More from the OpEd ...

... For those who have worked in public safety, emergency management, and homeland security, the number of incidents tells only part of the story.

Behind every entry in the FBI's report are responders racing to the scene, terrified families awaiting news, and survivors whose long-term needs rarely make headlines. As I've witnessed firsthand, across the country, we continue to see wide variation in how jurisdictions prepare for, manage, and recover from these devastating events.

Disparities That Cost Lives

Some states and localities have built robust systems: multidisciplinary training exercises, pre scripted crisis communication strategies, clearly defined family reunification plans, and trauma informed recovery resources. Others still treat active shooter events as isolated anomalies, relying on outdated procedures or assuming their already stretched-thin and underfunded mutual aid will fill the current gap.

These gaps are not just operational inefficiencies. They are strategic failures. Responding teams from adjacent counties sometimes struggle communicating because of incompatible radio systems or a lack of shared terminology. ...