Recognizing the Community of Odessa and Midland, Texas and its Medical Leadership on the 3rd Anniversary of the August 2019 Mass Shooting

Floor Speech

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Mr. PFLUGER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the victims of the August 31, 2019 mass shooting event in Odessa and Midland, Texas, recognize the citizens of these communities, and thank the EMS and other first responders, hospitals, emergency rooms and trauma centers, as well as city leadership. I commend the preparedness of those who were flooded with casualties, and wish to emphasize the importance of medical leadership and preparedness throughout the United States.

Medical and law enforcement throughout the area were propelled into action during this shooting event, including city EMS medical director Dr. Sudip Bose, Incident Commander Chief Rodd Huber; Odessa Fire Rescue Chief John Alvarez; Medical Center Hospital CEO Russell Tippin; the men and women of the Odessa Police Department and the city's SWAT team; Texas Highway Patrol officers; Midland Police; trauma teams, first responders, nurses, administrators, citizens, and so many unnamed others throughout the area who provided aid where and when they could.

The seven victims include 15-year-old Leilah Hernandez, 40-year-old Joseph Griffith, 29-year-old Mary Granados, 25-year-old Edwin Peregrino, 57-year-old Rodolfo Julio Arco, 30-year-old Kameron Karltess Brown, 35-year-old Raul Garcia. 25 others were injured, including three police officers.

Every city needs to formulate a preparedness and response plan for a mass casualty event.

Medical leadership is paramount.

A multiagency team, created years in advance, was the driving force behind getting a plan in place before the Odessa-Midland area shooting took place. This team was medically led by Dr. Sudip Bose, an emergency physician double board certified in emergency medicine and EMS (disaster medicine). After the horrific event, he used his expertise as a former front-line Army medical officer who treated casualties in the battle of Fallujah, Iraq to address world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on how to keep cities safe before and after medical disasters.

Given the risks to all involved, it is imperative that communities and first responders make rational risk/reward decisions about when and how to handle an active shooter and provide medical care to victims during and after an event. This kind of action does not happen without prior preparation and practice.

I am proud to know the preparedness for this kind of event is a priority in the Odessa-Midland area, and I am proud to represent the citizens, police and medical respondents who handled those innocently caught in the field of fire of the perpetrator. We must continue to champion preparedness training and ensure our medical leaders are equipped with the tools they need to address any situation that comes through their door.

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