LOS ANGELES – Dozens of first-responders, victim advocates and other experts came together Tuesday to talk about the insights gathered from the Dec. 2 San Bernardino terror attack, including how to take a more victim-centered approach to mass casualty incidents.
The daylong event was hosted by the U.S. attorney’s office at the California Endowment Center at 1000 North Alameda St. in downtown Los Angeles.
“It’s the first of its kind in our district and possibly in the nation,” U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said Tuesday morning.
As authorities dealt with the aftermath of the attack – the deadliest on American soil by Islamic extremists since Sept. 11, 2001 – from an investigative and administrative standpoint, it was clear one of the major points that should not be left out is how victims are treated during and, sometimes more importantly, after such a devastating event, she said.
“Victims need all the assistance that we can afford them,” she said noting that some needed counseling, others needed help navigating through the county’s worker’s compensation system.
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Decker said she hopes the conference will help assistance agencies, including prosecutors, to take a victim-centered approach to these events.
“We’ve attended many conferences that were strictly focused on the attack and police response,” San Bernardino Assistant Police Chief Eric McBride, who was also a speakerat the conference, said during a phone interview later in the day. “But it was nice to be involved in a conference that focused solely on the victims and how to better serve them.”
Along with first responders who were there the day of the attack, victim advocate groups scheduled to speak were FBI victim specialists Claire Balanay and Debbie Deem and FleridaAlarcon, chief of the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office Victim Services.
They were among five experts on a panel addressing preparations needed to assist victims following a mass casualty incident.
“It’s my hope that today’s conference better prepares all of us to respond quickly and effectively to a mass casualty incident,” Decker said.
Other attendees of Tuesday’s conference were San Bernardino firefighter and San Bernardino Police SWAT memberRyan Starling, who was among the first on scene, andDr. Michael M. Neeki, an emergency room physician at Colton Arrowhead Regional Medical center as well as the first volunteer tactical physician for the Inland Valley SWAT team.
First responders and experts discussed lessons they learned from the response to the tragic San Bernardino incident. They were also going to explore how to better serve victims in the wake of similar attacks and how to coordinate among first responders, according to a release about the event.
Staff writer Doug Saunders contributed to this report.
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