Crisis actor
{{Short description|Individual who portrays a disaster victim}}
{{Redirect|Crisis Actors|the Lemon Demon song|Spirit Phone}}
{{use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
File:Security forces respond in active shooter exercise 140204-F-OC707-015.jpg from the 96th Medical Group move an airman pretending to be wounded toward safety during an active shooter exercise at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in 2014.]]
A crisis actor (aka actor-patient or actor victim) is a trained actor, role player, volunteer, or other person engaged to portray a disaster victim during emergency drills to train first responders such as police, firefighters or EMS personnel. Crisis actors are used to create high-fidelity simulations of disasters in order to allow first responders to practice their skills and help emergency services to prepare and train in realistic scenarios as part of full-scale disaster exercises.{{cite web|title=Crisis Actors. Trained Players and Actors Making It Real|url=http://crisisactors.org/ |publisher=Crisis Actors|access-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140625040100/http://crisisactors.org/|archive-date=25 June 2014|quote=Helping schools and first responders create realistic drills, full-scale exercises, high-fidelity simulations, and interactive 3D films.}}{{cite web|title=Exclusive Interview with Brian Mitchell of Crisis Cast|url=http://mackenzieinstitute.com/interview-brian-mitchell-crisis-cast/|publisher=The Mackenzie Institute|access-date=28 October 2017|date=2015-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028201328/http://mackenzieinstitute.com/interview-brian-mitchell-crisis-cast/|archive-date=28 October 2017|url-status=dead}}{{cite news |last1=Berg|first1=Alison|title=Emergency responders practice for future disasters|url=https://www.deseret.com/2017/8/8/20617364/emergency-responders-practice-for-future-disasters/ |newspaper=The Deseret News |location=Utah|access-date=28 October 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Skelley|first1=Tom|title=Emergency responders prepare for the worst|url=http://centennialcitizen.net/stories/emergency-responders-prepare-for-the-worst,253329|newspaper=Centennial Citizen|date=16 August 2017|publisher=Colorado Community Media|access-date=28 October 2017|archive-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028201219/http://centennialcitizen.net/stories/emergency-responders-prepare-for-the-worst,253329|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal|last1=Gillett|first1=Brian|title=Simulation in a Disaster Drill: Comparison of High-fidelity Simulators versus Trained Actors|journal=Academic Emergency Medicine|volume=15|issue=11|pages=1144–1151|doi=10.1111/j.1553-2712.2008.00198.x|pmid=18717651|year=2008|doi-access=free}}{{cite book|author=Michael J. Fagel|title=Crisis Management and Emergency Planning: Preparing for Today's Challenges|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nCEtAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA338|date=4 December 2013|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-4665-5505-1|pages=338–}} The term has also been used by conspiracy theorists who claim that some mass shootings and other terror events are staged for the advancement of various political objectives such as to advance gun control measures.
Disaster training simulations
Actors take on the role of mock victims and simulate specific injuries from a disaster to add life-like realism to an emergency exercise. Theatrical makeup and cosmetics, plus rubber and latex appliances, are often used to simulate a variety of wounds or medical conditions that realistically portray victim's injuries, a practice known as medical moulage.{{cite book|author=Bobbie J Merica|title=Medical Moulage: How to Make Your Simulations Come Alive|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hX_2AAAAQBAJ&pg=PR32|date=22 November 2011|publisher=F.A. Davis|isbn=978-0-8036-2648-5|pages=32–}}{{cite web|last1=Saal|first1=Mark|title=Moulage Provides Realism for ShakeOut Disaster Drill|url=http://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/Moulage-Provides-Realism-ShakeOut-Drill.html|website=govtech.com|date=18 April 2014|publisher=Emergency Management|access-date=28 October 2017}}{{cite book|last1=McCormick Taylor|title=Transportation Security: Guidelines for transportation emergency training exercises|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0_TkqfnuCjEC&q=emergency+disaster+exercise+actors&pg=PA56|publisher=Transportation Research Board|access-date=28 October 2017|isbn=9780309098502|year=2006}}
Actors who portray news reporters, relatives of victims, and concerned citizens are also used during drills to train emergency operations center personnel to cope with a variety of emotionally-charged demands and requests.{{cite book|author=Charlotte J. Hiatt|title=A Primer for Disaster Recovery Planning in an IT Environment|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=57bMejF-nk4C&pg=PA228|date=1 January 2000|publisher=Idea Group Inc (IGI)|isbn=978-1-878289-81-0|pages=228–}}
Conspiracy theories and defamation
In the United States, the term has been used by conspiracy theorists who claim that some mass shootings and other terror events are staged for the advancement of various political objectives such as to advance gun control measures.{{cite web |title=The Rise of the Crisis Actor Conspiracy Movement |url=https://video.vice.com/en_us/video/vice-hysteria-the-rise-of-the-crisis-actor-conspiracy-movement/5a830d13f1cdb335993dd871 |website=vice.com |publisher=Vice Media |access-date=9 January 2024}} Conspiracy theorists' use of the term is thought to have originated in 2012, when a blog post by former professor and conspiracy theorist James Tracy suggested that the government could have hired an acting agency named Visionbox to help stage the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Visionbox offered dramatic training "in criminal and victim behavior" to actors intended to help "bring intense realism to simulated mass casualty incidents in public places".
Tracy also promoted a crisis actor conspiracy theory of the Boston Marathon bombing.{{cite news|url=https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/pammy8/what-is-a-crisis-actor-conspiracy-theory-explanation-parkland-shooting-sandy-hook|title=Where the 'Crisis Actor' Conspiracy Theory Comes From|last1=Koebler|first1=Jason|date=22 February 2018|work=Motherboard|access-date=22 February 2018|agency=Vice Media}}{{cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/2/22/17036018/parkland-conspiracy-theories|title=The Parkland conspiracy theories, explained Crisis actors? The deep state?|last1=Yglesias|first1=Matthew|publisher=Vox|access-date=22 February 2018|date=2018-02-22}} Conspiracy theorists have falsely claimed such attacks are "false flag operations" staged by conspirators, usually government or corporate forces, in order to achieve some goal such as justifying increased government surveillance, disarmament of the population, or military action against blamed nations or groups. Crisis actors are claimed in this context to play the part of bystanders or witnesses, emergency response personnel, and (with the aid of stage makeup) wounded victims of the attack.
Advocates of the conspiracy theory include Alex Jones and outlets such as True Pundit.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/29/us/after-orlando-shooting-false-flag-and-crisis-actor-conspiracy-theories-surface.html|title=After Orlando Shooting, 'False Flag' and 'Crisis Actor' Conspiracy Theories Surface|last1=Mele|first1=Christopher|newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=28 October 2017|date=2016-06-28}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/21/crisis-actors-deep-state-false-flag-the-rise-of-conspiracy-theory-code-words |title=Crisis actors, deep state, false flag: the rise of conspiracy theory code words|last1=Wilson|first1=Jason|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=22 February 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.snopes.com/same-girl-crying-now-oregon/|title=Crisis Actors Uncovered?|date=26 October 2015 |publisher=Snopes |access-date=22 February 2018}} In April 2018, the parents of two children killed in the Sandy Hook shooting launched a lawsuit against Jones for defamation "accusing him and his website InfoWars of engaging in a campaign of 'false, cruel, and dangerous assertions'".{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-texas-lawsuit-alexjones/sandy-hook-parents-sue-conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-for-defamation-idUSKBN1HO2FU|title=Sandy Hook parents sue conspiracy theorist Alex Jones for defamation|author=Editorial |publisher=Reuters |access-date=2018-06-21}} In November 2021, Jones was found liable by default after failing to provide documents to the court and announced he would appeal the decision.{{Cite news|last=Williamson|first=Elizabeth|date=2021-11-15|title=Alex Jones Loses by Default in Remaining Sandy Hook Defamation Suits|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/15/us/politics/alex-jones-sandy-hook.html|access-date=2021-11-17|issn=0362-4331}} In August 2022, the Heslin v. Jones jury ordered that Jones pay $4.1M in compensatory damages and $45.2M in punitive damages.{{cite news |title=Alex Jones must pay $50m for Sandy Hook hoax claim |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-62444302 |work=BBC News |date=5 August 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Massie |first1=Graeme |title=Alex Jones ordered to pay additional $45.2m in punitive damages by Texas jury |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alex-jones-jury-sandy-hook-b2139336.html |work=The Independent |date=5 August 2022 |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Williamson |first=Elizabeth |date=2022-08-04 |title=A jury said Alex Jones must pay $4 million to the parents of a boy killed at Sandy Hook. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/04/us/alex-jones-sandy-hook |access-date=2022-08-05 |issn=0362-4331}} During the trial, Jones admitted that the Sandy Hook shooting was "100% real", and he agreed with his own attorney that it was "absolutely irresponsible" to push falsehoods about the shooting and its victims.{{cite web | title=Alex Jones concedes Sandy Hook attack was '100% real' | website=AP NEWS | date=3 August 2022 | url=https://apnews.com/article/health-us-news-shootings-texas-lawsuits-d029d6736d2ce6755c9e89e7cf9f27af | access-date=3 November 2022}}
During the Gaza war, accusations of victims on both sides of the war being "crisis actors" have circulated on social media.{{Cite news |last=Spring |first=Marianna |date=2023-10-25 |title=Omer and Omar: How two 4-year-olds were killed and social media denied it |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67206277 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025235108/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67206277 |archive-date=2023-10-25 |access-date=2023-10-26 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Doak |first=Sam |date=October 27, 2023 |title="Pallywood:" How denial of civilian harm in Gaza has proliferated |url=https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/analysis/pallywood-how-denial-of-civilian-harm-has-proliferated |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029004536/https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/analysis/pallywood-how-denial-of-civilian-harm-has-proliferated |archive-date=2023-10-29 |access-date=2023-10-29 |website=Logically |language=en}}{{cite web |last=Bond |first=Shannon |date=27 November 2023 |title=Civilian deaths are being dismissed as 'crisis actors' in Gaza and Israel |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/11/27/1214451419/civilian-deaths-are-being-dismissed-as-crisis-actors-in-gaza-and-israel |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128042410/https://www.npr.org/2023/11/27/1214451419/civilian-deaths-are-being-dismissed-as-crisis-actors-in-gaza-and-israel |archive-date=28 November 2023 |access-date=28 November 2023 |work=NPR}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Disaster drills}}