TTX Case Study Essay

At the TTX a recommendation for the areas of improvement made by participant organizations included communication, coordination and collaboration between agencies, and for OFO to have an SOP on vehicle escorts. One recommendation was for OFO to have an MOU in place when it comes to the notification process with Mexico, i.e. MXC, in delaying traffic in order sooner rather than later after the incident has occurred. Both OFO and MXC stated they cannot shut the bridge down, but traffic can be delayed. The incident involved an active shooter in which vehicles may attempt to flee to Mexico. If traffic would be delayed on the bridge by both agencies, it would give both agencies enough time to set up and coordinate available resources to apprehend the vehicle and subjects.
The next recommendation called for OFO to have an SOP in place regarding vehicle escorts. During the exercise the vehicle was escorted by officers; however, there was no escort for the vehicle as it traveled between the two bridges. OFO stated there was no consistency with vehicle escorts. If procedures are in place, then they would need to be re-implemented. One idea would be to use a K9 Officer as an escort while another idea would be to use members of the SPSD program as an escort. The last recommendation covers all three areas for improvement and that is communication. This report previously mentioned communication as a strength, but it is an area for improvement. OFO would need to have the BMARS frequency on their hand held radios; this would allow for OFO personnel to communicate with MXC faster rather than use the base station