What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday 8am - 5pm Wednesday 8am - 5pm Thursday 8am - 5pm Friday 8am - 5pm

First 30 Group, 1624 Laskin Road, Ste 736, PMB 1110, Virginia Beach, VA (2026)

03/06/2026

Managing 17 Crime Scenes: Lessons from the Isla Vista Attack

This graphic, based on information from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office investigative summary of the 2014 Isla Vista mass attack, illustrates the complexity of responding to an event with 17 separate crime scenes.

In this incident, six people were killed and more than a dozen others were wounded.

The attacker used three weapons:

1️⃣ Knife
2️⃣ Handgun
3️⃣ Vehicle

The attacker remained highly mobile throughout the attack: killing three victims with a knife in an apartment complex then shooting pedestrians, conducting multiple drive-by shootings, and striking pedestrians with his vehicle.

Coordinating a rapid and effective response across 17 dynamic, dispersed locations is a tremendous challenge for any agency - regardless of size.

Even when agencies have sufficient resources, effectively managing them during a fast-moving, multi-weapon attack requires practiced decision-making and strong command coordination.

Replicating an attack of this scale and complexity in a full-scale exercise is extraordinarily difficult - which is why tabletop exercises (TTXs) offer such value.

TTXs allow agencies to rehearse these challenges using maps of their jurisdiction and scenarios informed by real-world attacks. Working with a finite set of chips to represent law enforcement, fire/EMS, casualties, and attackers helps participants visualize constraints, pressure-test decisions, and strengthen interagency coordination - at a fraction of the time and cost of a full-scale exercise.

At First 30 Group, we specialize in creative tabletop exercises that integrate first responders and simulate real-world attacks based on lessons learned from after-action reports.

Contact us today to discuss how we can help your organization prepare for complex incidents.

01/30/2026

The Data Is Clear: Mass Attacks Are Increasing

While the term “mass attacks” may be more appropriate for the ability to capture violence that can produce mass casualties (regardless of the weapon used) several credible groups use a range of terms:

✅ Mass shooting (The Violence Prevention Project)
✅ Active attack (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT))
✅ Active shooter (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI))
✅ Mass attack (United States Secret Service)

One group producing exceptional research is the Violence Prevention Project, which defines a “mass shooting” as:

“Four or more people shot and killed, excluding the shooter, in a public location, with no connection to underlying criminal activity such as gangs or drugs.”

The graph below - based on their data - shows a rise in these incidents over more than 50 years.

But here’s the important part:

💡 No matter which dataset you examine, they all point to the same conclusion - mass attacks are increasing.

And while our understanding of these events has improved, the need for continued research, sustained funding, and robust training remains critical.

Preparing first responders and the public is essential if we want to reduce casualties and, in many cases, prevent attacks entirely.

If you work in mass attack prevention, preparedness, or response, we highly recommend the book "How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic" by Jillian Peterson and James Densley, the researchers behind the Violence Prevention Project. It’s packed with evidence-based insights, and their website offers additional valuable resources.

What factors do you believe are driving this long-term upward trend?

01/20/2026

The Key to Faster Response

As employees evacuate their workspace during a mass attack, there’s one simple action that can shave precious seconds off the law enforcement response:

🎯 Offering up their key.

In law enforcement and security, one of the first recommendations we give the public is to maintain strong access controls.

In simple terms, keep the doors locked. It’s good advice.

But in an emergency, when every second matters and police need to get inside quickly, locked doors can slow things down.

In some incidents, officers have had to break windows or use breaching tools to enter. In extreme cases, officers even used fi****ms to gain entry. For instance, a responding officer at Aztec High School (Aztec, New Mexico - 2017) forced his way in by shooting out a window.

Yet consider this: Almost every employee who is evacuating likely has a key they could give to arriving officers.

That’s precisely what occurred at Covenant School (Nashville, TN - 2023). While responding to a mass attack at the school, Officer Rex Engelbert’s body-worn camera captured an employee that recognized that officers needed immediate access and handed over his key. Seconds later, Engelbert used it to enter the building - and his contact team ultimately stopped the attack.

And this isn’t the first time employee keys made a critical difference.

The After-Action Report from the Virginia Beach Municipal Center attack (Virginia Beach, VA - 2019) noted that officers “could not access Building 2 employee entrances… until they acquired access cards from employees fleeing the building.”

The takeaway?

💡 Employees should recognize that police don’t have access to their secured building - and that offering their key to responding officers can save lives.

💡 For police and security professionals, this message should be built into every civilian active shooter training program.

12/29/2025

The First Step Toward Order: Announcing Command

When we study previous active shooter responses, clear patterns emerge - and one lesson in particular seems to appear over and over again.

🎯 Command was not clearly established.

When command isn’t established (and communicated), chaos takes its place - costing time, coordination, and sometimes lives.

This might be the first and last time we use "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" in a discussion about command - but it fits.

In one scene, SWAT Commander James Kent (pictured below) arrives at a hostage situation and declares:

“I’m ready to take on-scene command in 3…2…1. I’m in charge.”

The countdown is clearly for dramatic effect, but there’s no question about who’s in command.

Establishing command doesn’t take much. A quick radio transmission establishing command is all it takes to start. Just skip Commander Kent’s dramatic flair and use the word “command” rather than “in charge.”.

After-action reports from incidents at Robb Elementary School (Uvalde, TX) and others show that when those words weren’t clearly spoken early on, the response suffered as a result.

✅ For example, the AAR from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, FL) states: “While on-scene personnel would presume that upon [Broward County Sheriff's Office Captain] arrival at the scene she would be the incident commander, there was no transmission that she was indeed on scene, identifying that she was the incident commander or that she had established a command post.”

✅ The Century 16 Theatre (Aurora, CO) AAR also highlights the need for clear establishment of command in their recommendation: “The Incident Commander should announce his status and location on all pertinent radio talk groups (channels) or have the information rebroadcast by the Communications Center.”

💡 Order begins the moment someone steps up and clearly announces they are in command.

What does your agency do to ensure command is established early, clearly, and confidently?

12/09/2025

Choosing the Right Rescue Model During a Mass Attack

When we think about assisting the wounded during a mass attack, most immediately think of the Rescue Task Force (RTF) model.

However, other models exist.

The real question is: Which approach fits your agency’s needs, tolerance of risk, and the situation on the ground?

Here are three commonly used models:

1️⃣ Law Enforcement Rescue: Law enforcement teams provide medical care and extract victims from Hot or Warm Zones.

2️⃣ Protected Islands & Corridors: Law enforcement establishes a secure perimeter or pathway that allows Fire/EMS to enter the Warm Zone for care and extraction.

3️⃣ Rescue Task Force (RTF): A joint team of Law Enforcement and Fire/EMS working together in the Warm Zone to deliver care and evacuate victims.

Each model has advantages and trade-offs.

These models are adaptable. Hybrid approaches can be applied, and multiple models may be used within a single incident.

Choosing the right one depends on the scope of the attack, number of casualties, available resources, and capabilities of responding agencies.

Which model best aligns with your agency’s culture and risk tolerance?

12/02/2025

A Matter of Seconds: Understanding How Fast Mass Attacks Can Unfold

When we think about how long mass attacks last, we often recall the tragic events that stretched on - such as Robb Elementary School in Uvalde (77 minutes) and at the San Ysidro McDonald’s, which coincidentally also lasted 77 minutes.

Fortunately, it is rare for an attack to extend beyond ten minutes.

Most happen quickly - and end quickly, for a variety of reasons.

✅ Police Intervention: At Ned Pepper’s Bar in Dayton, Ohio, the attacker was stopped within 32 seconds by police officers who happened to be around the corner when the shooting started. Despite the remarkable response time, 9 people were killed and over a dozen were wounded.

✅ Bystander Intervention: At Greenwood Park Mall, Indiana (15 seconds) and Harris Teeter, Virginia (20 seconds), the attackers were quickly stopped by armed bystanders - one being an off-duty law enforcement officer.

✅ Attacker Su***de: At Saugus High School in California, a teenager opened fire, killing 2 students and wounding 3 more in 8 seconds, then turned the gun on himself.

✅ Attacker Flight: At the Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, the attacker fired 83 rounds in under 60 seconds (killing 7), then fled the scene. And at Just-In-Time Recreation Bowling Alley in Lewiston, Maine, the attacker fired upon patrons for 45 seconds (killing 8) before leaving to strike another site nearby.

Attacks can unfold in just a matter of seconds. Understanding these time dynamics - and knowing what actions to take when every second matters - can save lives.

How often does your organization train with realistic time constraints that reflect how quickly these events unfold?

11/29/2025

The Quote Every Incident Commander Should Hear

Lt. Ray Spencer was working overtime as the Incident Commander for the Route 91 Harvest Festival. The routine challenges that large concerts often bring quickly turned into the deadliest mass shooting in American history.

Spencer suddenly found himself in the middle of the Hot Zone - under gunfire.

At this point he made a wise decision that likely saved lives.

Recognizing the challenges of managing an operation of this magnitude while in the thick of it, he radioed for another officer to assume command from outside the Hot Zone so he could help save lives on the ground.

Spencer later reflected on that decision in an article published by Police1:

🎯 “You can’t run the show when you’re in the show.”

I like this quote - it captures the importance of transferring command outward during a mass attack response (see yesterday’s post about the passing of command).

Unfortunately, we’ve seen what happens when command remains inside the Hot Zone.

Look no further than the tragic response at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where the police chief remained in the Hot Zone throughout the event and command was not passed outward.

The Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary School tragedy noted:

“The chief of police was one of the first responders on the scene. But as events unfolded, he failed to perform or to transfer to another person the role of incident commander.”

Coordinating a mass attack response means managing multiple assets and hazards - all evolving at once. As Lt. Spencer said, “You can’t run the show when you’re in the show.” Command should move outward - from Hot to Warm to Cold zones - supported by a clear, adaptable structure that allows leaders to see the bigger picture.

11/21/2025

Command Can Make or Break an Active Shooter Response

After action reports consistently indicate that the effectiveness of command plays a decisive role in the outcome of the event.

When it’s done well, the response is more effective and outcomes improve.

When it’s not, confusion and delays can increase risk.

1️⃣ Initial Command: The first officer on scene is, by default, the Incident Commander. In this phase rank doesn’t matter - proximity and situational awareness do. Even while holding command, this officer’s primary mission is to stop the killing.

2️⃣ Forward Command: Because it’s difficult to organize a response from inside a Hot Zone, control must shift outward as soon as possible. Once there are enough officers addressing the immediate threat, an officer should assume command from outside the Hot Zone. This is typically done outside the structure near the attack site.

This position - often called Forward Command, Intermediate Command, Tactical Group, or Fifth Man - acts like an air-traffic controller, coordinating Contact Teams, Rescue Task Forces (RTFs), and other assets entering and exiting the Hot & Warm Zones. Fire and EMS partners typically integrate early to assist with coordination.

3️⃣ Unified Command: As the incident scales, command transitions again to a command post in the Cold Zone. Here, senior law enforcement and Fire/EMS leaders (Unified Command) manage the broader event together. Unified Command doesn’t "take over" tactical operations - those remain under Forward Command. Instead, Unified Command supports them by ensuring personnel, equipment, and resources are available, and by assigning additional positions such as Perimeter Group Supervisor and Staging Area Manager.

While agencies may organize this process differently or use different titles for these roles, the core principles remain the same: establish clear command, maintain strong communication, and ensure coordination across disciplines.

Regular training - through tabletops, drills, or full-scale exercises - is a great way to build proficiency.

What lessons has your organization learned about command and control during complex events?

08/26/2025

Teaching Child Safety Without the Scare

Back to school means new routines — and renewed focus on safety.

Here’s the reality:
· Less than 8% of public mass shootings happen in K-12 schools (NIJ).
· Still, preparation matters.
· The goal is confidence, not fear.

Most kids today have done more safety drills than their parents ever did. As parents, we can reinforce these lessons in simple, low-stress ways:

✅ The Safety Game
· Like “I Spy,” but for safety items.
· Spot exits, fire extinguishers, AEDs, or first-aid kits in everyday places.
· Builds awareness of surroundings.

✅ The “What If?” Game
· Ask questions: “What would you do if you smelled smoke?” or “If you heard gunshots?”
· Encourage step-by-step answers.
· Teaches problem-solving and builds confidence.

💡 Key point: Keep conversations age-appropriate and focused on empowerment, not fear.

By turning safety into a game, we help our kids build awareness, confidence, and calm — skills they can carry anywhere.

How do you prepare your kids for back-to-school safety?

Follow First 30 Group for valuable insights on mass attack response and visit our website at www.First30Group.com for free resources.

08/12/2025

The “Contagion Effect”: Are Mass Attacks Spreading Through Influence?

8 Mass Attacks in 30 Days

But can mass attacks be “contagious”?

Some research says yes — media exposure of a recent attack may prompt certain individuals to act.

Of course, someone who was not already considering violence won't “snap” after seeing an attack on the news. But for those already on a path toward violence, seeing others launch attacks can be the motivating factor that accelerates their own plans.

💡 One study found, “significant evidence that mass killings involving fi****ms are incented by similar events in the immediate past. On average, this temporary increase in probability lasts 13 days” (Towers et al., 2015, “Contagion in Mass Killings and School Shootings”)

In the past 30 days alone:

✅ Lexington, KY
✅ Grand Traverse, MI
✅ NYC, NY
✅ Reno, NV
✅ Anaconda, MT
✅ Fort Stewart, GA
✅ Atlanta, GA
✅ Austin, TX

Some debate how clear the contagion effect really is.

But most agree: many attackers study, reference, or idolize previous assailants - and that may influence their attack plans.

For those who work in this space - Do you believe past attacks influence future incidents? What’s your take?

Follow First 30 Group for valuable insights on mass attack response and visit our website at www.First30Group.com for free resources.

08/01/2025

Inside the UT Austin Tower Shooting: Tactics, Response, and Lasting Impact

One of America’s earliest mass attacks unfolded at the University of Texas when a man, using sniper tactics from the top of the tower, killed 15 people before police and a civilian stopped him.

✅ Pre-attack murders: Before climbing the tower, the attacker killed his mother and wife. Similar pre-incident killings occurred in other attacks, including Charles University (Prague, 2023), Virginia Tech, VA (2007), Isla Vista, CA (2014), and others.

✅ Attacker access: The attacker hid weapons and ammunition in a large footlocker, used a rented dolly to move it through the tower, and disguised himself as a maintenance worker. An associate professor recalled seeing him and assumed he was simply a “workman with dolly and equipment.”

✅ Attacker barricading: To delay arriving police, the attacker used furniture and wedged a dolly against a door leading to his position.

✅ Sniper tactics: Positioned 231 feet above ground, the attacker fired on pedestrians below - wounding a man from over 500 yards away. The survivor later commented that he had underestimated the sniper’s effective range.

✅ Monitoring response: Equipped with an AM/FM radio, the attacker listened to live news reports to track developments during the assault.

✅ Concerns of multiple attackers: Heavy gunfire and constant movement on the tower led many to believe multiple shooters were involved.

✅ Public safety response: With limited training and resources, it took 96 minutes for police to end the attack. Officers were outgunned—some retrieved hunting rifles from homes and ammunition from hardware stores. An armored truck assisted in evacuating the wounded. Lack of command and control further hindered response efforts.

✅ Aircraft use: A deputy piloting a small plane with a police sharpshooter onboard, responded above the tower. Turbulence prevented accurate fire on the sniper. The attacker fired at the plane, striking it twice, but not hitting the occupants.

✅ Bystander intervention: Armed citizens retrieved personal rifles, returned fire, and one civilian ultimately helped police neutralize the attacker.

✅ Early lockdown tactics: Long before “Run, Hide, Fight,” civilians improvised barricades. Eight people—including two nuns—blocked a doorway using a blackboard and desk for protection.

✅ Legacy and change: The unprecedented nature of this event helped spur the development of SWAT teams to handle catastrophic incidents more effectively.

This attack exposed critical gaps in preparedness and response—lessons that reshaped law enforcement tactics.

Follow First 30 Group for valuable insights on mass attack response, safety tips, survivor stories, and more.

Visit our website at www.First30Group.com for free resources.

07/25/2025

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬: 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬

We have updated our collection to 33 after-action reports on mass attacks from around the world.

These reports - written by law enforcement, various government agencies and NGOs – all contain valuable information.

✅ 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬.

To access these free resources, send us an email at [email protected]

Note: While all reports are open-source, access is limited to verified professionals in public safety, security, intelligence, or risk management.

Follow First 30 Group for valuable insights on mass attack response, safety tips, survivor stories, and more.

Visit our website at www.First30Group.com for free resources.

First 30 Group

03/06/2026

01/30/2026

01/20/2026

12/29/2025

12/09/2025

12/02/2025

11/29/2025

11/21/2025

08/26/2025

08/12/2025

08/01/2025

07/25/2025

Address

Opening Hours

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm