Rescue, Response, and Resilience: A Critical Incident Review of the Orlando Public Safety Response to the Attack on the Pulse Nightclub

by U.S. Department of Justice, Frank Straub, Jack Cambria

The shooting attack on the Pulse nightclub in June 2016 claimed the lives of 49 individuals and injured 58 more. It was an event of extreme violence, carnage, and confusion. Yet the Orlando Police Department (OPD) performed with great courage and professionalism, averting a potentially greater loss of life. Recognizing that there were many lessons to be shared and learned from this incident, the OPD asked the COPS Office to conduct a Critical Incident Review of the attack. This Police Foundation report on the incident review details multiple aspects of the attack and response, including leadership, collaboration, tactics, equipment, training, emergency medical care, officer safety, public information, and community relationships. In so doing, it identifies best practices for planning, training, and procedures in all areas of response to a similar attack or mass casualty event and can serve as a valuable guide to law enforcement or first responders seeking to prepare for similar incidents.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2019