Police Scotland Probationer Training Programme PDF, Major Incidents

OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4...

OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Learning Aim: The learner will be able to explain procedural considerations when carrying out initial responses at Major, Operationally Challenging and Critical Incidents Learning Outcomes: Introduction On successful completion of the lesson, A Major Incident is defined as: students will be able to:- "An event or situation with a range of serious consequences which requires special 1. State you initial actions at the scene of a arrangements to be implemented by one or Major, Critical or Operationally more emergency responder agency". Challenging Incident. A Major Incident can be declared by a police 2. Explain the ‘METHANE’ mnemonic. officer of any rank. It should be noted that other agencies have their own protocols for declaring a Major Incident. 3. Explain the purpose of ‘inner’ and Potentially what has occurred at a particular ‘outer’ Cordons. scene may be a Major Incident for the Fire and Rescue Service but not necessarily for 4. Confirm the relationship between the Police. A good example of this would be ‘scene and siege’ incident the Glasgow Art School Fires, in this case the responses. scene was a Major Incident for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), however as there were no persons injured the police and 5. Explain what a Critical Incident is. ambulance responses were relatively routine. Police essentially controlled traffic around the road closures in the city centre whilst the Ambulance Service were on a standby operation in support of the Fire Fighters. In such incidents the Police will still respond and appoint a Police Incident Officer (PIO) to coordinate the response in support of whichever agency has declared a Major Incident. The role of the police is to coordinate the activities of responding agencies [except in maritime incidents where this is the role of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)] under the direction of the Procurator Fiscal, in relation to the investigation of the incident and the identification of the dead. 1 th Amended 7 March 2024 v.3 OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Operationally Challenging Incident An Operationally Challenging Incident would be regarded as any incident which in the prevailing circumstances has the potential to compromise the ability of the Force to provide an appropriate and professional response without the use of specialist support and/or the redeployment of additional resources from other duties. For example, it is not possible to define what constitutes "An Operationally Challenging Incident" because the operational challenges which front line Officers face will vary significantly depending on such factors as the nature and time of the incident, the location/environment, the availability of resources and/or specialist support etc. A Major Incident, if called by the police, will by definition also be an Operationally Challenging Incident for the Police however an Operationally Challenging Incident will not necessarily be a Major Incident. Indeed relatively few Operationally Challenging Incidents will meet the definition of a Major Incident (see the specific definition of what constitutes a Major Incident). The first officers at the scene of a Major Incident or Operationally Challenging Incident play a vital role in the outcome of the incident. You need to remain calm at times of crisis and avoid undue stress which may affect your ability to communicate effectively with others while passing important information. Activity 1 A1 A water main has burst in Mill Road, Brookbank a few yards from the railway bridge. It has caused most of the road to collapse and the railway bridge may also be under threat. Also, nearby are the Sidings Shopping Mall, Brookbank General Hospital, Sheriff Court and the Police Station. In your groups list the considerations that may be required in dealing with such an incident. 2 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Initial Actions of a First Responder Upon arrival at a Major, Critical or Operationally Challenging incident, the first responder will now be assessing their priorities as to the severity of the situation and how best to deal with it and what assistance is required, if any. As a first responder you will need to remain calm and avoid undue stress to enable you to communicate effectively with others while passing important information. Assess your priorities and consider the following:- Decide if it is a Major Incident and declare it following the METHANE principal (see page 5) Preserve Life - remember initially not to get involved in rescue until it is both safe and effective to do so Prevent escalation Ensure the safety of all Preservation of the scene - secure evidence Minimise disruption to community Secure/detain offenders Ensure due process of law Return to normality Not all aspects will be required in every situation and after preservation of life they are not in order of importance. The first responder to the scene may declare a ‘Major Incident’. The controller will then ask them to identify a Police Incident Officer (PIO) or Bronze Commander. The PIO is the officer at the locus who is in charge of the incident. This could be you until responsibility is handed over to another officer. 3 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Command Structure There are three basic levels of command:- Bronze - Operational Commander (The officer in charge at the scene). Silver - Tactical Commander (An Officer operating remotely to facilitate and support the needs of the Bronze Commander). Gold - Strategic Commander (A Senior Officer with an overview of the entire incident). Not every Major Incident will require all three levels of command support. The particular level or structure applied to any given incident will be informed by the severity and complexities involved. Whilst these structures are designed to support the command of a Major Incident they can also be adopted and adapted to assist in the management of an operationally challenging incident that has not yet been declared a "Major Incident". Feedback 1 F1 This list is by no means exhaustive, here are just a few considerations: Traffic Management - Diversions to lead traffic away from the affected area and prevent unnecessary congestion. Request a surveyor attends to assess the structural viability of the Railway Bridge, consider the cancellation of trains when notifying Network Rail. Evacuation of surrounding buildings, temporarily closing the shopping mall. Advising/ diverting commuters utilising buses, pedestrians. Access to the Hospital, ensure to notify the hospital in case there are any issues regarding vulnerable patients and appointments. 4 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Feedback 1 Continued F1 Water supply, contact relevant party to attend and switch off water supply. Duration of incident, contingencies will need to be put in place if the incident is going to be prolonged. Use of Media to make the public aware so they can plan ahead for travel purposes. Consider access to Sheriff Court and Police Station (is this a custody suite with potential for evacuation of prisoners). Approaching the Scene The first officer on scene should always treat the initial incident as a crime scene until proved otherwise or in situations involving natural disasters. Identify a safe path/route. Your safety is paramount and if threatened will render you unable to offer any further assistance. If you attend an incident that you believe is a Major Incident it is of paramount importance that you state this clearly to your Area Control Room (ACR) as soon as is reasonably practicable utilising the following mnemonic:- METHANE Major Incident declared? Be clear and specific on your Airwave, is this a Major Incident? If so, clearly state, "I am declaring a Major Incident". Exact Location? What is the exact location or geographical area of the incident? Be as precise as possible. Utilise landmarks if appropriate. Type of Incident? What type of incident is it? e.g., flooding, fire, CBRN, explosion etc... 5 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Hazards Present, potential or suspected? Consider potential severity of the impact. What hazards are present? Flammable or noxious substances? Are casualties nearby? Access/ Rendezvous Point (RVP) Access routes that are safe to use? Which is the safest point for the emergency services to gather. What is the easiest, safest and/or quickest way to the scene? Remember ambulances need egress routes as well. Number, type, severity of casualties? Be as accurate as possible. Are they walking wounded or unable to move? Emergency services present and those required? What services are already there and who else do you need? Forward Control Point (FCP) Usually the first officer to arrive at the scene will take appropriate immediate measures to assess and report the extent of the problem. Two cordons (inner and outer) should be established in consultation with other emergency services’ personnel, when appropriate. The cordons should be established as soon as practicable after the incident. The creation of an inner cordon should be regarded as an early priority, securing the hazard area as soon as possible. To facilitate this a safe and suitable initial Forward Control Point (FCP) should be within the outer cordon. Near enough to the inner cordon to assist maintaining command and control but not so close as to be dangerous or a hindrance. Normally the first police vehicle to arrive at the scene will be set up close to the incident site. The vehicle should be distinguishable and identifiable as the initial FCP by use of its blue lights. Other police vehicles should extinguish their blue lights unless they are required for safety reasons, for example protecting a scene on a dark road. 6 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Other agency commanders attend here to facilitate the necessary shared awareness and joint understanding of risks required for the multi-agency command of the incident. Officers should carry out a dynamic risk assessment and be aware of the HAZARDS posed by ignition sources such as radios, vehicle engines and potential hazardous substances. Do not get immediately involved in rescue work. As a Police Officer our primary role is to preserve life, however in the event of a Major Incident it is essential that despite the enormity of the incident you must not immediately become involved in any attempt at rescuing, it will be very difficult not to, however, attempting to or indeed successfully rescuing one person, may put others at risk. The first Officer on scene should instead be providing a METHANE update. This will in turn ensure that appropriate support is immediately put in place to manage the incident going forward thereby minimising the impact on those affected. Only after completing the METHANE brief to the ACR should the first Officer on scene consider assisting in the rescue effort and then, only to the extent that such efforts will not interfere with the officer’s initial command responsibilities as PIO. Rendezvous Point (RVP)/ Marshalling Area The Rendezvous Point (RVP) is where the resources attending book in. This enables the PIO to know who is there and what support is available. Sometimes the RVP and the Marshalling Area are one and the same but depending on the availability of suitable space it may well be that having booked in at the RVP vehicles and equipment may be sent to a separate Marshalling Area to await deployment. The RVP will be within the outer cordon. Commence Log Initially you can utilise your police issue notebook or mobile device, however a Tri-Service or Major Incident Log should be used as soon as practicable. These should be available in your police vehicle. 7 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Initial responsibilities of PIO Maintain contact with the Area Control Room (ACR) and consider requesting a dedicated Airwave talk group to prevent confusion. Co-ordinate response of emergency services at scene. Police will chair multi agency meetings. Act as PIO until relieved by an officer of more senior rank (if appropriate). Inner and Outer Cordons Outer Cordon CCS ALP Inner Cordon RVP Incident MA Safe Route FCP Wind Direction MLP Forward Ambulance FCP Control ALP Loading Point Point Casualty Media CCS Clearing MLP Liaison Station Point Rendezvous Marshalling RVP MA Point Area 8 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Note:- Not every incident will require all aspects of the diagram. Police cordons are used to guard the scene of an incident, protect the public, control onlookers, and to prevent unauthorised interference. They are considered essential as they form part of the overall incident structure and provide a secure area between the cordons for responders to operate within. Inner Cordon This cordon provides immediate security of the incident site and allow operations at the incident site to continue in safety and without interruption. Only those who are appropriately trained and in full PPE should be allowed within the inner cordon. It should be recognised that within this inner cordon there may be special hazards or the potential for extreme danger (e.g., unstable buildings or chemicals). By default, the responsibility for the inner cordon will rest on the PIO however they may find it beneficial to seek advice from personnel from other organisations, particularly the fire service. Responsibility for the inner cordon may by agreement, be passed to the Fire Incident Commander particularly where Fire Personnel are deployed directly within the hazard zone with specialist equipment and expertise. In such circumstances the SFRS will assume responsibility for access into the inner cordon (the hazard area), this includes potentially excluding the police and ambulance service personnel, all as dictated by safety considerations and the particular hazards involved. Outer Cordon This cordon controls a wide area surrounding the incident site. The purpose of the outer cordon is to create a secure area to accommodate all of the resources and equipment needed to tackle the hazard within the inner cordon. The outer cordon can also serve the purpose of preventing members of the public and the media gaining access to the area surrounding the incident site. Whilst posted to an outer cordon you may be approached by the media. They will be keen to elicit information regarding the ongoing 9 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents incident and you should be careful not to divulge information that the incident commander would not want to be in the public domain. You can refer the media to the Media Liaison Point (MLP) for further information. The space required within this controlled area is very much dependent on the type and scope of the incident and the availability of personnel. To assist in establishing a cordon, as much use as possible should be made of fences, walls and natural boundaries. All access and exit points should be staffed and persons seeking access vetted. The distance between the inner and outer cordon should be large enough for the responders to work within and keep all within this area safe. Where possible avoid including domestic or commercial premises as police become responsible for these premises if they are included within the cordon. Scene and Siege Incident Responses It should be noted that siege incidents may not be a Major Incident for the police. These incidents may be better placed under Operationally Challenging Incidents or potentially Critical Incidents. The principles applied to the management of a Major Incident can where appropriate be applied effectively to the management of such incident. Up until now when referring to the initial responses of the police, we have used the term scene e.g. train crash, explosion, fire, and flood. The police may also be called to a siege incident WITH an example of this being a hostage type incident. The initial priorities, actions and structure of scene and siege incidents are fundamentally the same, the only difference being that other agencies may become involved. In relation to siege incidents Police Scotland’s policy is to contain, isolate, evacuate (if necessary) and negotiate. The first officer’s initial actions are almost identical to that of the Major Incident and the same priorities are followed as per page 3. 10 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Negotiations It should be noted that these types of incidents are unlikely to be a Major Incident. If you are the first officer to attend a siege incident it may be necessary to engage in informal negotiations with the perpetrator(s) until such times that a trained negotiator attends the scene. This is where your communications skills may be tested. The following list is to be used as a guide only:- Keep your Controller fully updated - METHANE Tone of voice used – Keep calm and use a neutral tone, verbal/non-verbal behaviour, utilise active listening. Safety of yourself and others - your positioning (e.g., avoid looking through the letter box) Ensure you have an escape route Make notes - negotiator will require all information Use open questions - avoid using "What do you want?" Instead consider using, "What has happened today?" or "How has it come to this?" Never make promises. Activity 2 A2 Discuss with your class what other agencies and departments you think may be required at a Major Incident? Critical Incident Is defined as: "Any incident where the effectiveness of the police response is likely to have a significant impact on the confidence of the victim, their family and or the community" An example of a potential critical incident may be a death in police custody or a hate crime targeting a vulnerable group. 11 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents The following criteria should be applied when considering if the incident or crime you are dealing with may be a critical incident:- Effectiveness - a measure of the professionalism, competence and integrity evident in the police response to an incident. Likely - all incidents that the police deal with could have a significant impact on confidence, but are they likely to? Significant Impact - significant should be interpreted as being particular to each incident but critically relates to the impact on the individual, family or community. Conclusion As an operational Police Officer, you will attend many incidents, some of which may have a significant impact on the communities we serve. It is important that you remain calm and apply the principles that you have learned, giving consideration to all the circumstances of the incident. As the police have a lead co-ordination role at most major, critical and operationally challenging incidents then the initial attending police officer in effect takes that lead co-ordination role until relieved, so use the learning and:- Send a METHANE format update to the Control Room Set up an FCP/ Identify initial RVP Put in place initial Inner and Outer cordons and identify safe routes to both FCP/RVP. If you follow these principles then your initial actions will go a long way to providing suitable solutions for a speedy conclusion and benefits for all those concerned. 12 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Feedback 2 F2 Did you consider? Authorised Firearms Officers Negotiators Public Order Trained Officers Tactical Advisors (Firearms/Public Order) Utilities (Gas/Electric) Fire Service Ambulance Police Dogs Helicopter Additional resources - potentially require mutual aid from other divisions. Coastguard Police horses, especially at anti-disorder events (football) Other police forces for example BTP (rail incidents) Wellbeing W At all times you should be aware of your own mental and physical wellbeing, as well as that of your colleagues. Talk to your supervisor or colleagues with any concerns you have. There are many support options available to you including TRiM counsellors and the Employee Assistance Programme. Please refer to Unit 5 lesson note on ‘Health and Wellbeing’ and information available on the Police Scotland intranet. 13 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents For further information, use the resources shown below:- Major Incident and Generic Scene Management SOP ‘JESIP’ App - available for download on police mobile device www.lifelines.scot Review: You can state your priorities and initial actions at the scene of a Major, Critical or Operationally Challenging Incident You can explain the mnemonic 'METHANE' and its meaning You can explain the purpose of 'Inner' and 'Outer' Cordons You can confirm the relationship between, 'scene and siege' incident responses You can explain what a Critical Incident is 14 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents Learning Log: How will what you have learned in this module impact your day-to- day role? Are there any skills or knowledge you would like to develop further following this module? End of Module 15 General Police Duties OFFICIAL  OFFICIAL Unit 7 Lesson 4 Major Incidents 16 General Police Duties OFFICIAL