January 27, 1996 started as a typical Saturday morning. Completing a few minor jobs around my home, I left at 11 o'clock en route to Videon Chevrolet in Newtown Square to pick up my car. My travels along route 252 took me directly past the south gate of the duPont Estate. Multiple police cars and news media were present. I had completely forgotten last night's news that John duPont, multi millionaire and heir to the duPont chemical fortune, had allegedly shot to death Olympic wrestling Champion David Schultz. DuPont then barricaded himself inside his mansion, part of the 800 hundred acre duPont Estate.
Could he still be in there? A quick change of the radio station confirmed duPont was still holding police at bay. I began to wonder if Delaware County E.R.T. Region One, whom I am affiliated with, would be activated to assist other tactical teams already on location.
I was in the car dealership about five minutes when my beeper went off. It was the Delaware County Emergency Communications Center. E.R.T. Region One had been activated for the standoff. I could have been on location in less than five minutes, but I elected to first drive home and get appropriate clothing to deal with the heavy rain that day. I also took the opportunity to get into a spare uniform.
Fitzgerald Mercy EMS has been attached to the Delaware County E.R.T. Region One for the past five years. Presently, four Paramedics and one EMT hold CONTOMS certification. We utilize a converted Braun box ambulance to carry our equipment and personnel. Tom Johnson, a tactically trained staff Paramedic, responded to the scene with our vehicle. We arrived almost simultaneously at 12:30 P.M. The standoff was now twenty hours old.
EMS was sparse and inadequate upon our arrival. Completion of a briefing with Inner Perimeter Commanders, and a Medical Threat Assessment indicated several potential hazards. As previously mentioned there was a wind driven soaking rain that would last all day. The rain was forecasted to end at dusk. Temperatures would then plummet through the night with continued wind gusts of thirty-five miles an hour. Wind chill calculations indicated the temperature would be minus four degrees Fahrenheit tonight. The following day's forecast was for clear skies, but bitterly cold and windy.
The perpetrator in question was reported to be an Olympic class marksman. He was known to carry at least one handgun. Long guns, as well as night vision equipment, gas masks, and a moderate quantity of black powder were also reported to be in the mansion. Indications of possible possession of a .50 caliber machine gun were also discovered in a garage.
The Foxcatcher Wrestling facility, which duPont had constructed to train athletes, contained a kitchen, multiple rooms adequate for resting, and laundry facilities. The floor of the facility was below ground, and separated from the mansion by some small structures, evergreen trees and foliage. It was utilized as Commanders, Medical Command Post for our purposes, resting area for field deployed Inner Perimeter Command Post for Tactical personnel, kitchen and infirmary. CONTOMS trained Paramedics Thomas Wolfarth and Jason Mark notified the Command Post of their expected time of arrival of six and seven P.M. respectively. CONTOMS trained, staff EMT Michael Garvin was out of state during the incident. Until then, Tom Johnson and I were the only tactically trained EMS providers on scene.
Tom and I sized up our situation. Our role functioning with our own team is clear. We assume complete responsibility for the condition of all team members, as well as provide close medical support in the event of injury. Just as instructed in CONTOMS our role is mostly preventive medicine. Normally. We work with about 30 team members. There were 75 tactically trained law enforcement personnel deployed to this incident. So many were necessary due to the severe weather, and the size of duPont's mansion. Tom and I had a lot of officers for whom to care.
The first issue was to gather intelligence on the inner perimeter. Tom and I surveyed the entire inner perimeter. During our travels we marked exact locations of various team members on our map of the estate. We also took this opportunity to deploy two of our three M-5 field packs. One was left in a heated green house located on the north side of the mansion. The other was left in a police van located on the south drive in front of the mansion. The third pack remained in the Foxcatcher infirmary.
Upon returning to our Command Post in Foxcatcher, we changed our rain-soaked clothes. This was a very positive reminder of the extended care field deployed officers were going to need. Fortunately, some of our standard duties were dismissed. Utilizing contracted services, the County of Delaware provided food, beverages, sleeping cots, and linen. A cook also arrived with the supplies. Hot meals were prepared in the kitchen of Foxcatcher. Hot sandwiches also arrived, donated from McDonald's and other local vendors.
Since it is our practice to work in pairs, I contacted our office and had a non-tactically trained E.M.T. respond to the incident. Our plan was to have this E.M.T. run the infirmary so our tactically trained personnel could monitor officers afield. We would work in pairs upon the arrival of Tom Wolfarth and Jason Mark. In the interim, Tom and I took turns running the infirmary, and checking on officers in the field.
E.M.T. Tom Nauss arrived at 3:00 P.M. Tom assumed responsibility for the infirmary as planned, giving Tom Johnson and me some opportunity to rest. It was then we began to contemplate our own relief. Tom Wolfarth and Jason will be arriving soon, but what if this situation goes on through the night, or for days? Even with all four of us, there were many officers to monitor.
Tom Johnson had met and discussed the concept of mutual aid with Kevin Arthur in the past. Kevin is a graduate of CONTOMS and a Paramedic with York Hospital EMS located in York PA. Kevin was contacted by phone at 4:00 P.M. I cannot express my gratitude enough to York Hospital EMS for rendering assistance during this incident. Kevin advised us York Hospital EMS would provide two tactically trained Paramedics to assist us until the situation was resolved. Since Kevin would have a travel time of about two hours, he would leave at 9:00 P.M. unless notified to do otherwise.
Tom Wolfarth and Jason arrived in the early evening hours. Both were briefed of the situation and resources available. Tom Johnson and I then took a much needed break. It was during this break I became aware of another very important need of those operating in a prolonged operation.
Located in the Infirmary was the only phone to the outside world. Many times officers filtering into Foxcatcher for meals or scheduled breaks stopped in the Infirmary asking, "I hear you guys have a phone, can I call home?" The faces were different, but the conversation, always the same. "I don't know, I miss you too, and be good for mommy" were the universal and sometimes slightly emotional statements. On several occasions, officers unsuccessful at contacting their families left their phone numbers requesting we attempt their call for them later. "Just let my wife know I'm doing ok,' was the only message. We made certain we knew the officer's name and field location. We also made certain they were advised when their message was delivered. It became quite evident officers missing their families, or concerned about a family issue like a sick child can effect their performance. Establishment of outside communication should be considered in any prolonged operation.
Night fall had come. Just as predicted, the rain stopped and the temperature dropped sharply. It was bitterly cold outside. Negotiation with duPont was making some progress. John had recently stated he would discuss surrender terms with his Attorney come morning. He was now going to sleep in his vault located in the Estate Trophy Room.
Intelligence information reported this vault to be equivalent to that equipment found in a bank. DuPont also cautioned negotiators of booby traps within the mansion. Multiple secret passage ways were known to be present throughout the mansion. Any type of tactical resolution would be extremely dangerous. The decision was made to wait duPont out. It was now obvious. The incident would continue through the night.
Kevin Arthur and Dave Wood of York Hospital EMS arrived at 9:30 P.M. After introductions and a briefing they would stay on duty through the night. Members of Fitzgerald Mercy EMS now found a quite corner on the wrestling mats to sleep. It was 11:00 P.M.
We returned to duty at 7:00 A.M., relieving Kevin and Dave. Kevin reported the night had been fairly uneventful. Several Officers had experienced some G.I. problems, one had to be removed from duty due to nausea and vomiting. Kevin felt these G.I. problems were diet related. Although hot food was available, its grease content was high. Proper food handling methods were also examined and adjustments made.
Another valuable lesson learned, control what tactical officers are eating from the start of any operation. Our lack of personnel, and the arrival of food supplies lowered our guard in this area. Intake must always be well balanced and nutritious.
John duPont had been moving about the mansion since 7:00 A.M. No further report had been received concerning last nights conversation. Members of Fitzgerald Mercy EMS were securing breakfast when an alert was received. John reported he was coming out with a gun and would shoot anyone attempting to stop him. He was sighted with possession of a weapon inside the mansion.
We scrambled to get into position, donning ballistic protection and grabbing our medical gear. It seemed like the 40-hour standoff was about to end, but duPont never emerged. A similar alert occurred later in the morning when duPont advised negotiators he was leaving the mansion to go to another building on the Estate. Again, duPont never left the mansion.
These alerts provided us with another lesson. The necessity of a load bearing vest for both equipment and body armor. Presently our ballistic panels are worn in a carrier beneath a B.D.U. blouse. Personnel field packs, gas mask, and portable radio are secured to a duty belt. We never experienced an equipment problem in the past, but we had never been on a prolonged operation either. Since we would remove our equipment to rest in the safety of Foxcatcher, sudden calls to duty required a mad scramble to get our equipment on. The load bearing vest would make this process both easier and quicker.
The final such alert occurred at 2:30 P.M. when the incident was finally resolved. John duPont suddenly emerged from the mansion, wrench in hand. He was on his way to examine the mansion's heating system, which, unbeknownst to him, had been turned off in the early morning hours. He was taken into custody without incident. It was over in a matter of minutes.
DuPont's capture was a relief to all. The situation had ended without further injury or loss of life. Officers congratulated each other on a job well done. Suddenly feeling very tired, I returned to Foxcatcher and removed my equipment. I walked the perimeter of the mansion retrieving our M-5 field packs which I had placed close to two days ago. I thought how suddenly this long operation had ended, and end this article with the final lesson learned, the tactical operation can become an explosive situation in an instant. Never fail to think tactically at any moment during an operation.
HEROISM
The CONTOMS Heroism Award is presented annually during the month of June to a tactical medic or team of medics for outstanding performance in the face of adversity. Submissions for this award will be accepted each year from January thru April. The submission may be made by any individual with personal knowledge of any such heroic event, in writing, with any supporting documentation to the Chief, Educational Support Branch, Casualty Care Research Center. The information in the submissions will be verified and will be forwarded to the CONTOMS Board of Directors. The selection of the award winner will take place by the Board in May, with the presentation occurring in June. The Board, at it's sole discretion, may decline to give the award, or may share the award among multiple recipients in any given year.
The following criteria will be used in the selection process:
This award is presented annually, each June to an individual or tactical team for contributions in the field of civilian tactical emergency medical support(TEMS). Submissions will be accepted by the Chief, Educational Support Branch, Casualty Care Research Center, during the months of January thru April of each year. Each citation and any supporting documentation will be verified. All bonafide submissions will be forwarded to the CONTOMS Board of Directors. The Board will make their selection during the month of May, with the presentation occurring in June. The Board, at it's sole discretion, may decline to give the award, or may share the award among multiple recipients in any given year.
Submissions containing the following documentation will be given the greatest consideration by the Board:
As a result, the CONTOMS Program will introduce the "Advanced Course" within the next few months. The Advanced Course will build on the basic concepts of EMT-T and cover information likely to be used by providers who are actively practicing TEMS in an established program, rather than those who are developing a start-up program. We anticipate that the demand for the Advanced Course will be lower than the demand for EMT-T and that admission will be more selective. Current certification as an EMT-T and active participation in an ongoing tactical medical support program will be prerequisites. Of course, sponsorship by a law enforcement agency with counter drug responsibilities will also be required.
The school will run between three and five days--the exact length of the course will be determined after the pilot curriculum is field tested--and will accommodate fewer students than the 40 who attend each EMT-T school. As a result, the Advanced Course will consist of more practical, hands-on instruction. Topics likely to be included are: Verbal de-escalation skills, veterinary first-aid, controversies in chemical restraint, less lethal weapons technology, advanced remote assessment methodologies (RAM) using image and acoustic enhancement, injury control in breaching operations, and a full day of forensic science.
If you have any ideas about topics you think should be included, please contact the Educational Support Branch of the Casualty Care Research Center at 301-295-6263. Look for further information about the Advanced Course in the next issue of CONTOMS Dispatch.
SOMA is a nonprofit corporation. One of their goals has been to actively solicit input from all the military services as well from the law enforcement special operations community.
This year's annual meeting is from December 7 - 10, 1996, in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
A sample of conference topics include:
For more information contact:
Special Operations Medical Association
162 Compton Rd.
Murfeesboro, TN 37130
Phone: (615) 890-9227
Fax: (615) 893-2490
The faculty is provided by the Casualty Care Research Center and is available to CONTOMS Graduates and all local, state, and federal law enforcement officers.
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