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.
First responders are trained to respond to emergencies, but many are unprepared for the unbelievable trauma that accompanies a mass casualty incident
NFPA 3000 isn’t a tactical document or a policies and procedures manual; it’s a framework to develop programs that integrate planning, response and recovery to active shooter hostile events
Strategies for pre-planning and day-of execution of a successful active shooter drill or violent threat mass casualty exercise
Rescue crews are sifting through the rubble with hopes of finding survivors, and are still assessing the full extent of the damage
Since divers found a way over the weekend to enter the submerged ferry, the death count has shot up
A moment of silence at 7:51 p.m. marked the exact time of the leveling blast in a town that is recovering but still has a long way to go
Dispatchers tried to focus and calm students calling from the scene of the fiery collision with a Fed-Ex truck
Evacuation orders came too late for many now trapped on the ship; with more than still 270 missing, the death toll is expected to rise
A ferry carrying high school students sank off the coast; rescuers fear the death toll could rise drastically despite a frantic, hours-long rescue
“You just have to stay calm and be a steady voice, and just talk to them about things other than what naturally is going on,” she said
Investigators haven’t found evidence confirming a witness’ claim that the truck was on fire before it crossed the median and collided with the bus, killing 10
Neighbors described a horrific scene where victims on fire were screaming for help
The 16-year-old was stabbed in the back, and another student applied pressure to his wound until paramedics arrived
The high school students were on a college tour; some escaped through a window before the bus burst into flames, and responders set up a triage scene for at least 36 injured
She her baby were among the few pulled from the rubble alive: “I held onto that baby like it was the only purpose that I had,” she said. “I did not let that baby go for one second”
Only three of those killed in the March 22 disaster are still unidentified; the missing list has gone down to 12 from 13
Rescue teams continue the search for victims and work to identify bodies
The funeral for Lt. Edward Walsh is today and firefighter Michael Kennedy’s funeral will be aired Thursday
Boston EMS Incident Commander Neil P. Blackington shares his strategy and lessons learned from the blaze that killed two firefighters
The number of confirmed dead increased from 18 to 21; searchers are worried about dysentery, tetanus and contamination
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
