First Response Emergency Services Academy

In a road crash that becomes a Mass Casualty Incident (MCI), three public safety pillars should respond in a coordinated way: police, fire–rescue, and EMS. Each has a distinct but complementary role that must fit into one organized incident command.

Police
Police are usually first to arrive and secure the scene. They should:

Assume or support incident command until it is formally handed off.

Make the scene safe by controlling traffic, setting perimeters, and preventing secondary crashes or crowd interference.

Preserve evidence and manage information flow while still allowing EMS and fire–rescue to work.

Fire and rescue
Fire–rescue focuses on hazards and technical rescue. They should:

Assess and control fire, fuel leaks, electricity, and other dangers.

Stabilize and, if needed, cut or lift vehicles to free trapped patients safely.

Support triage and patient movement once immediate hazards are under control.

EMS (pre‑hospital care)
EMS leads the medical side of the incident. They should:

Establish medical command and organize triage, treatment, and transport areas.

Perform rapid triage (e.g., START/JumpSTART), tag patients, and prioritize who leaves the scene first.

Coordinate with hospitals, assign patients to facilities, and ensure that ambulances are turned around quickly for additional loads.

How they should work together?

Under an incident command system, the first qualified officer on scene announces command, gives an initial size‑up (location, hazards, estimated number of patients), and calls for appropriate resources. Police secure and control the outer ring, fire–rescue makes the inner scene safe and extricates, and EMS builds the medical system inside that safe space—triaging, treating, and transporting according to clear protocols.

A well‑managed Road Safety Incident Management system means no one works in isolation: communications are shared, roles are understood in advance, and every decision serves one priority—moving the greatest number of patients from danger to definitive care in the shortest safe time.