It has been said that rendering aid during a mass casualty incident (MCI) is trying to create order out of chaos. When most people hear the term “mass casualty incident,” it conjures up images of major catastrophic events: hurricanes, terrorist attacks, plane crashes, etc. Those are all prime examples to be sure, but an MCI can happen anytime and anywhere. Simply put, an MCI is any scenario in which those needing aid outnumber those able to provide it.
The occurrences of MCIs are few and far between. But sadly, not as few and not as far between as one might think. They can be naturally occurring or man-made, accidental or intentional. Natural disasters, hostile events, civil unrest, even multi-passenger vehicle accidents — to name a few — happen all around us at an alarming rate. Imagine you’re near, or even involved in an MCI, but are fortunate enough to be minimally injured or completely unharmed. In many situations, first responders are immediately on their way. In others, emergency response resources are far away or overwhelmed and help could be hours or even days away.
There are a few options at that point: You could determine the catastrophe is the responsibility of those who are trained to provide aid and stand aside, or you could do whatever you can, regardless of training, to provide assistance. Obviously, performing
