CEP CEP Mass Casualty Incidents & Disaster Response 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the START triage system, what is the first step after opening the airway of an apneic patient?
- Tag as IMMEDIATE
- Begin rescue breathing
- Tag as DECEASED/EXPECTANT (Correct answer)
- Reposition and reassess breathing
Correct answer: Tag as DECEASED/EXPECTANT
In START triage, if a patient remains apneic after a single airway repositioning attempt, they are tagged DECEASED/EXPECTANT (black) and the responder moves on.
Question 2: Which of the following correctly describes the IMMEDIATE (RED) category in the START triage system?
- Respirations > 30/min OR no radial pulse OR unresponsive to commands (Correct answer)
- Minor injuries ambulatory patients
- Expected to survive without immediate care
- Dead or unsurvivable injuries
Correct answer: Respirations > 30/min OR no radial pulse OR unresponsive to commands
RED/IMMEDIATE patients have respirations > 30/min, absent radial pulse, or inability to follow simple commands, indicating life-threatening but salvageable injuries.
Question 3: What is the recommended command structure at a mass casualty incident (MCI)?
- Unified Command
- Incident Command System (ICS) (Correct answer)
- Medical Command only
- NIMS Strike Team structure
Correct answer: Incident Command System (ICS)
The Incident Command System (ICS) is the standardized management structure used at all MCIs to coordinate multi-agency response.
Question 4: In a CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) event, what is the primary goal of the HOT zone?
- Treatment of critical patients
- Decontamination of victims
- Source control and initial rescue only (Correct answer)
- Staging of medical resources
Correct answer: Source control and initial rescue only
The HOT zone is the area of immediate danger where only source control and rapid rescue are performed — no treatment occurs there.
Question 5: What does the acronym METHANE stand for in MCI reporting?
- Major incident, Exact location, Type, Hazards, Access, Number of casualties, Emergency services required (Correct answer)
- Medical, Environmental, Triage, Hazmat, Assessment, Needs, Evacuation
- Mass incident, Exact type, Treatment zone, Hospital notification, Ambulance route, Number, Evacuation
- Major incident, Estimated victims, Triage level, Hospitals alerted, Access routes, Needs, Emergency contact
Correct answer: Major incident, Exact location, Type, Hazards, Access, Number of casualties, Emergency services required
METHANE is the standardized MCI report format: Major incident declared, Exact location, Type of incident, Hazards, Access and egress, Number of casualties, Emergency services required.
Question 6: During a hazmat incident, decontamination should occur in which zone?
- HOT zone
- WARM zone (decon corridor) (Correct answer)
- COLD zone
- Outside the perimeter
Correct answer: WARM zone (decon corridor)
Decontamination is performed in the WARM zone (also called the contamination reduction zone) using a decon corridor before victims enter the COLD zone.
CEP CEP Mass Casualty Incidents & Disaster Response 1
In the START triage system, what is the first step after opening the airway of an apneic patient?