Incident Command for EMS 2025 – Organizing Chaos
This session is designed to help Prehospital Care Practitioners, Firefighters and other participants manage EMS incidents involving Mass Casualties using the Incident Command System (ICS). A Mass Casualty Incident is best described as an incident that places excessive demands on EMS personnel, equipment and the EMS system. Some EMS Practitioners refer to this as Chaos.
In some case’s an incident with three (3) or more patients can be considered an MCI. Mass Casualty Incidents can include Apartment and Highrise fires, Acts of Gang Violence, Motor Vehicle Collisions and School Shootings. Mass Casualty events can occur anywhere including concerts, sporting events, parades, holiday celebrations, music festivals, protest & spring break.
During this session we will learn the Incident Command System for EMS and the importance of using a Unified Command System for large scale incidents. We will look at the different roles of responders and how working together can help manage incidents with less confusion, stress and problems. We will demonstrate how ICS can help you manage both small and large EMS incidents.
We will review the importance of setting up EMS sectors including Triage, Treatment, Transport and Staging. We will discuss how Triage Tags, Tarps & Ribbons can help you sort and manage incidents involving lots of patients. We will also discuss reunification.
At the end of the session, hopefully you will have gathered enough information to help you to “Organize Chaos” and properly manage your EMS incident.
Objectives:
- Understand the Universal Incident Command System
- Understand the importance of setting up sectors.
- Understand how to communicate using the ICS.
- Have a better understanding of how to strategically place your personnel and equipment.
- will discuss the need to use triage, treatment, transportation and staging officers.
- Learn how to effectively use your equipment and resources.
- Understand the importance of using a Unified Command System for large incidents.