What does a MCI look like for your agency? Is it five patients? Or 10? Or more than 20? MCI is defined by responder capabilities, not patient numbers. To better understand what would or would not be a MCI for your service, talk through past or potential scenarios with your co-workers to better understand what a MCI would look, sound, and feel like.

When responding to an MCI, remember these Everyday EMS Tips:

1. Plan and prepare using an all-hazards approach versus a specific plan for all potential incidents.

2. MCI response is not all-or-nothing. Use plan components, equipment, and ICS positions appropriate for the actual incident.

3. Communicate with receiving hospitals early and often about the number and severity of patients.

4. The first emergency responder(s) on scene need to identify and confirm the MCI, initiate the MCI plan, and initiate command. Next complete a scene size-up of hazards before starting triage or treatment.

5. Establish functional areas like staging, command post, and treatment areas early. Mark functional areas with flags, signs, tape, and lights.

Finally, make sure the Incident Commander stays put in an incident command post which could be a vehicle, trailer, or specific area.

Share your MCI response tips and resources in the comments area.

To learn more about MCI Concepts for EMS, browse the EMSBootCamp.com archives for an online training session I delivered. The session is a compilation of lectures I have presented at numerous EMS training conferences and includes the materials for a twenty patient tabletop triage exercise you could facilitate for your service.