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.
The 911 landscape has changed as acts of mass violence and other multi-caller/multi-victim high-threat incidents begin to increase
Paramedic chiefs and field providers have much to learn from the FBI’s ongoing summary and analysis of active shooter incidents
All organizations should develop an emergency action plan and train to respond to active shooter scenarios
Mayor: ‘Words cannot repay the debt of gratitude that we owe these men and their loved ones.... They put themselves in harm’s way so that others may be safe.’
The chances of finding survivors is slim, but responders have not given up
People once thought missing have turned up safe, but that provided little relief to firefighter McClelland who must bring closure to the relatives and friends of those who have not been found
The 2013 tragedy inspired him to start doing all the things in life he wanted to do, and the race association honored him by inviting him to run in April
As an increasingly desperate search progresses, the official death toll rose to 16, with the possibility of 24 dead once bodies are confirmed
It will open May 15 for families, rescue personnel and others directly affected
Within hours of the mudslide, emergency crews were searching for life in a post-apocalyptic scene, dodging chunks of splintered birch trunks, half-buried pickup trucks and growing pools of water
Residents of the motel included Superstorm Sandy victims who were staying there because their homes remain uninhabitable
Emergency medical personnel, state and local police, and firefighters would be able to file claims for mental-health counseling following post-traumatic stress diagnoses by board-certified psychiatrists or psychologists
The National Transportation Safety Board have not yet determined the cause of the leak
Concentration levels in the soil were up to 20 percent in some spots, when they should be at zero
At least one person remains unaccounted for in the gas explosion that leveled two apartment buildings, killed 8 and injured more than 60
The New York building explosions, followed by a Texas driver who plowed through a crowd are good reminders to always be prepared
Mark Bonawitz’s system of color-coded tags to prioritize treatment became a nationwide program in the 1980’s; the Miami FD veteran died of lung cancer at 74
In the after-action report, having “more ambulances that needed and nobody was actually managing those functions” contributed to the on-scene chaos
While tactical medical teams are helpful, the medics on the scene are often the ones who happened to be on duty
In his journal he apologized for what he was planning to do, but gave no specifics
Investigators are searching for a motive after Darion Marcus Aguilar, 19, shot and killed two skateboard shop workers before turning the gun on himself
Directors say the $24 ticket price is needed to maintain the site; critics say it will shut people out from honoring a national tragedy
The details call into question whether EMTs were forced to wait longer than necessary to attend to TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez, who died of a gunshot wound
At the 2014 NAEMSP annual conference, emergency medicine physicians shared the value of ‘worst-case scenario’ planning
A social studies teacher held at gunpoint talked the boy into dropping his weapon — officials credit active shooter drills for preparing staff and students
The fire truck driver was alerted to the girl; firefighters did not check the teen’s vitals to see if she was alive
A retired police officer shot and killed a Fla. man who was texting his daughter’s daycare during a movie
A 14-year-old boy was the target and is in critical condition; a 13-year-old girl is in serious condition
What can you do if you don’t expect sufficient law enforcement escort into the ‘warm zone’ to arrive in time?