There are two clocks running from the moment an active shooter begins; the shooter’s clock and the victim’s clock. One clock is concerned with living; one clock is concerned with dying. The shooter has to shoot as many people as possible before he’s stopped. The victim (casualty) has a period of time, depending on their trauma, where they can still be treated and live. The idea behind rescue task forces is to start working on the victim’s clock.

Officials with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park say the lack of text notifications during the evacuations in Gatlinburg Monday night was due to a “communication failure” between various agencies caused by disrupted communications systems.

Some residents told WATE 6 On Your Side they didn’t receive the alert on their mobile devices and others said it was broadcast after the fire had reached the city.

Law enforcement vehicles often serve as mobile offices for officers. In-vehicle laptop(s) or other computer systems are used to access a wide range of software applications and databases hosted and operated by federal, state, and local agencies, with each typically requiring a different username and password. The operational environment presents unique security challenges, as officers must frequently leave the vehicle unattended, perhaps on short notice, and must be able to gain access to systems quickly, possibly while the vehicle is in motion.

A DARPA program aimed at preventing attacks involving radiological “dirty bombs” and other nuclear threats has successfully developed and demonstrated a network of smartphone-sized mobile devices that can detect the tiniest traces of radioactive materials. Combined with larger detectors along major roadways, bridges, other fixed infrastructure, and in vehicles, the new networked devices promise significantly enhanced awareness of radiation sources and greater advance warning of possible threats.