preparation and Response: An Interview with Sgt. Don Parker, Based on First-Hand Experience

The complexities involved in an active shooter response are enormous, yet the objective is very simple: “You have to stop the threat – find the source of the problem and stop it – with the goal of not getting killed or shot yourself and ensuring your partners don’t get killed or wounded.” said Sgt. Don Parker, who recently retired from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department after a distinguished 26-year career.

Stopping the threat is one of three primary facets involved in an active shooter response, Sgt. Parker explained. The second facet is coordination – ensuring there is a unified command, real-time communications and situational awareness in the midst of the chaos.shooter

It all begins with preparation and readiness – the administrative side that involves daily team management and effective training.

“Officers have to be prepared. You can’t just run into an active shooter situation like a bunch of kids playing paintball. You’re dealing with a complex situation where a human being has gone crazy and shooting randomly or with a purpose. There’s a huge potential for friendly fire and multiple, simultaneous threats – especially explosive devices,” he said.

The third aspect of an active shooter event is the aftermath – the paperwork – the documentation required for the reports and after action reviews. The investigators must sort out witness reports, evidence collected and track all events that occurred – quickly and accurately.

“If evidence is not well documented, bad guys will walk. If procedures are not followed, careers can be ruined. Jurisdictions have to be prepared for both criminal and civil cases. There’s no way around it,” said Sgt. Parker. “In an incident where people get killed or wounded, you can guarantee that someone is going to get sued – the responding agency, the jurisdiction or individuals themselves.”

Sgt. Parker should know because he’s had plenty of “boots-on-the-ground” experience during his successful law enforcement career. He’s responded to active shooter events on the front lines as a SWAT/SED team member, including the Granite Hills High School shooting in 2001. He has also managed numerous, large scale multi-agency Command Posts in leadership roles including Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations, Critical Incident Management, Large-Scale Disaster Response and Emergency Services.

In fact, Sgt. Parker was instrumental in introducing Mission Manager to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department in collaboration with the software developer in 2011. He used Mission Manager extensively while serving

Sgt. Don Parker

Sgt. Don Parker – one of the first users of Mission Manager – received widespread media attention after retiring from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.  Click here to watch CBS 8 news report.

as the department’s SAR coordinator/incident commander, where he led a 240-member team in approximately 50 missions per year.  Today, Sgt. Parker is a law enforcement consultant for several organizations, including Mission Manager, Inc.

“I don’t know of any better tool in the digital world than Mission Manager that can effectively deal with all critical facets of an active shooter event,” said Sgt. Parker.

 

A UNIFIED COMMAND STRUCTURE

With the dramatic rise in mass shootings in America, there is a tremendous need for a coordinated effort among all agencies to ensure a rapid, safe and effective response. These horrific events typically involve first responders from multiple jurisdictions and agencies, including law enforcement, fire departments, EMS and emergency management. Therefore, planning and interagency cooperation is paramount to ensure that the “right hand is talking to the left.”

Mission Manager can help fill the gaps in interagency training and preparation, and also ensure a unified command structure during a mass shooting.

“You need good communications with a clear incident command structure so you can move out and stop the threat,” Sgt. Parker explained. “You need to establish a staging area where responding agencies can collaborate and respond to media inquiries … because in our society, the public wants to have information NOW. NOW. NOW. They may not get it NOW, but agencies should be prepared to have that information ready.

“With a tool like Mission Manager, you can see a common operating picture of the event as it unfolds – you will know exactly where everyone is, where they’re going and where they’ve been,” he continued. “You can also keep track of volunteers, witnesses and evidence with Mission Manager.”

 

THE REPORTING PROCESS

In his incident commander roles, Sgt. Parker understands the importance of having complete, accurate reports that are immediately available.

“In the world of law enforcement, documenting the events is extremely critical – whether responding to a burglary at a house or an active shooter event – because there’s going to be extremely high levels of scrutiny placed upon the jurisdiction that responded,” he said.

“Everyone in the world wants to dissect the event. They want to know what went right and what went wrong.  Officers have to justify their use of force. People are going to ask: Why did you shoot that guy? Why did you run around the corner, or go past a person who was wounded and bleeding on the ground?  Those are the things that will be brought up in an after action review or courtroom proceeding,” Sgt. Parker explained.

“This is why Mission Manager is such a valuable tool – one of the reasons I worked to bring it into the Sheriff’s Department,” he continued. “As long as you document all aspects of the event as they’re happening, the reporting process becomes automatic. You no longer have to reconstruct the events after the fact. Just click a button and it’s all done for you.”

Unfortunately, there have been many lessons learned at active shooter events involving multi-agency responses that had a diluted unified command structure. Such was the case during the Washington DC Navy Shipyard shooting on Sept. 16, 2013. In this incident, a lone gunman methodically killed 12 people before being killed by police.

LESSONS LEARNED: THE NAVY SHIPYARD SHOOTING

In an after action report, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department analyzed 35 issues with the agency’s response to the Navy Shipyard shooting–  noting that “there were a variety of challenges that impacted the detailed, orderly, and efficient demobilization of personnel and resources.”Navy-yard

Although most of the critical roles were established early in the response, not all responding agencies reported to Incident Command. There was no overarching staging area because too many command buses undermined a unified command structure.

Numerous officers responded to the scene in plainclothes, and it was difficult to determine who entered the building – a maze-like structure with no accessible floor plan – nor could they determine who may have discharged their weapon. As a result, it was difficult to track and manage the orderly and efficient demobilization of all personnel and resources.

Add to this the thousands of potential witnesses. It was enormously challenging for the responding agencies and incident commanders to quickly organize the collection of information and weed out the incorrect reports for the after action reviews.

MEETING THE CHALLENGES WITH MISSION MANAGER

Mission Manager can help meet the myriad of challenges that agencies face during active shooter incidents like the Navy Shipyard shooting. The cloud-based software tracks and integrates all aspects of the incident: It expedites the response effort, brings clarity to the unified command and automates the reporting process.

police-in-carMission Manager speeds the response effort through its three-way callout system (SMS text, email and phone). Since administrators have instant access to their members’ contact information, training and certifications – which are kept up-to-date in Mission Manager’s database – qualified teams can be deployed at a moment’s notice.

“Mission Manager comes into play immediately with the callouts,” said Sgt. Parker. “It allows you to quickly activate your personnel and give them as much information as possible within a short period of time.

“You provide the suspect(s) information/description, the location of the staging area, the safe route of approach and the communications plan,” he continued. “Then you track responding personnel, set up your Immediate Action (IA) teams, and have them move out to stop the threat.”

As an event unfolds, Mission Manager provides a common operating picture on multiple devices. Events are logged and tracked in real time on mission maps, including witness reports and evidence. Afterwards, incident commanders can quickly export accurate, timely reports needed for legal compliance.

By automating these processes during an active shooter event – or any crisis – public safety agencies will save time and money. But more importantly they will save lives.

 

 

DOWNLOAD WHITE PAPER:
ACTIVE SHOOTER INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
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Learn How an Automated Incident Management Software Tool can Improve Emergency Preparedness and Response – Anywhere at Anytime in the Cloud

Today’s emergency managers face enormous pressure when faced with a natural disaster, as evidenced by the major floods, hurricanes and fires that have devastated parts of the nation in recent months. Agency leaders need to be prepared – long before a disaster strikes – so they can deploy the right people with the right qualifications at a moment’s notice.

During deployments, emergency managers / incident commanders need to effectively manage their field-deployed personnel and spontaneous volunteers.  They need to see a common operational picture to make split-second decisions, and quickly produce reports for legal compliance and reimbursements.

However, field leaders often have inadequate situational awareness due to geographical and device restraints. The traditional method of managing incidents with pen-and-paper, push-pin boards and traditional paper maps are EMgraphic1inefficient and not shareable.  It is also difficult and expensive for first responders to communicate across the myriad of communications networks and radio systems.

Add to that the laborious process of managing a team’s assets and personnel data – including members’ medical history, training and certifications – using manual spreadsheets. Additionally, preparing after action reports required for federal reimbursements can be a time-consuming, administrative-heavy task.

Reducing the Burden with Automation

The good news is that incident management software tools like Mission Manager can automate the entire process – improving efficiency and effectiveness of front-line responders and their agencies.

An automated solution significantly reduces the burden for emergency managers and incident commanders, allowing them to focus on protecting the public.  It also saves their agencies money by reducing overtime hours and consolidating disparate systems.

Cloud-based Mission Manager provides a one-stop integrated solution for team and asset management, real-time communications, situational awareness with robust maps, and automated reporting capabilities.

Mission Manager can help emergency management agencies become more proactive vs. reactive – and ultimately improve response times – because it is based on the core principles of “Preparation. Readiness. Execution.”

Managing Teams and Missions on a Common Operating Platform

As a daily team management tool, Mission Manager provides the current status and qualifications of members, including training, certifications and expirations. Administrators can also easily track and manage their team’s equipment and maintenance schedules.

Because this data is readily available, emergency managers can quickly determine who is qualified and available to respond when an emergency strikes.

When used as an online command center, Mission Manager helps ensure 360-degree situational awareness. It provides a common operational picture – on multiple devices – that can be shared among agencies in multiple jurisdictions that are responding to the mission.

Mission Manager features robust mapping capabilities with more than 90 mapping overlays, including topography, natural hazards, locations of hospitals and police departments, as well as social media feeds at points of interest.

Highly secure and customizable, Mission Manager’s robust database provides a second-by-second record of every event. This data can be easily exported for ICS NIMS compliant reports.

Mission Manager has supported more than 6,500 missions around the world since 2011, ranging from single-person rescues to large public events and full-scale natural disaster response. Mission Manager is currently used in all 50 U.S. states, and on every continent except Antarctica. Truly a global tool, Mission Manager is available in 80 languages.

To learn how Mission Manager can assist your agency, email us at info@missionmanager.com or call 877-257-8240.