I would of thought seeking the root cause to these types of mass casualties on a national level would be more constructive then simply dealing with the end result that could happen anywhere and anytime and not exclusive to city malls!

I don't know how you ask the question of Jersey City, alone... Is anyone?

Is Jersey City prepared for a mass casualty mall shooting?

By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal
November 05, 2013 at 3:16 PM

A day after a gunman caused the lock-down of Garden State Plaza Mall in Paramus, Jersey City police, mall and EMS spokespersons weighed in on their preparedness should a similar incident result in mass casualties.

The overnight incident in Paramus ended with the gunman, Richard Shoop, 20, of Teaneck, taking his own life. There were no others injured by the gunfire and police said it did not appear Shoop intended to hurt anyone but himself. Nevertheless, there was a large response by emergency responders preparing for the worst case scenario.

?We are prepared, with the caveat that you can never be prepared enough, so we continue to train and continue to evaluate our equipment and our techniques,? said Jersey City Public Safety Director James Shea, adding that preparing for an active shooter incident was a top priority for Mayor Steven Fulop when Shea was appointed.

Shea said the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado ?changed everything.? Before then police responding to an ?active shooter? situation would usually ?surround and isolate and allow hostage negotiations to take place, but they were not interested in being talked to. They wanted to kill as many people as they could. Now the first responder will immediately enter and address the shooter.?

The director said the first officers to arrive will be reinforced as other officers and equipment arrive. He said the city trains in active shooter scenarios regularly and four Emergency Services Unit officers recently received training from the Department of Homeland Security in active shooter response and are now certified instructors. They will now give a four-day training courses to every officer in the department.

Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop noted that the city has one of the largest downtown commercial districts in the nation, is a hub for employment and transportation, and is home to some of the region?s most critical infrastructure.

?With that in mind, and the tragic events we have seen unfold at schools, places of business, and movie theaters and malls around the country, we knew that an active shooter scenario was one we wanted to ensure our administration and public safety personnel were prepared and equipped to handle.?

Jersey City Medical Center Director of Emergency Medical Services Robert Luckritz said of the hospital?s ability to respond to mass casualty incidents that ?We prepare for these things on a regular basis with local law enforcement and we absolutely stand ready.?

Hospital EMTs regularly train with the Jersey City Police Department?s Emergency Services Unit in real-time active shooter drills including at the Newport Centre Mall. He said the hospital also has comprehensive state and local mass casualty plans allowing it to ?deal with an incident of any size,? Luckritz said.

?On Sept. 11 we treated 2,000 patients on the Jersey City waterfront as they evacuated from New York and transported about 200 people to the hospital in a matter of hours,? Luckritz said, adding that the hospital also has a mutual aid agreement with the New York Fire Department and works closely with the Jersey City Office of Emergency Management.

Simon Malls, the owner of Jersey City?s Newport Centre Mall, released a statement today saying the safety and security of shoppers, retail tenants and employees is a top priority.

But Simon said ?To protect our local community and property, we do not discuss details of our security procedures. We will continue to work closely with federal, state and local authorities to take appropriate security measures that provide a safe environment at our mall.?

The Medical Center EMS has a 130 year history and its first mass casualty incident was the Black Tom explosion of 1916. The hospital transported about 25 patients using horse-drawn ambulances, Luckritz said.

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