LENOX, Mass. — With active shooter situations happening all over the world, the FBI and Homeland Security Council want to make sure local emergency responders are prepared.

 

In March, the Western Massachusetts Homeland Security Council is teaming up with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state police to hold a seminar for first responders and related organizations throughout Western Massachusetts. The focus of the symposium at Deerfield Academy will be to make sure all organizations that could be involved know what to do.

 

"This is not going to be a law enforcement day," Lt. Col. Thomas Grady told the Central Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee on Wednesday morning. "They really want to talk to everybody in the community."

 

Grady said he hopes to fill all 600 seats available with an array of groups — from schools and universities to business owners to hospitals and first responders. Grady said the plans for the day haven't been fully confirmed. Organizers are waiting for confirmation from a behavioral specialist from the FBI who would speak and are hoping a survivor from the Virginia Tech shooting will agree to present as well.

 

At the end of April, the security council also wants to hold a full-scale drill at Six Flags in Agawam. Grady said responders would have full use of the amusement park to perform a number of trainings — from helping people stuck on a roller coaster to water rescues. The security council is currently in the planning for both that and a tabletop exercise, which will be coupled with the trainings.

 

It is training and planning exercises like those that stem from groups like the Central Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee. Similar committees exist throughout the commonwealth and on Tuesday the Central Berkshire and the Southern Berkshire committees received recertification for another five years of operations. 

 

"As a region we had Southern Berkshire come in and Worcester County come in. Five of the seven statewide were in our region," said Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's regional manager Bruce Augusti said. "There are a lot of people committed to this program as a region."

 

Chairman Robert Czerwinski said the recertification ceremony on Tuesday provided an opportunity for him to network with committees from other parts of the state. He said many committees have the same planning needs, such as how to respond to hazardous materials events on rail corridors.

 

"We're no different from everybody else," Czerwinski said.

 

In the Berkshires particularly, Czerwinski praised the participation from large companies such as General Dynamics and representatives from departments of public works, two sectors of representation many other committees struggle to get to attend meetings.

 

The committee brings together representatives from an array of sectors to plan and train for hazardous material incidents. However, its operations lead to smaller groups who operate in the same manner for other events. 

 

Grady said emergency management groups are meeting and planning to provide proper security and response for Mercy Weekend in Stockbridge, which attracts thousands of visitors. Similar groups crop up for events such as the Josh Billings Runaground or the upcoming Polar Plunge. The planning work includes not only looking at a massive incident but also what happens if a bus breaks down and dozens of people need shelter from the cold while they wait for repairs.

 

The gathering of the different disciplines sometimes find oversight as simple as notifying dispatchers of upcoming events. Berkshire County sheriff's office dispatcher Mike Britton used the example of fireworks being launched for events at places like Jiminy Peak. He said neighbors who don't know the event is happening will call and report explosions, leading dispatchers to trigger a larger response than they would have had they known about the fireworks.

 

"A lot of times we are the last one to find out," Britton said. "If we know ahead of time we can watch how we allocate resources."

 

Knowing ahead of time will allow the dispatchers to know where there are concentrations of personnel and equipment and manage the dispatching more effectively.

 

In speaking of Jiminy Peak, Hancock Fire Chief Dave Rash said many times skiers call 911 for crashes or injuries on top of the mountain. Responders are dispatched and often even ski patrol doesn't know what occurred. Rash said some Hancock firefighters are on the patrol and others have the radio frequencies of ski patrol to ease communication. Czerwinski said those calls are not just happening at Jiminy but also at Bousquet in Pittsfield as well. 

 

In other business, the committee is looking to bring in the Salvation Army to discuss resources that organization could provide. With a reorganization of the Red Cross, Grady said the local resources have "fallen off the wayside" and he hopes soon the responders will have a better handle on resources. Augusti said the Salvation Army has increased its work in support at incidents and during a recent flooding event; it was there before the Red Cross to provide food and blankets for displaced residents.

 

"It's obvious that [the Red Cross] is spiraling downward," he said.

 

Augusti suggested bringing in a representative from the Red Cross to present on which resources the local departments would have at their disposal during an event.