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MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

Event: E.T. Blunt, EMS Captain, Arlington County Fire Department

Type of event: Interview
Date: October 20,2003
Special Access Issues: None
Prepared by: Mark Bittinger
Team Number: 8
Location: ACFD HQ, Arlington, VA
Participants - Non-Commission: E.T. Blunt
Participants - Commission: Kevin Shaeffer; Mark Bittinger
UNCLAS
1. E.T. Blunt's Background: Blunt has 22 Yz years experience with the ACFDand works for
Chief James Bonzano.

2. EMS Organization: It's a mixed review. The EMS Division was moved under the Operations
Division. The leadership was initially lost and it has now been regained. Battalion Management
Team Concept. 1 EMS Chief (Chief Bonzano) for 300 personnel. Should have a battalion chief
with an assistant chief. No impact on response capability but an impact on the organization in
that the organization is "front heavy" on fire while all response is primarily EMS. Need to have
an equal number of EMS units per station (currently 10 stations, 7 EMS medic units, 6 units on
9/11).

"Doing an outstanding job of getting paramedic numbers up." All are EMT-A certified. EMT-I
is the new state recognized certification. EMT -P (paramedic).

3. Preparedness: From an operational standpoint the Pentagon was a success. From an

operational standpoint the Air Florida Flight 90 crash on January 13, 1982 was a failure due to
lack of command and control, no ICS, freelancing and arguments between responding
jurisdictions. And when a heroic passerby named Lenny Scutnick Lenny Scutnick dove into the"
frozen Potomac to pull out an airline passenger as she sank under the rive for the last time, all the
while EMS medics stand on the river shore and watch in amazement and in frustration of their
inept response.
• "Our horrible failure at the Air Florida Flight 90 incident. We did a horrible job. We did
not have the leadership that we have today."
• COG formed after that (what year?)
• "Midwest seems to have the mindset that it won't happen to them." Lessons are falling
on deaf ears because it often takes an incident to affect change.
• Many fail to fully grasp that it may not be a terrorist incident, need to be prepared for all-
hazards

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• # 1 lesson of the Pentagon response is the importance of prior professional relationships;

working together

4. EMS Response on 9/11: Normally EMS rushes in to help, but a post-9/11 world has brought
about a paradigm shift. Now EMS and all responders need to step back and gain situational
awareness; get a headcount. "Peripheral triage," acknowledges that occupants don't evacuate on
the same side as an incident. If a similar attack occurred again EMS needs to assign medic units
to "treatment sectors" under an EMS command officer.

A.J. Heightman
He assumed the role of JEMS editor in December 1997. He joined the staff of Jems
Communications in April 1995 to serve as vice president of Jems Communications, Director of
the Emergency Care Information Center and Director of the Jems Conference Division before
moving to the editorial department.
Prior to joining Jems Communications, AJ. served as director of operations for Cetronia
Ambulance a multi-jurisdictional BLS/ALS service based in Allentown, Pa. For 18 years, AJ.
was executive director of the Eastern Pennsylvania Emergency Medical Services Council and
established and directed the regional MEDCOM Advanced Medical Communications System.
During A.J. 's tenure at Eastern PA EMS, more than $11 million in state, federal and local funds
were obtained to develop and expand the EMS System.
AJ. also served as a paramedic and command officer for Bethlehem Township Volunteer
Fire Department for 20 years. This combination volunteer/paid department offers multi-
jurisdictional BLSI ALS/Rescue service throughout Northampton County, Pennsylvania. While at
Bethlehem Township, AJ. helped develop and supervise the "Medic 1" Paramedic Response
System, which provided ALS service to 11 urban, suburban and rural municipalities.
A graduate of Temple University, AJ. received his master's degree in public administration
from Lehigh University. A certified EMS and rescue instructor, AJ. has served on the faculty of
university EMS degree programs; community college EMS training divisions; and fire
academies. Nationally recognized for his unique teaching style and audiovisual programs, AJ.
has studied and specialized in the management of mass casualty incidents for 27 years.
E-mail: a.i.heightman@elsevier.com
Phone: 800-266-5367 x6847

On 9/11 established a forward staging area, post-9/11 EMS needs to establish a base staging
area.

Virginia EMS Council has established new guidelines: no self-dispatching; dispatchers for
private ambulances now know to dispatch to the base station.

A forward assessment is done when not a lot of victims come out of the incident site. A forward
assessment was conducted on 9/11, followed by a forward triage, when it was realized that
multiple triage sites would be needed.

The self-transport of patients in their POV will always happen. As a result, police will be needed
at the hospital to ensure order and there may even be a need to medic units at hospitals to
conduct triage prior to hospital entry and assist with manning.

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EMS Control Officer and EMS Rehab Officer reported that firefighters were being treated for
heat exhaustion and dehydration.

On 9111 and part of 9112 - EMS Branch Chief was Chief Bonzano, with Medical Sector (Capt.
Blunt) near the Pentagon.

5. DiLorenzo MOU: EMS is "working diligently on its relationship with DTHC." Getting
betting, but even post-9111 drills are tough to coordinate. System is to work under rcs and
support should be reciprocal.

PFPA is now responsible to bridge communications between EMS and DTHC. No medical-to-
medical communications. Why don't you have a direct EMS - DTHC or ECC - DTHC
communications? "Good question, I don't know." (Problem because PFPA and DTHC don't
work together day-to-day and share common terminology). A 25,OOO-person community like the
Pentagon deserves its own point-to-point communications such as MEDCOM Advanced Medical
Communications System. MEDCOM exists in northern Virginia and DTHC should be on
MEDCOM.

6. Post-9111: Training for CBRNE has increased 250/0to 50%, with one of the goals to make rcs
more automatic. Typical call is for an auto accident, a stabbing or a fire. Training is now
developing an awareness of responder protection to all calls.

Day-to-day administration and operational responses leaves little time for _

NFP A standard: minimum of 4 persons .on each fire truck (1 'officer and 3 firefighters); pre-9111
it was 3 persons.

Equipment procurement includes a 7-year buy back lease from Emergency One.

3 large scale, multi-jurisdictional exercises have been held at the Pentagon.

Arlington County OEM located on the 3rd floor includes 6 police and 4 ACFD personnel.

7. Employee Assistance Program: Great Employee Assistance Program (EAP). CISM is very
beneficial, but it's 6 years after an event that becomes a time of personal trouble for many
emergency responders. This based on information from Oklahoma City.

8. New York City: NrOSH sent Captain Blunt to work with the FDNY in March 2002 on
protective equipment. Worked with Richard Sheirer, NYC OEM.

The August 2003 Blackout was terrible. Hospitals in NYC were operating completely off their
generators and they did not have enough power. Load tests on emergency generators are
important.

ICS SOP to set up the Incident Command Post in the lobby because of the proximity of the Fire
Control Room (FCR).

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