A unified command was established in accordance with NYCTA’s Policy Instruction
8.1.2, “Procedures for Response to Rapid Transit Emergencies.” This document details the
actions that will be taken in response to a wide variety of specified emergencies.5 The FDNY,
NYC-EMS, and NYPD have all reviewed and agreed to the procedures, and all three are
signatories to the document.
By all accounts, much of the success of the operation can be related to the early
establishment of command and institution of an Incident Command System organizational
structure. This allowed commanders from the three agencies to make well-informed decisions
with input from the other agencies present. This was critical in establishing priorities, such as
preserving ambulance access to the bridge roadway. Once a command decision was made, all of
the affected agencies knew about it and could provide accurate and timely information to their
personnel.
One of the first sectors established by the NYC-EMS commander was triage. Following
the standard operating procedure for multiple casualty incidents (see Appendix A), the START
triage system was used to identify the order in which patients were to be treated and transported.
EMS personnel reported that familiarity with the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START)
triage system, because of its uniform use on major incidents, allowed them to implement triage
without delay.
Next » Rescue Techniques
Save to del.icio.us
