Deck 11: Multiple-Casualty Incidents and Incident Management

Question 1

You are responsible for leading the triage team at the scene of an explosion at a local shopping mall. Which of the following should be your FIRST action when beginning the triage process?

A) Tag all deceased patients as Black.
B) Task two responders with triaging all children.
C) Ask anyone who can walk to come to you.
D) Ask the treatment officer to prepare to receive patients.

Answer 1

Ask anyone who can walk to come to you.

Question 2

Which of the following is the best definition of a multiple-casualty incident?

A) Any incident with more than one patient
B) A situation in which more than one ambulance is needed
C) Any incident in which situational demands overwhelm resources
D) A situation in which there are more than three patients

Answer 2

Any incident in which situational demands overwhelm resources

Question 3

Which of the following BEST describes the National Incident Management System?

A) A uniform, yet flexible, system
B) A rigid set of protocols
C) The minimum acceptable standard for MCI operations
D) A recommended list of job tasks for MCIs

Answer 3

A uniform, yet flexible, system

Question 4

You and your EMT partner arrive at the scene of a vehicle collision and find that the collision involved a large van and a school bus full of children. Your first action should be to:

A) begin triaging patients.
B) declare an MCI and establish yourself as incident commander.
C) call for an air ambulance.
D) inform dispatch that you may need additional resources.

Question 5

Which of the following scenarios would benefit from pre-incident planning in anticipation of a possible MCI?

A) Outdoor music festival with expected attendance of 10,000
B) Major road closure due to construction
C) Increasing incidence of national terrorist activity
D) The first winter storm of the season

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a stage of typical disaster management?

A) Planning
B) Response
C) Recovery
D) Investigation

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a functional unit of the EMS branch during a multiple-casualty incident?

A) Triage
B) Treatment
C) Morgue
D) Staging

Question 8

The major functional areas of the National Incident Management System include all of the following EXCEPT:

A) command.
B) logistics.
C) planning.
D) execution.

Question 9

During an MCI, which section is responsible for procuring and distributing equipment and supplies?

A) Operations
B) Equipment
C) Logistics
D) Finance

Question 10

While triaging patients at a MCI, you find a 19-year-old female patient who is awake and breathing 32 times/minute. She has a rapid radial pulse and what appears to be partial thickness burns on both legs. According to the START triage system, how should this patient be categorized?

A) Red
B) Green
C) Yellow
D) Black

Question 11

Span of control refers to:

A) the number of individuals a supervisor can safely manage.
B) the geographical area an incident covers.
C) how many incident commanders are needed for a given MCI.
D) how many division leaders an incident commander appoints.

Question 12

During an MCI, which section collects information such as weather reports, documents incident actions, and develops contingency plans?

A) Operations
B) Logistics
C) Finance
D) Planning

Question 13

Which of the following is TRUE regarding incident commanders?

A) They make decisions in conjunction with the medical director.
B) They hold full legal authority for decision making.
C) They must clear all decisions with the logistics coordinator.
D) They are not liable for decisions made during an MCI.

Question 14

The Incident Command System was initially developed as a management tool for:

A) natural disasters.
B) large-scale fires.
C) urban violent crimes.
D) rural EMS agencies.

Question 15

While triaging patients at a MCI, you find a 22-year-old man who is not breathing. After you open the airway, the patient takes a breath. You should:

A) tag as "immediate" and move on.
B) apply oxygen and move on.
C) assess perfusion status.
D) assess mental status.

Question 16

Which of the following supervisors is responsible for coordinating placement of ambulances waiting to transport patients?

A) Staging officer
B) Treatment supervisor
C) Transport unit supervisor
D) EMS officer

Question 17

Which of the following incidents would be classified as an "open incident"?

A) A collapse of a grocery store roof in a heavy rain
B) People shot by a coworker at a factory
C) A three-vehicle collision on a highway
D) A gas pipeline explosion along a stretch of rural road

Question 18

Which of the following incidents would be classified as a "closed incident"?

A) A two-vehicle collision
B) A building fire
C) A grain storage bin collapse
D) Persons sprayed with mace at a club

Question 19

Under the Incident Command System, who is responsible for monitoring all on-scene actions and ensuring that they do not create any potentially harmful conditions?

A) Incident commander
B) Safety officer
C) Tactical liaison
D) OSHA representative

Question 20

The site from which civil government officials exercise direction and control in an emergency or disaster is called the:

A) mutual aid coordination center (MACC).
B) emergency aid and operations center (EAOC).
C) incident command center (ICC).
D) mobile dispatch coordination center (MDCC).

Question 21

Which of the following is the most important goal to achieve in the initial minutes of an MCI?

A) Implementation of the NIMS
B) Proper triage
C) Designation of an IC
D) Good assessment of resources needed

Question 22

A 56-year-old man is breathing 20 times per minute and has a weak radial pulse. He is confused but able to follow commands. According to the START triage system, how should this patient be categorized?

A) Minor
B) Delayed
C) Immediate
D) Urgent

Question 23

Which specialized unit, designed to support on-scene responders, may be established at large-scale incidents?

A) Debriefing unit
B) CISD unit
C) Fatigue unit
D) Rehab unit

Question 24

Disaster mental health services should be available:

A) following any MCI.
B) both immediately after the incident and in the following weeks.
C) to all personnel involved in an incident.
D) All of the above

Question 25

Which of the following would NOT be an appropriate decision for the transportation unit supervisor?

A) Placing two critical patients in one ambulance
B) Sending a less critical patient to hospital in another county
C) Communicating directly with staged ambulance crews
D) Tracking the number of patients sent to each hospital

Question 26

Which of the following patients would be tagged "red" using the START system?

A) A 43-year-old who has a respiratory rate of 28 and a radial pulse, who is screaming to get her to the hospital
B) A 36-year-old displaying no respirations with manual airway techniques, with a weak carotid pulse
C) A 30-year-old with respirations of 24 and a radial pulse, who cannot follow commands
D) A 16-year-old with a patent airway and a radial pulse, who is able to walk

Question 27

Which of the following is TRUE of MCI drills?

A) You should never tell anyone they are going to a drill, because they won't take it seriously.
B) They are not necessary for small, rural departments.
C) They are effective only if you can provide real-life moulage and props.
D) All agencies should drill, and never say, "It will never happen here."

Question 28

You have been assigned the job of staging officer at a multiple-casualty incident. This means :

A) you are responsible for staging all supplies and equipment needed by the treatment unit.
B) you must work directly with incident command to ensure the financial needs of the operation are met.
C) you must organize and prepare all waiting ambulances to transport patients.
D) you are responsible for determining which patients go to which hospitals.

Question 29

When transferring incident command, which of the following must be done?

A) Signed handover of command.
B) All sector commanders must agree on the transfer.
C) Approval must be obtained from the medical director.
D) A face-to-face transfer.

Question 30

You are the first to arrive on the scene of a collapse of a balcony at an apartment building. You are met by a man whose arm is nearly severed, and you can see exposed bone and muscle tissue. Bleeding seems to be minimal. What is your next course of action?

A) This is a life-threating injury, so treat it immediately and call for additional resources.
B) This is an "open incident," so using START he is a "green" patient. Have him sit in a safe area, apply a basic dressing to control bleeding, and, if possible, find someone to monitor him. Perform the scene size-up and triage.
C) This is a "closed incident." Perform a scene size-up and treat this patient. Any other incoming units can continue treating people as they are found.
D) Take him to the ambulance.

Question 31

Which of the following best describes scene size-up for an MCI?

A) Constructing a diagram of the scene for use by incident command
B) An assessment of how many patients are in need of priority care
C) A quick assessment of the incident type and any immediately obvious hazards
D) The exact description of the incident and how many resources are needed to mitigate it

Question 32

How long should it take you to triage one patient during an MCI?

A) Less than 10 seconds
B) As long as it takes to obtain a set of vital signs
C) Less than 30 seconds
D) Less than 1 minute

Question 33

You and your partner have just been relieved of duty at the scene of a school bus rollover. You feel fatigued and emotionally "blank." Which of the following actions would be most helpful to you?

A) Detailed debriefing with a supervisor
B) Replaying the incident in your mind
C) Discussing the patients you cared for with your family
D) Resting and ensuring that your basic needs are met

Question 34

You have responded to an explosion on a subway train. Because you are a paramedic, the incident commander tells you to report to the treatment unit. Which of the following treatment areas would be the most appropriate location for you to report to?

A) Immediate, "red" area
B) Delayed, "yellow" area
C) Critical, "black" area
D) Non-urgent, "green" area