Due to the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, the IAFC recommends its members maintain a high level of vigilance and situational awareness. At this time, there are no known, credible threats against the U.S.
The IAFC recommends the following actions:
- Make sure your staff are educated about your department's suspicious activity reporting policy. The IAFC's Terrorism and Homeland Security Committee recommends that all fire departments have suspicious activity reporting policies.
- Ask your staff to be on the lookout for suspicious activity and report it per your suspicious activity reporting policy. If you don't have a policy, please report suspicious activity to your local law enforcement, Joint Terrorism Task Force or regional fusion center. The IAFC has a draft suspicious activity reporting procedure and form online for your use.
- Maintain situational awareness at the incident scene to ensure firefighter safety.
- Remind your staff to carry their department identification card at all times while on duty. In the event of an actual event, identification of first responders may be verified.
The IAFC has a number of resources for your use on the Disaster Management/Homeland Security Resources page (some may require IAFC membership and login):
- Terrorism Response: A Checklist and Guide
- JCAT 2015 Intelligence Guide for First Responders
- IAFC Homeland Security Intelligence Guide for Fire Chiefs
- U.S. Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative
- Draft Suspicious Activity Reporting Procedure for Fire Departments
- Draft Suspicious Activity Report