What does an MCI look like for your agency? Is it five patients? Or 10? Or more than 20?
A mass casualty incident is defined by responder capabilities, not patient numbers.
To better understand what would or would not be an MCI for your service, talk through past or potential scenarios with your co-workers to better understand what an MCI would look, sound, and feel like.
When responding to an MCI, remember these 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 the incident 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.
- 8 individual IFAKs each contain the essential tools to address severe bleeding
- Instruction card for quick and easy component identification
- QuikLitters are also included
This article, originally published on January 13, 2010, has been updated.
