This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
This section provides guidance on the specialist resources and capabilities that may be involved or activated during a major incident.
For further information, go to Chapter 3 of the Emergency Response and Recovery guidance. This outlines the roles and responsibilities of the main agencies and sectors that are likely to become engaged in the response to, and recovery from, emergencies at the local level.
Further information on major incidents that involve fatalities can be found in the sections on:
- Incidents involving fatalities
- Casualty Bureau (which can apply both with and without fatalities)
- Excess death
There is also more information on specialist operational resources available in the Emergency procedures: Initial response and command authorised professional practice (APP).
Fire and rescue services
The primary areas of fire and rescue responsibility at a major incident are:
- the saving of life through search and rescue
- firefighting and fire prevention
- rendering humanitarian services
- detection, identification, monitoring and management of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) and protecting the environment
- provision of qualified scientific advice in relation to HAZMAT incidents via their scientific advisors
- salvage and damage control
- safety management within the inner cordon
- to maintain emergency service cover throughout and return to a state of normality at the earliest time
Ambulance service
The primary areas of ambulance service responsibility at a major incident are to:
- save life together with the other emergency services
- provide treatment, stabilisation and care of casualties at the scene
- provide appropriate transport, medical staff, equipment and resources
- establish an effective triage sieve and sort system, prioritising the needs and evacuation requirements of the injured and establish a safe location for casualty clearing
- provide a focal point at the incident for all National Health Service (NHS) and other medical resources
- nominate and alert receiving hospitals for the injured and inform other agencies
- arrange the most appropriate means of transporting the injured to hospitals
- maintain emergency cover throughout the local ambulance service area and return to a state of normality at the earliest time
- act as a portal into the wider health services including UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England)