2nd Annual 'First Responders Congress' Announces Tom Lynch to Speak on the National Tactical Officers Association's Project Red

'Project Red' is a fact finding committee formed by the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) in response to the violent hostage taking and murder of innocent children in the Beslan Middle School in Russia. The Project Red committee's findings outlined America's vulnerabilities from combined firearms and explosives attacks. The 'First Responders Congress' (September 8-12, 2009, Las Vegas) brings together America's 'First Response' professionals to better understand and prepare for the dangers we face.

Canoga Park, CA (PRWEB) May 31, 2009 -- US Nuclear Corp., producer of the 2nd Annual 'First Responders Congress' is pleased to announce that Tom Lynch, of the National Tactical Officers Association, (NTAO) will deliver a keynote address focusing on the findings and conclusions of NTAO's 'Project Red' at the First Responders Congress on September 11, 2009. Learn more: http://www.firstresponders.cc/

'Project Red's' findings included analysis of the following incidents:

The Moscow theatre hostage crisis, also known as the 2002 Nord-Ost siege, was the seizure of a crowded Moscow theatre on October 23, 2002 by about 40-50 armed Chechen terrorists who claimed allegiance to the separatist movement in Chechnya. They took 850 hostages and demanded the withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya and an end to the Second Chechen War. The siege was officially led by Movsar Barayev (aged 22).

The Beslan school hostage crisis (also referred to as the Beslan school siege or Beslan massacre) began when a group of armed terrorists, demanding an end to the Second Chechen War, took more than 1,100 people (including some 777 children) hostage on September 1, 2004, at School Number One (SNO) in the town of Beslan, North Ossetia-Alania, an autonomous republic in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation.

Mumbaie, India 2008 attack took place from November 26, 2008 to November 29, 2008 in Mumbai, India's largest city and financial capital. Teams of terrorists using automatic weapons launched a series of 10 coordinated attacks. Approximately 195 people were killed and 325 injured during the attacks.

LESSONS LEARNED from the 2008 Mumbai Attacks

1. Communications interoperability was a significant issue during the Mumbai attack and previous terrorist attacks. Public safety agencies must continue to expand and test interoperable multi-agency communications.

2. There was a lack of a unified/central command and control system during the Mumbai incidents. Public safety preparation efforts must include all primary public safety and support agencies in the planning, training, and exercises for critical incidents, and the Incident Command System must be followed.

3. There were several warning signs and threats before the attacks. All public safety agency staff and responders at the local, state, and federal levels must be aware of suspicious persons, activities, locations, and possible surveillance during their routine daily operations and responses.

4. Public safety agencies and hospital resources were quickly overwhelmed during the incident. Fire and EMS agencies must be prepared for large-scale, mass-casualty incidents resulting from acts of violence. A rapid, safe, and successful response to these chaotic situations requires planning and preparation.

5. Recently, the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) published the report "NTOA Project Red: A Reality Check on the Preparedness of Law Enforcement to Respond to Attacks on Highly Vulnerable US Domestic Targets."

The conclusion of Project Red noted that, in general, law enforcement is unprepared to respond to even a single terrorist attack on a soft U.S. domestic target, such as a school. If attacks such as the Moscow Theatre Incident (2002) or the Beslan School Attack (2004) should occur here in the near future, the loss of the lives of hostages, other civilians who might become involved, and first responders could be calamitous. This is the scenario that occurred with the Mumbai attacks.

Tom Lynch's presentation at the First Responders Congress review the National Tactical Officers Association's Project Red Program, along with the other supporting organizations assisting in preparing the nation's law enforcement and emergency responders for unconventional attacks using firearms and explosives as recently seen in Mumbai, India.

The National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) has been committed to improving the nation's tactical law enforcement's response capabilities since its establishment in 1983. The NTOA took a leadership role in addressing law enforcement's active shooter response capabilities after the April 20th Columbine High School Shooting in Littleton, Colorado.

About the First Responders Congress

September 8 - 12, 2009 Las Vegas

A forum to embrace the guidelines laid out in Homeland Security's National Response Framework, the 2nd Annual First Responders Congress (FRC) brings together personnel from many areas, organizations, and disciplines to share best practices. With a primary goal of sharing knowledge and stimulating interdisciplinary communication, the FRC greatly assists the ability to mount more efficient and better coordinated responses to disasters of all types at all levels: national, state, and local.

The First Responders Congress is THE meeting place for professionals on the frontlines of defending America. Whether it is a local or national response to accidents, natural disasters, or terrorist activities, this front line of emergency response is critical to our Homeland Security and the protection of the people of the United States. The FRC consists of emergency response personnel from a diverse array of organizations that include: firefighters, police, military, Homeland Security, DOE, NRC, national, state, and local emergency response organizations, search and rescue, EMT, equipment and services providers, trainers, and other related professionals.

First Responders Conference Goals

1. Facilitate implementation of the guidelines found within Homeland Security's National Response Framework.

2. Provide attendees with cutting edge information, training, and education to facilitate best practices in the field.

3. Foster a conference with networking and collaboration between the diverse first responder communities a priority.

4. Inspire and stimulate attendees to courageously think outside the box in the face of mounting obstacles and bureaucracy.

5. Showcase the latest in equipment, products, and instrumentation.

Early Bird Registration ends June 12th! Info/Register at: http://www.firstresponders.cc/

About Tom Lynch

Tom Lynch is currently a Senior Program Analyst with Tier-Tech International, Inc., which supports DHS-OBP Program Initiatives. Tom retired from the Philadelphia Police Department with 23 years of service. During the last 17 years he has been an active bomb technician with the Philadelphia Bomb Disposal Unit and the Philadelphia Police Counter Terrorism Unit.

Tom has been involved with training hundreds of first responding SWAT, patrol officers and bomb technicians for both the Philadelphia Police Department and the National Tactical Officers Association. He has also been directly involved with helping develop new tactics, technologies and policies in explosive breaching, rapid IED response, suicide bomber and VBIED counter measures. Tom has served as a technical representative for the National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board (NBSCAB) to Combating Terrorism Support Office (CTTOS), Technical Support Working Group (TSWG).

Currently Tom serves as the Explosive/IED Section Chairman for the National Tactical Officers Association and is the current NTOA liaison to the National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board.

About US Nuclear Corp

US Nuclear Corp. is an education company that produces conferences and expositions such as the First Responders Congress, the Air Monitoring Expo, and Green Future Tech, and publishes books and magazines for the science community. Our mission is to teach those on the frontline and empower them with tools and resources to help them become more effective in saving lives.

Press Contact:

John Forrester

(323) 702-3684

john (at) johnforrester (dot) com

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