Critical Incident Management
I was just dispatched to a motor vehicle accident. A quick assessment of the situation revealed there are at least three motor vehicles disabled and a gasoline fuel tanker is involved and is leaking fuel. I was able to determine that I will need to arrange for medical evacuation for nine personnel. It was evident to me that as the first arriving senior responder. I would need to implement the Incident Command System. I immediately requested six additional law enforcement patrols, four EMS Paramedics, The State Department of Transportation Public Works HAZMAT Team from the Highway Department, and the Fire Department to include fire suppression, fire rescue, and hazardous material cleanup team. I am now the incident commander, and for the time being, I will use my patrol car as the Incident Command Post. My highest priority is to look after the life and safety of the emergency responders. However my priority of work would be to get the injured personnel evacuated, then road cleaned up and then restore traffic flow to its original state. I will additionally request the tow truck services for the three motor vehicles and the fuel truck. As I continued to assess the situation additional law enforcement personnel were arriving. I directed arriving patrols to emplace cones and flares on both sides of the highway designated one of them as the traffic safety officer. Then I explained the way I wanted the scene secured and he assisted other officers with that. My patrol partner just arrived in his own patrol car. I immediately assigned him as the Information Officer, the local news vans and trucks and other onlookers are beginning to close on my position, which is approximately 300 meters north of the accident scene. My partner is emplacing police tape and instructing all personnel to stand by at the designated cordoned area. I informed my partner that the highway is now closed in both directions except for emergency vehicles. In addition he has established a staging
References: Curtis, G. E., & McBride, R. B. (2011). Proactive Security Administration. Boston: Prentice Hall. Maniscalco, P. M., & Dr. Christen, H. T. (2011). Homeland Security, Principal and Practices of Terrorism Response. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Publishers U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Simplified Guide to the Incident Command System for TRANSPORTATION PROFESSIONALS (FEB 2006) as retrieved on 21 April 2012 from: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/ics_guide/ics_guide.pdf