Trending Topics

Mass Casualty Incidents

As the military saying goes, “Prior planning prevents poor performance.” This phrase can be applied to preparing for mass casualty incidents. Check this page for articles and resources on ensuring you and your department are ready for the unexpected, as well as the latest updates on major incidents in the United States and across the world.

Good communication and pre-planning: What the Boston Marathon bombing taught us
Submit a question for the EMS1 editorial team to answer in a future article
Lessons in communication, coordination and safety from an unusual response involving several inmates
Officials said a truck leaked a fluorosilicic acid, which can cause irritation to the nose, throat, respiratory system and swelling of the skin
The money will provide mental health counseling to victims, witnesses and first responders
Most of those killed were women and children; about 150 people were there when the landslide occurred
The fire appeared to have started in one of the girls’ living areas and spread to another dormitory
Since the shooting, the Orlando Regional now does four trauma drills a month
Test your ability to apply the SALT triage method to a collection of simulated MCI patients
Israel’s national EMS organization uses virtual reality technologies to simulate MCI scenes and train any member to become a scene commander
Download this free e-book to learn what training and supplies you need to prepare for a successful response to a mass casualty incident
Doctors are using a PTSD treatment program originally developed for military veterans and applying it for the first time to help first responders
Eleven other calls directly related to the shooting have not been cleared for release by the FBI
Orange County EMS medical director describes expected and unexpected lessons learned from the deadliest shooting in U.S. history at NAEMSP annual meeting
Authorities described the building as having a weak structure and it was built more than five decades ago
Firefighters, soldiers and other emergency responders are digging through the rubble to look for survivors
Footage from the scene showed the plane’s nose stuck inside a brick house and large chunks of debris scattered around
Test your ability to apply the START algorithm to a collection of simulated MCI patients
A gunman’s attack at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is a reminder of soft-target vulnerability and to prepare everyone to “stop the bleed”
An official says the Fort Lauderdale airport shooter pulled a gun out of a checked bag, loaded in a bathroom and started shooting
The drill simulated a massive terror attack on a girl’s high school
Several ambulances flashing blue lights arrived on the scene, some taking wounded to hospitals
Officials said 33 others have been hospitalized for drinking a bath lotion that contained methanol
The explosion killed 32 people and left dozens badly burned
After the attack, dozens of ambulances lined the streets waiting to evacuate people, and heavily armed police patrolled the area
German police say they’ve arrested a suspect believed to be the driver of the truck
The church had been still under construction and workers had been rushing to finish it in time for a ceremony
TV footage showed rescuers in orange uniforms shining flashlights into the interiors of broken buildings as they searched for signs of life
Investigators were looking at “anything electrical” on the first floor of the warehouse near the origin of the blaze
Authorities believe they’ve located the section of the building where the fire started
Less than half of the charred remains of the partly collapsed structure had been searched, and crews clearing debris were expected to find more bodies as they advanced
Paramedics and doctors brought in fake body parts to show staffers of a school district how to tie tourniquets and pack open wounds with whatever they have
Most of the victims had been hurt by the car, two had been stabbed and one had a fractured skull