NCJ Number
59902
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 48 Issue: 8 Dated: (AUGUST 1979) Pages: 17-19
Date Published
1979
Length
3 pages
Annotation
FOCUSING ON THE NEED FOR MORE ADEQUATE HANDLING OF AIR CRASHES, THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES KEY ELEMENTS OF THE INTEGRATED PLANNING PROCESS FOR POLICE RESCUE OPERATIONS.
Abstract
FAVORED BY THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, THIS WELL-COORDINATED APPROACH TO FACILITATING RESCUE OPERATIONS CONSISTS OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE ROUTES, MARSHALING AREA, JOINT COMMAND POST, INFORMATION AND PRESS CENTER, MEDICAL EVACUATION, AND TEMPORARY MORGUE. SINCE THE TIMELY ARRIVAL OF EMERGENCY UNITS DEPENDS ON THE PROPER POLICING OF PREDETERMINED EMERGENCY RESPONSE ROUTES, PREDESIGNATED CONTROL POINTS SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO EXCLUDE NONEMERGENCY VEHICLES FROM THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE ROUTES. THE MARSHALING AREA, DESIGNATED BY THE OFFICER IN CHARGE AT THE SCENE OF THE EMERGENCY, MUST BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE SCENE FOR THE EXPEDITIOUS MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES (DRIVEN BY RESPONDING PERSONNEL OR CONTAINING FUEL FOR EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT) BUT LOCATED SO AS NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THE RESCUE OPERATION. AT THE OUTSET OF A DISASTER INVOLVING MORE THAN ONE AGENCY, A JOINT COMMAND POST SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO DIRECT, MONITOR, AND CONTROL THE OPERATION. SIMILARLY, AN INFORMATION AND PRESS CENTER SHOULD BE SET UP TO CHANNEL ALL INFORMATION. IN ADDITION, AT THE SIGNAL OF A CRASH, PREDESIGNATED SPECIALIST TRAUMA TEAMS SHOULD ASSEMBLE AT EACH HOSPITAL INCORPORATED INTO THE DISASTER PLAN, TO BE AIRLIFTED BY HELICOPTER TO THE AIRPORT. TREATMENT OF THE INJURED CAN THEN BEGIN IN THE MOBILE HOSPITAL VAN OR IN A MOBILE INFLATIBLE UNIT WHICH MAY ACCOMPANY THE FIRE UNITS. WHEN THE PATIENTS' CONDITIONS ARE STABLE, EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS BY HELICOPTER OR AMBULANCE CAN BEGIN. FINALLY A TEMPORARY MORGUE SHOULD BE LOCATED CLOSE TO THE CRASH AREA WHERE BODIES CAN BE SORTED AND TAGGED FOR IDENTIFICATION. PHOTOGRAPHS AND A CHART ARE PROVIDED. (WJR)