Fire Dept. gears up to enter shooting scene

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - The Tempe Fire Department is adopting a new approach to active shooter incidents.
    
The department says firefighters and rescue personnel will wear protective gear and be trained so they can enter crime scenes that are still active. That's so police can focus on dealing with any shooters still present while fire personnel evacuate and assist victims.
    
The new approach is a change from the past practice of waiting outside active crime scenes until police determined it's safe to enter and assist victims.
    
Fire Medical Rescue Chief Greg Ruiz says the new approach will help provide needed assistance to victims sooner.
    
Tempe says its new approach is modeled after best practices advocated by the International Association of Firefighters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the U.S. Fire Administration.