LA Fire Dept. trains with updated first-response procedures

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Fire Department released a report Tuesday analyzing its response to the November 1, 2013 shooting at Los Angeles International Airport. A TSA officer was killed and several more were injured.

Eight months ago at LAX Terminal 3, an armed man opened fire at the security screening area, killing TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez. Tuesday the L.A. City Fire Department released a 99-page report identifying procedures that need improvement when responding to an active crime scene.

"Understanding the heroic nature of our members, they would go and they would engage and help people regardless if they had this specific training," said LAFD Deputy Chief Joseph Castro.

Castro says first responders know what to do, but past policy kept them waiting outside the danger zone for the "all-clear," when in most cases an active shooter's first and final shot generally falls within a 10- to 15-minute span.

"Yet the on-scene transportation time of the first victims is in the neighborhood of 40 minutes, and that to us is unacceptable," said Castro.

Now all fire captains and chief officers have undergone extensive training, addressing communication between multiple agencies. The goal is to allow first-responders to enter the so-called "warm zone" much faster.

While the training has been organizational, L.A. Fire says "boots are on the ground."

"And they actually physically walk through hypothetical scenarios which builds that repetitive skill-set, which is so vital in the efficient deployment of those resources in the event of an actual shooting," said Castro.

This training goes beyond LAX and active-shooter scenarios. It will also apply to hostage situations, barricaded suspects or bomb threats citywide.