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Driving standards for those liaising emergency vehicles  

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Driving standards for those liaising emergency vehicles  

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How the severity of incidents are graded 2nd link

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How the severity of incidents are graded 2nd link

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The emergency services of some[which? ] countries use systems of response codes to categorize their responses to reported events.

One of the best known[according to whom? ] is the Code 3 Response, which is used in several[which? ] countries, particularly the United States, to describe a mode of response for an emergency vehicle responding to a call. It is commonly used to mean "use lights and siren".

Some slang may be used, such as "Running Hot", or "Running Cold".

Some departments may use the terms "upgrade" and "downgrade" as well. If a unit is responding to a call without lights or sirens (code 1), and the unit later needs to turn on lights and sirens (code 3), the term upgrade may be used. The term downgrade may be used in the opposite situation.

A similar variation is to "reduce" or "increase code." For example, if there is a code 3 response to a situation, but the first units on scene have sufficient control of the situation, they may announce over the radio that responding units may "reduce code." In this example, to "reduce code" would mean to continue responding, but at code 2, rather than discontinue altogether; to alert units to discontinue altogether- e.g., because the suspect is in custody or there are already enough officers on scene-they would likely say they are "code 4."

Some paramedic/ emergency medical service (EMS) agencies use Priority terms:

In the U.S. the National Incident Management System (NIMS) states "it is required that plain language be used for multi-agency, multi-jurisdiction and multi-discipline events, such as major disasters and exercises" and federal grants became contingent on this beginning fiscal year 2006. NIMS also strongly encourages the use of plain language for internal use within a single agency.

The use of lights and sirens is up to the individual police officer driving to the call. The nature of the call is an aggravating factor when deciding when to use them. Calls are graded by either the control room direct (in the case of emergency calls) or by some sort of first contact centre (nonemergency calls). Grading is effected by such factors as the use or threat of violence at the incident being reported. Even though the grading is done by the control room, officers can request an incident be upgraded if they feel in their judgement they are needed immediately. They can also request to downgrade an incident if they feel they cannot justify using emergency equipment like blue lights and sirens.

There is no nationally agreed call grading system with a number of different systems being used across the UK and attendance times given the grade varies between forces, depending on how rural the county is. For example, Suffolk Constabulary break down Grade A emergencies into further sub-categories of Grade A Urban and Rural, with Urban attendance times attracting a 15-minute arrival time and Grade A Rural attendance would attract a 20-minute arrival time. Some of these are listed below but is not exhaustive.

Another variant in use within the UK.

A numerical grading system is used in some forces.[failed verification ]

Grade (Status)

Meaning

Audible and visible emergency equipment

Ambulance responses in the UK are as follows. Some ambulance services allow driver discretion for Category 3/4 calls; this may be dependent on the type of call or how long it has been waiting for a response for. 999 calls to the ambulance service are triaged using either the NHS Pathways system or the Medical Priority Dispatch System.

Grade

Meaning

Audible and visible emergency equipment

Type of call

Initial response target

Response details

Category 1

Immediate Life Threat

Always used

Cardiac arrests, Choking?, Unconscious, Continuous seizure, Not alert after a fall or trauma, Allergic reaction with breathing problems, Major Incidents

7 min

Response time measured with arrival of first emergency responder

Will be attended by single responders and ambulance crews

Category 2

Emergency

Always used

Stroke patients, Fainting - not alert, Chest pain, Road Traffic Collisions, Major burns, Sepsis

18 min

Response time measured with arrival of transporting vehicle

Category 3

Urgent

Usually used (service policy dependent)

Falls, Fainting - now alert, Diabetic problems, Isolated limb fractures, Abdominal pain

120 min

Response time measured with arrival of transporting vehicle

Category 4

Less Urgent

No

Diarrhoea, Vomiting, Non-traumatic back pain, Health Care Professional admission

180 min

Maybe managed through hear and treat

Response time measured with arrival of transporting vehicle

GP Urgent

Urgent response

Not usually used

GP urgent admissions to hospital. Urgent interhospital transfers

1-4 hours or scheduled timeframe, decided by admitting HCP

The use of flashing lights and sirens is colloquially known as blues and twos which refers to the blue lights and the two-tone siren once commonplace (although most sirens now use a range of tones). In the UK, only blue lights are used to denote emergency vehicles (although other colours may also be used as sidelights, stop indicators, etc.). A call-out requiring the use of lights and sirens is often colloquially known as a blue light run.

Ambulance Victoria The information provided to Ambulance Victoria at the time of the triple zero call generates a case type and ambulance response code depending on the severity of the emergency.

There are three types of ambulance response:

Code 1: A time critical case with a lights and sirens ambulance response. An example is a cardiac arrest or serious traffic accident.

Code 2: An acute but non-time critical response. The ambulance does not use lights and sirens to respond. An example of this response code is a broken leg.

Code 3: A non-urgent routine case. These include cases such as a person with ongoing back pain but no recent injury.

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20140125194345/http://www.ambulance.vic.gov.au/About-Us/How-we-work/In-a-Medical-Emergency/Response-Codes.html

Please note additional codes are used, but these are for internal purposes.

Country Fire Authority There are two types of response for the Country Fire Authority which cover the outer Melbourne Area. These are similar to those used by Ambulance Victoria, minus the use of Code 2.

Code 1: A time critical event with response requiring lights and siren. This usually is a known and going fire or a rescue incident.

Code 2: Unused within the Country Fire Authority

Code 3: Non-urgent event, such as a previously extinguished fire or community service cases (such as animal rescue or changing of smoke alarm batteries for the elderly).

New South Wales

Marine Rescue NSW

Code 1 Urgent Response - Use warning devices

Code 2 Semi Urgent Response - Use of Warning devices at skippers discretion

Code 3 Non Urgent Response - Warning Devices not needed

Code 4 Training - No Warning devices to be used unless specifically needed for training

The New South Wales Rural Fire Service and the New South Wales State Emergency Service use two levels of response, depending on what the call-out is and what has been directed of the crew attending the incident by orders of the duty officer:

Proceed: To drive to an incident, without displaying lights and/or sirens and to obey all road rules.

Respond: To drive to an incident, urgently but safely, whilst displaying lights and/or sirens. Drivers are exempt from the road traffic act with some conditions, however both organisations have policies imposing further restrictions. The siren can be switched off at the discretion of the driver when it is not needed (for example, when the road ahead is clear of traffic and easily visible) and reactivated at possible traffic hazards.

The New South Wales Police Force uses two distinct classifications for responding to incidents. In order to respond 'code red' a driver must be suitably trained and have qualified in appropriate police driver training courses.

Code Red: Vehicle responding with lights and sirens activated.

Code Blue: Vehicle responding without lights or sirens activated.

SA Ambulance Service use a Priority system.

Note: Priorities 0 and 3 have been reserved for future use. Priority 9 is used for administration taskings.

The South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service, Country Fire Service and South Australian State Emergency Service use a Priority System which has been recently updated.

All calls are routed through the Metropolitan Fire Service (Call Sign "Adelaide Fire") including State Emergency Service 132 500 calls.

During significant weather events the State Communication Centre (SCC) unit of the SES take over call taking responsibly. This operations centre is manned by volunteers routing calls for assistance to the closest unit who will dispatch the events to individual teams.

Queensland Police uses the priority system:

Code 1 - Immediate risk of death to a person. Proceed lights and sirens. Permission granted to disobey road rules.

Code 2 - Immediate risk of serious injury to a person or damage to property. Proceed lights and sirens. Permission granted to disobey road rules.

Code 3 - Routine job. Proceed without lights or siren. Road rules must be obeyed.

Code 4 - Negotiated response time. Proceed without lights or siren. Road rules must be obeyed.

For Queensland Police code 1 and code 2 are exactly the same response time. Rarely will a job be given a priority code 1, instead officers will (in most cases) be told to respond code 2.

St John Ambulance Northern Territory uses terms to determine the response:

Emergency or Non-Emergency. Emergency can be broken down into Life-threatening or Non-life-threatening.

Emergency: Life-threatening - Respond lights and sirens

Emergency:Non-life-threatening - Respond without lights and sirens

Non Emergency: Respond without lights and sirens

St John Ambulance Western Australia uses the following codes to determine a response:

Priority 1 represents an Emergency call. (Response time target is to attend to 90% of emergency calls within 15 minutes)

Priority 2 represents an Urgent call. Use of lights authorised and siren allowed only when passing through heavy traffic and clearing intersections. (Response time target is to attend to 90% of urgent calls within 25 minutes)

Priority 3 represents a Non-urgent call. (response time target is to attend to 90% of non-urgent calls within 60 minutes) ..

The Western Australian Police uses the following codes from 1 to 7 to determine response actions:

Priority 1 is an emergency call. Lights and siren authorised. An example of a Priority 1 call would be an armed holdup call, or an officer down.

Priority 2 is a less urgent emergency call. Lights and siren authorised, but follow basic traffic rules. An example of a Priority 2 call is a serious shots fired or officer in trouble/officer requires urgent assistance

Priority 3 is an urgent call, lights and siren authorised, but follow basic traffic and road rules.

Priority 4 is a less urgent call. Lights and siren authorised but follow more advanced traffic rules and the speed limit.

Priority 5, 6, and 7 is a standard call. No lights or siren authorised and follow all traffic rules.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services have two response codes:

Fire Call is the response that authorises lights and sirens, and disobeying road laws within reason. This is the response for most calls, including bushfires and road crashes.

Normal Road is the second response that requires the appliance to follow road regulations and not use emergency lights and siren. This code is rarely used for initial responders, but is given to further appliances if the incident doesn't require immediate assistance. This is also the only code that the State Emergency Services are authorised to respond with.

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The emergency services of some[which? ] countries use systems of response codes to categorize their responses to reported events. One of the best known[according to whom? ] is the Code 3 Response, which is used in several[which? ] countries, particularly the United States, to describe a mode of response for an emergency vehicle responding to a call.

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Reliable and current

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Overview

The Emergency response and recovery guidance aims to establish good practice based on lessons identified from responding to and recovering from emergencies, both in the UK and internationally.

'Emergency response and recovery' is designed to complement Emergency preparedness, which sets out how the duties under the Civil Contingencies Act ( CCA) - 2004 and its supporting regulations should be implemented.

The guidance aims to further develop:

shared understanding of the multi-agency framework for emergency response and recovery at the local level, and the roles and responsibilities of individual organisations

shared understanding of the role of local, sub-national and national levels in emergency response, and how they will work together

a common frame of reference, especially concepts and language, for those involved in responding to emergencies

The guidance was updated in April 2010 and refreshed in July 2012 following the coroner's report on the 2005 London bombings. The changes made to this document reflect the learning, since version 1, published in November 2005. There is a consultation report (PDF, 214KB) which summarises the response to the March/April 2009 emergency response and recovery consultation and outlines our response.

The sections below are an introduction to the guidance. They detail the areas that each chapter covers, with links to the guidance document itself.

Who the guidance is for

While 'Emergency preparedness' is aimed principally at civil protection professionals, 'Emergency response and recovery' is likely to be useful to all staff of responder agencies, in particular senior officers or managers who may become involved in emergency response and recovery work. It is intended to be a stand-alone briefing document that can be used for training purposes in advance of emergencies and for reference purposes during emergencies.

This guidance is primarily aimed at an English and Welsh audience, and while it does describe emergency response and recovery arrangements in Scotland and Northern Ireland, it does so for context-setting purposes only. This guidance is relevant to both England and Wales unless otherwise stated.

Principles of effective response and recovery

Emergency response and recovery arrangements should be flexible and tailored to reflect circumstances, but will follow a common set of underpinning principles. These principles guide the response and recovery effort at all levels - from local to national.

There are 8 guiding principles.

Anticipation

Ongoing risk identification and analysis is essential to the anticipation and management of the direct, indirect and interdependent consequences of emergencies.

Preparedness

All organisations and individuals that might have a role to play in emergency response and recovery should be properly prepared and be clear about their roles and responsibilities.

Subsidiarity

Decisions should be taken at the lowest appropriate level, with co-ordination at the highest necessary level. Local agencies are the building blocks of the response to and recovery from an emergency of any scale.

Direction

Clarity of purpose comes from a strategic aim and supporting objectives that are agreed, understood and sustained by all involved. This will enable the prioritisation and focus of the response and recovery effort.

Information

Information is critical to emergency response and recovery and the collation, assessment, verification and dissemination of information must be underpinned by appropriate information management systems. These systems need to support single and multi-agency decision making and the external provision of information that will allow members of the public to make informed decisions to ensure their safety.

Integration

Effective co-ordination should be exercised between and within organisations and levels (ie local and national) in order to produce a coherent, integrated effort.

Co-operation

Flexibility and effectiveness depends on positive engagement and information sharing between all agencies and at all levels.

Continuity

Emergency response and recovery should be grounded in the existing functions of organisations and familiar ways of working, albeit on a larger scale, to a faster tempo and in more testing circumstances.

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 2 - principles of effective response and recovery.

Useful documents

Terminology

Civil protection lexicon - a lexicon of terminology for multi-agency, local strategic operations

Responsible agencies: who responds to emergencies

Chapter 3 of the guidance 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. This chapter describes arrangements in both England and Wales unless otherwise stated. It includes information on:

police services

fire and rescue services

health bodies

local councils

government agencies and other non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs)

the Armed Forces

the private sector

the voluntary sector

the community

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 3 - agencies involved in responding to and recovering from emergencies.

Useful documents

You may also wish to refer to:

Responding to emergencies: the national framework

There is an agreed national framework for managing the local multi-agency response to, and recovery from, emergencies. Chapter 4 of the guidance describes the single-agency and multi-agency management tiers that comprise the local framework; their roles and responsibilities; the interaction between the tiers; and the interaction between individual agencies within the tiers.

Command, control and co-ordination are important concepts in the multi-agency response to emergencies and this chapter distinguishes between single agency command and control structures (often termed gold, silver and bronze) and the multi-agency co-ordination structures that may be convened at strategic, tactical and, exceptionally, at operational levels.

It is a generic framework and the principles and procedures underpinning it are flexible enough to be used to manage a wide range of emergencies. However, further guidance is given on the considerations that may apply in relation to:

localised emergencies

wide-area emergencies

terrorist incidents

animal health outbreaks

maritime emergencies

procedures and considerations for the management of evacuations

The effective management of most emergencies will require access to specialist scientific and technical advice. During the response to an emergency, local responders in England are advised to consider establishing a Science and Technical Advice Cell ( STAC) to provide timely and co-ordinated advice on scientific and technical issues.

In Wales, public health advice for strategic co-ordinating groups is provided by health advisory teams ( HATs). The National Public Health Service for Wales takes the lead in the establishment of the HAT.

The government operates a scheme of emergency financial assistance (Bellwin) to assist local authorities in covering costs that occur as a result of work related to the response phase of emergencies.

De-briefing should be honest and open, and its results disseminated widely.

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 4 - responding to emergencies.

Useful documents

Training

The Emergency Planning College (EPC) is the leading provider of training for emergency preparedness, attracting delegates with responsibility for preventing, planning for, responding to or recovering from a major incident. The EPC runs courses on the care of people as well as other aspects of civil protection.

Useful documents

See also National recovery guidance

Recovering from emergencies: rebuilding, restoring and rehabilitating

Recovery is a complex and long running process that will involve many more agencies and participants than the response phase.

Recovery is defined as the process of rebuilding, restoring and rehabilitating the community following an emergency, but it is more than simply the replacement of what has been destroyed and the rehabilitation of those affected.

Local communities may also look upon an emergency as an opportunity to regenerate an area. Regeneration is about transformation and revitalisation.

The chapter of the guidance sets out:

key principles of planning for and undertaking recovery

the scope of recovery capability and activity

a framework for recovery

roles and responsibilities for various agencies and groups engaged in planning for and recovering from emergencies

suggested structures for those involved in managing recovery

processes for managing and co-ordinating the recovery phase

the transition between the response and recovery phase

the role and operation of the Recovery Coordinating Group

guidance on recovery funding

guidance on recovery reporting

the evaluation and debrief process

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 5 - recovering from emergencies.

See also The national recovery guidance.

Resilient telecommunications: minimising disruption to normal life

Good communications are at the heart of an effective response to and recovery from an emergency.

Resilient communications are able to absorb or mitigate the effects of disruptions to normal life. Circumstances or events that disrupt normal life include natural events such as flooding, or circumstances that have occurred through human intervention such as an electrical power failure or a terrorist incident.

There is no one simple solution to enhancing the resilience of communications. However, there are 5 guiding principles that, when appropriately applied, lead to enhanced resilience. These are:

identify and prioritise communication activities

look beyond the technical solutions

ensure diversity of your technical solutions

adopt layered fall-back arrangements

plan to share and exchange information

Telecommunications sub-groups ( TSGs) have been formed to act as a local focus for enhancing the resilience of responders' telecommunications arrangements. TSGs have been established in each local resilience forum ( LRF) area as an integral part of the government's resilient telecommunications strategy.

The overall resilience of communications arrangements can be considerably enhanced through the use of schemes that are only available within the responder community. A summary of a selection of technical solutions are provided in this chapter. This covers:

public fixed telecommunications

public mobile telecommunications

satellite communications

airwave

ResilienceDirect

high integrity telecommunications system (HITS)

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 6 - resilient telecommunications

Further on resilient communications information can be found on GOV.UK.

Humanitarian assistance: meeting the needs of those affected

Humanitarian assistance is about ensuring that those involved and affected by emergencies are properly cared for.

This chapter identifies the key groups of people affected by emergencies, and outlines how their needs can be met. The key groups covered are:

the injured

uninjured survivors, and those without serious injuries

families and friends

family and friends of the deceased

specific groups such as children, the elderly and faith groups

rescue and response workers

It also gives specific guidance about meeting the long term of the injured, survivors, family and friends.

This chapter is primarily oriented towards emergencies occurring in the UK. However, in dealing with overseas emergencies involving UK citizens, agencies should draw on this guidance selectively and pragmatically.

Further information is also available in the form of interim national strategic guidance for NHS organisations on psychosocial and mental health care for people following emergencies. This work has been carried out by the Department of Health.

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 7 - meeting the needs of those affected by an emergency.

Useful documents

This chapter concerns co-operation with the media at the scene of an emergency.

It includes information on:

the role of the News Co-ordination Centre

warning and informing the public

the challenges of working with the media

co-ordinating media liaison

working effectively with the media in emergencies

media arrangements at the scene of an emergency

specific issues for consideration, including the release of casualty figures, interviews with survivors, remote access and VIP visits

media debriefs

Media interest creates pressure 24 hours a day, so careful planning of staggered handovers between shifts is essential.

Case studies from recent emergencies are included in chapter 8, section 10 of the guidance.

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 8 - working with the media.

Useful documents

Training

The Emergency Planning College (EPC) is a training provider for emergency preparedness, attracting delegates with responsibility for preventing, planning for, responding to or recovering from a major incident. The EPC runs courses on the care of people as well as other aspects of civil protection.

You may also wish to refer to:

Emergency response arrangements in England

The Department for Communities and Local Government, Resilience and Emergencies Division ( DCLG-RED) act as a conduit for communications between central government and the local level. They are responsible for supporting local response and recovery efforts, and ensuring that there is an accurate picture of the situation in their area.

If CCA emergency powers are to be enacted a nominated co-ordinator will be required. They will co-ordinate activities under emergency regulations.

The arrangements outlined in this chapter of the guidance are in line with those in the revised Central government arrangements for responding to an emergency: concept of operations.

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 9 - multi-LFR working arrangements (formerly regional arrangements)

Useful documents

DCLG civil resilience - detailing DCLG's civil resilience role in supporting local response and recovert efforts in England

Role of devolved administrations

For a list of lead government departments ( LGDs) for UK emergencies, including devolved aspects, please see List of LGDs' responsibilities.

Background

When emergencies occur in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, the response will often require the involvement of the devolved administrations. This section outlines the various devolution settlements and the respective civil protection arrangements.

The devolved administrations take on some of the lead government department responsibilities which are carried out by UK government departments in England.

The balance of activity and interaction between the devolved authorities and the UK government in relation to emergencies will depend on the nature of the incident and the devolution settlement. However, the principles of emergency response are the same throughout the UK.

Arrangements in Scotland

The Scottish ministers have devolved responsibilities related to managing the consequences of emergencies in Scotland. Scottish emergency response arrangements are based on the same principles as those that apply elsewhere in the UK.

The Scottish emergency co-ordination arrangements set out the structure for an integrated response to an emergency in Scotland. The arrangements provide for Scottish ministers to act as a focus for communications with the UK government.

A strategic co-ordinating group may be established in each police force area to determine the strategy for the response and the appropriate management structures to co-ordinate the local inter-agency response.

Scottish ministers may open the Scottish government resilience room ( SGoRR), which will gather and disseminate information, co-ordinate activity and provide appropriate guidance/support the Scottish response to emergencies. It will provide a national picture of the impact of the emergency which, in turn, can be used to advise and inform decisions on the strategic management of the situation for Scottish and UK government.

This chapter also addresses:

cross-border co-operation

media arrangements

recovery arrangements

debriefing

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 10 - arrangements in Scotland.

Useful documents

Arrangements in Wales

The Welsh government plays an important role in emergencies in or affecting Wales.

The pan-Wales response plan sets out the arrangements for the pan-Wales level integration of the Welsh response to an emergency in or affecting Wales.

The Wales Civil Contingencies Committee ( WCCC) is constituted and functions in a similar way to its counterparts in England. The Welsh government provides support for the Wales Civil Contingencies Committee.

The Emergency Co-ordination Centre (Wales) ( ECC(W)) is a facility established by the Welsh government to gather and disseminate information in Wales on developing emergencies. It supports the Wales Civil Contingencies Committee and Welsh ministers in providing briefing and advice on emergencies.

The Welsh government Communications Division will act as a link between the local media and community relations lead, and, the UK government's News Co-ordination Centre and UK government department media teams where appropriate.

Response arrangements at the local level in Wales are the same as those in England but take into account devolved functions.

If emergency regulations are made covering Wales, the UK government must appoint a Wales emergency co-ordinator.

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 11 - arrangements in Wales.

Useful documents

Arrangements in Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Executive plays an important role in emergencies in or affecting Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland emergency response and recovery arrangements are based on the same principles that apply elsewhere in the UK.

Northern Ireland has its own unique administrative arrangements. Details such as the identities of organisations which deliver emergency responses and the arrangements for inter-agency co-ordination differ from arrangements elsewhere in the UK.

Emergency response and recovery is carried out at local levels by the emergency services, district councils and other public service organisations such as the local office or agency of a government department.

At the Northern Ireland level, the strategic response is provided by the emergency services, the Northern Ireland Office or the Northern Ireland Executive, depending on the type of emergency.

Arrangements are in place to trigger the Northern Ireland Central Crisis Management Arrangements ( NICCMA) in response to actual or anticipated emergencies, and to scale up the level of co-ordination if the situation demands it.

Strategic co-ordination at the Northern Ireland level is delivered by the Crisis Management Group ( CMG) and supporting machinery.

The central crisis management machinery is supported by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, which will establish the Northern Ireland central operations room, if required.

In the most challenging emergencies, especially where they affect the whole of the UK, the NICCMA would link to the UK arrangements.

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 12 - arrangements in Northern Ireland.

Useful documents

Central government arrangements

In some instances, the scale or complexity of an emergency is such that some degree of central government support or co-ordination becomes necessary. Central government will not duplicate the role of local responders who remain the basic building block of the response to an emergency.

A designated lead government department ( LGD) or, where appropriate, a devolved administration, will be made responsible for the overall management of the central government response. In the most serious cases, the central government response will be co-ordinated through the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms ( COBR).

The balance of activity between UK central government and the devolved administrations will depend on the nature of the emergency and the terms of the devolution settlements.

The central government's concept of operations sets out the UK arrangements for responding to and recovering from emergencies, irrespective of cause or location and requiring co-ordinated central government action. It describes how the UK central government response will be organised, and the relationship between the central, sub-national and local tiers in England, as well as the relationship between the UK central government and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It focuses primarily on the response to no-notice or short notice emergencies requiring UK central government engagement, although the approach outlined here can be adapted to manage the response to other crises.

The document was originally approved by ministers in 2005, and this updated version (2010) reflects revised arrangements in light of recent national emergencies.

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 13 - central government arrangements

Useful documents

The government runs an emergency response training course. The Central Government Emergency Response Training Course (CGERT) aims to equip people with the knowledge, skills and awareness necessary for their role in crisis management at the national strategic level. It is also designed to familiarise those in departmental emergency organisations, in devolved and regional government, and in strategic co-ordination groups with the central response structure and processes.

The directed reading package for module 2 of the course is also very useful for those not planning to attend the course who wish to know more about central government response to emergencies.

Further details of the course are available at the Emergency Planning College.

Emergency powers

Part 2 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 contains the government's generic emergency powers legislation. Emergency powers are a last-resort option for responding to the most serious of emergencies where existing legislative provision is insufficient. They are a mechanism for making temporary legislation in order to prevent, control or mitigate an aspect or effect of the emergency.

Emergency regulations must be necessary to resolve the emergency and proportionate to the effect or aspect of the emergency they are aimed at. What emergency regulations will contain will depend on the specific requirement arising out of the potential or actual circumstances of the emergency.

There must be no expectation that the government will agree to use emergency powers and planning and response arrangements must assume that they will not be used.

Emergency response and recovery: chapter 14 - emergency powers.

To ensure the 'Emergency response and recovery' guidance continues to reflect both good practice and lessons learnt it will be updated as required. For practical reasons the guidance is only being published online. To ensure good version control the resilience community gateway will be used to notify the civil protection community of any updates and highlight what changes have been made.

The guidance shown on this page will always be the latest version of the document. The latest version of 'Emergency response and recovery' is version 4. This was last updated in July 2012. The version number and the date each version was updated are displayed on the footer of each page of the document.

Supporting guidance

'Emergency response and recovery' is designed to complement 'Emergency preparedness', which sets out how the duties under the CCA and its supporting regulations should be implemented. 'Emergency response and recovery' focuses on practical considerations, guiding principles and good practice for effective emergency response and recovery.

Further details on the CCA regime are available:

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Guidance for staff of responder agencies, particularly senior officers or managers involved in emergency response and recovery preparations.

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Each year, the police service responds to many incidents or requests for urgent help from the public or police colleagues. Police officers respond to these incidents and requests using different types of vehicle, and are required to negotiate challenging road environments and conditions.

Introduction

Marked police vehicles, whether being driven in a response mode or at other times, attract public attention and scrutiny. Officers and police staff using unmarked vehicles are expected to conduct themselves in the same professional manner as officers and police staff using a marked vehicle. Use of legal exemptions are an everyday occurrence and, where applied, the driver must be able to readily and proportionately justify their actions in the pursuance of their duty.

The police service uses the national decision model ( NDM) to assist operational officers, planners, advisers and commanders to manage their response to a situation in a reasonable and proportionate manner. The NDM provides a framework that can be applied ethically and with integrity to all driving decisions and actions and can be used to justify decision making when responding to incidents. There may, however, be occurrences where a police driver's behaviour or their decision making is called into question. The public, police officers and police staff need assurances that, where necessary, driving incidents are investigated with a fair and balanced approach to the circumstances, taking into account the driver's skills and the relevant legal requirements while applying the NDM and Code of Ethics.
Boundaries
With pressure on resources, the police service is required to work increasingly across geographical and organisational boundaries. This places additional burden on police drivers to:

embrace new technologies in order to keep ahead of criminality

remain adaptable and resilient.

Evidenced based innovation is therefore encouraged and will be used to update standards as appropriate, through subject matter expert networks and working groups.

Strategic governance

National policy for police driving is set by the National Police Chiefs' Council ( NPCC) driver training lead. The development and maintenance of driving-related national learning standards and materials is the responsibility of the College of Policing, with support from the national strategic group, (chaired by the national police driver training lead) and the practitioners group.

Legal framework

The law in respect of response driving

The law, as defined in statute by the Road Traffic Act 1988, prohibits dangerous and careless driving. This applies to police officers as well as the public. Police officers must exhibit the care and skill of a competent and careful driver, the standard by which an officer's driving is judged. This is confirmed by the High Court in the ruling from the case R v Bannister (2009) EWCA Crim 1571.

The court ruled that if the special skill of the driver is taken into account in assessing whether driving is dangerous, then it must follow that the standard being applied is that of the driver with the special skills and not that of the careful and competent driver, as the standard of the careful and competent driver is being modified.
Driving skills
However, police officers are regularly expected to attend immediate response calls to help the public or deal with ongoing road related incidents. To do so in line with duty, officers are required to extend their driving skills beyond that of a careful and competent driver. These heightened skill levels are provided through nationally approved driver training standards which are governed by the College of Policing. Where there is a departure from the legal standard, then in line with the DPP's guidance to CPS for emergency service driving personnel, officers or those involved in the delivery of higher level driver training, must be able to show justification, proportionality and necessity for their actions and decision making based on the circumstances of the incident or nature of the role they are performing.

Police officers should not be punitively treated where public interest requires a justified emergency response, or operational demands are such that officers have driven in accordance with the NDM and whilst correctly applying their driving skills in line with their training because of the legal situation which exists under the Bannister judgement.

The service has a duty of care to provide training to support officers executing their response duties, and to keep the public safe. Officers are required to implement national driving standards as set out in the driving training learning programme. These standards provide a robust mechanism to ensure officers are supported to carry out driving duties at standard and advance levels. Officers must drive responsibly, taking into account proportionality and necessity and within the confines of their level of driver training and the immediacy of the incident being attended.

Note: the ambiguity raised by the Bannister ruling has been acknowledged and is currently being addressed with the Home Office.

Further information

See CPS guidance on prosecuting bad driving
Legal exemptions
Statutory services and/or other organisations prescribed for by the Department of Transport are afforded specific exemptions in law to undertake their duties.

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 exempt emergency vehicles from:

observing speed limits

observing keep left/right signs

complying with traffic lights (including pedestrian controlled crossings).

Police drivers may find themselves considering the contravention of signs and regulations where no statutory exemption exists. In each case, decisions on such matters rely on the professional judgement of the officer involved (linked to the NDM). Their decisions must be supported by the legitimacy of their actions based on operational necessity and the practical options available. Even where a statutory exemption exists, an officer must always give due regard to their driving manner and behaviour which should not put other road users or members of the public at a risk which cannot be justified.

When exercising the exemption to pass a red traffic light, drivers of emergency response vehicles should avoid causing a member of the public to contravene the red light. The public do not have an exemption in law to contravene red traffic lights.

Only drivers who are trained to the appropriate national standards are entitled to make use of legal exemptions. It is essential that the legal exemptions used are appropriate and their use in specific circumstances can be justified. There is no legal definition of what would or would not constitute justification for making use of police exemptions. In all considerations the NDM should be applied.

Health and safety

Further information

Health and Safety Executive (2004) Getting to Grips with Manual Handling (Not available on line).
Manual handling at work - a brief guide Health and Safety Executive (2004) Guidance on Regulations L23, Third Edition HOSDB High Conspicuity Livery for Police Motorcycles, Publication 47/06
Driving at work - managing work-related road safety

Because of the high-risk environment, policing responsibilities and the potential for serious injury and fatalities, all staff operating on the strategic road network should be familiar with, and have completed training which meets, the requirements of the College of Policing's national learning standards for policing the strategic road network.

The following risks factors are associated with the policing of roads:

exposure to inclement weather conditions for long periods of time

collisions when dealing with incidents

high stress levels from attendance at traumatic incidents

manual handling involved at scenes and debris incidents.

The following risk control measures must be implemented by forces:

adequate training which meets national standards to enable officers to work effectively and safely

the provision of clothing and/or approved equipment with instruction on its correct use (consider force policies)

incident briefing and debriefing

confidential stress management and occupational health provisions

risk assessment of all vehicle usage both operationally and for training.

Unmarked training vehicles that are used to facilitate covert response or pursuit training are expected to be fitted with covert lighting and, preferably, matrix signs that can be used to make the vehicle easily recognisable. Training and learning promotes specifics around driving safely, taking into consideration the potential response from the public.

Forces should ensure that training vehicles/machines carry sufficient, well-maintained equipment, suitable for dealing with incidents on the types of roads they are training on.

Police driving training

The Roads Policing and Police Driving Learning Programme ( RPPDLP) sets out national learning standards for police driving. It consists of a framework of integrated modules and units that together represent a whole programme. The required national driving skills and competencies are applicable consistently across forces. When transferring between forces, staff may need to become acquainted with unfamiliar vehicles, equipment or any local procedures or policies relating to vehicle use. Each force must have a designated strategic lead at chief officer rank who is accountable for compliance with the delivery and provision of driving standards and the national driver training programme.

The RPPDLP provides:

a framework for continuous professional development

consistency and standardisation across the range of training activities

standardised national procedures and terminology for roads policing

a conduit for the dissemination of good practice in response to lessons learnt.

Police driver trainers
All police driver trainers must meet the College of Policing's trainer standards. They must also have undertaken a course of instruction and learning as set out within the national Police Driver Trainers' Learning Programme ( PDTLP), which appears in the College of Policing's learning standards. Continuing professional development (CPD) must be undertaken to maintain the standards set out in the PDTLP.

Quality assurance

Further information

Joint Emergency Service High Speed Driver Training Advisory Group (2008) High Speed Driver Training Quality Assurance

To maintain credibility and integrity, the delivery of driver training national standards and the corresponding quality assurance process must comply with the Police Service Quality Assurance Scheme (PSQAS)

Goals for driver education

In respect of standard/response and advanced driving, the goals for driver education represent an essential appreciation of how to structure and understand more clearly what competencies a safe driver needs and how well they perform. Driving tasks can be described within a hierarchical framework of behavior/conduct, competencies and decisions in a varying number of situations at different levels within a range of driving situations. Recognising risk is something that underpins driver education. It is important that a driver is aware of how physical influences through road conditions affect a vehicle and its handling and that a driver is cognisant of a vehicle's controls and handling characteristics.

Poor driver attitudes and behaviours may undermine the reputation of the police. The following factors may be influential:

medical conditions

stressful situations

operational pressures

fatigue

traffic situations

driving at night-time

driving in difficult weather situations.

Police drivers should notify supervisors if any of these factors affect them. It is important that police drivers are able to dynamically self-assess their actions and performance. This helps them to meet the changing circumstances and pressures they face in their decisions and actions, especially when driving to incidents, working extended hours or during pursuit situations.

Police drivers may fall short of standards because of human failings and can require a considered or bespoke intervention within the structure of police driver training in order to address areas of development. A mechanism should be in place to allow supervisors to identify and discuss performance issues with the driver/rider.

Driver/rider levels and vehicle categories

There are three levels of police driver/rider:

In addition to these, there are also specialist police vehicles and roles that are set out in the Roads Policing and Police Driving Learning Programme.

Basic - for employees with DVLA full category B driving licence/category A motorcycle licence.

A basic police driver/rider:

Where a basic driver is required to drive other categories of vehicles, eg, commercial vehicles, and holds the requisite licence, the service/force must provide the relevant induction and familiarisation to ensure that the health and safety requirements for driving at work are met. This may not require on-road driver assessments, but the driver induction should cover the specific characteristics pertinent to the category of vehicle(s).

It is a matter for force policy to decide whether an individual requires additional coaching from a member of the force driver training team on specific areas of driving or police operations to improve their knowledge, or for basic drivers to be able to carry out additional requirements during the course of their duties as basic level police drivers.

Where police officers or police staff are permitted to use liveried fleet operationally, it is for the local force to determine whether additional training is provided to enable the use of auxiliary lighting equipment for safety and scene/public protection. The use of emergency equipment to facilitate progress through a traffic holdup is deemed to be response driving and outside the scope of a basic driver.

Where police officers or police staff are permitted to use operational liveried vehicles, it is for the local force to determine whether training should be provided to permit the stopping of compliant drivers.

Standard/response - driver/rider trained to a standard to enable them to respond safely to incidents requiring the use of legal exemptions.

A standard/response driver:

Advanced - driver/rider trained to a higher level than standard/response enabling them to drive high performance vehicles operationally.

Driving skills, as with any other skills, may deteriorate over time or with lack of use. This may particularly be the case with more advanced skills. Therefore, where enhanced skills are required as part of daily or periodic use those skills require regular assessment and/or refresher training. See lapse in authorisation to drive.
Categories of police vehicle
The National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM) and the College of Policing use a calculated assessment to determine a vehicles overall performance which deliveries a final Performance Value (PV) enabling categorisation of Response and Advanced cars, Motorcycles, and Vans up to 3.5t.

An explanation of the assessment and calculation method can be found here.
Performance Values Cars and Vans (up to 3.5 t)
In respect of police motorcycle specifications, the following NAPFM and College of Policing machine categories apply:
Motorcycles
A basic police driving authorisation allows police officers and staff to drive any vehicle of the above categories commensurate with their driving duties and in accordance with the limitations placed on basic driver permits.

In the event that any driving qualification, police vehicle classification or vehicle use requires clarification, advice must be obtained from the force driver training lead in conjunction with the head of fleet. The overriding factor in any decision will always be safety as well as ensuring compliance with legislation and the College of Policing Roads Policing and Police Driving Learning Programme.

This APP relates to the use of police vehicles for operational purposes. The use of hire/lease vehicles is a matter for force policy.

Management of police drivers and occupational road risk

Driver training fleet

It is strongly recommended that the driver training fleet should match the operational fleet to maximise learning, to overcome frontline user familiarisation requirements, and because vehicle design and advanced vehicle aided technology change rapidly. This approach is supported by the Health and Safety Executive's driving at work guidelines which state:

'You should ensure that self-propelled work equipment, including any attachments or towed equipment, is only driven by workers who have received appropriate training in the safe driving of such work equipment.'

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires all employers who engage their staff to undertake on-road work activities to ensure the health and safety of their employees while at work so far as is reasonably practicable.

While recognising the specific responsibilities of individual chief constables and senior managers, it must be remembered that all personnel have a responsibility for health and safety at work and as such have an important role to fulfil in the implementation and application of this legislation.

Clothing and equipment

Officers and staff must ensure that they have the recommended clothing and personal protective equipment ( PPE) suitable for use in any operational scenario they may encounter during any:

prescribed driver training course

incident that they may reasonably be expected to deal with as an operational resource.

Medical conditions/standards

Further information Assessing fitness to drive

Every driver of police vehicles has a responsibility to declare any medical situation or condition that may affect or prevent them from undertaking any police-related driving duties safely or within legal parameters and there is an expectation that drivers will comply with this responsibility.

Eyesight standards and medical guidelines derived from the Association of Local Authority Medical Advisors ( ALAMA) panel should apply to all police drivers. It is a recommended that standard/response and advanced drivers should meet the DVLA group 2 medical standards and that these standards apply irrespective of any other disability. Any questions over the ability of an individual to meet these standards of medical fitness for emergency response driving must be referred to the relevant force department for a professional medical opinion.

Lapse in authorisation to drive

An officer trained and authorised to either advanced or standard/response driver/rider level, and who is deployed within a role where those training levels are neither used nor required, reverts to the level below after 12 months, ie, advanced reverts to standard/response and standard/response reverts to basic. This may follow a period of restricted duties which may be due to medical reasons or a posting to a role not requiring driving at either standard/response or advanced level.

If subsequently required, the previous training and authorisation level can be restored at any time following successful completion of a driving assessment or refresher training.
Continuing professional development
All police drivers should undertake continuing professional development (CPD). A CPD specification is currently under development.
Record keeping
Forces must maintain a record of the following for all authorised drivers:

personal details

driving licence

driving authorisation

training

collision/damage data.

Key police driver principles

Police vehicle drivers/riders must not drive beyond their own or their vehicle's capabilities. Police drivers/riders have a personal and legal obligation to ensure that they are licensed to drive the class of vehicle to which they are assigned.

Before driving any police vehicle, the driver must ensure they have authority from their force, by whatever local procedure applies, to drive that vehicle.

It is the responsibility of any driver assigned to a police vehicle to ensure, as far as can be reasonably expected, that the vehicle is in a roadworthy condition before it is taken onto public roads.

Drivers of police vehicles must refer to the manufacturer's or force's handbook to ensure they are familiar with the controls, auxiliaries and operating systems prior to driving. For police operational staff, this includes on-board technical equipment and operation of emergency warning equipment.

Before driving or towing vehicles with specialist equipment, drivers must ensure they are confident and competent in taking the vehicle onto public roads. Where any doubt or uncertainty exists, the driver should seek assistance or guidance from their force driver training unit and/or technical help from the force vehicle engineering staff.

When a driver identifies a vehicle defect, it must be brought to the attention of the local fleet workshop in accordance with local procedures. Not every defect requires immediate suspension of the vehicle from service. It is a matter of common sense and proportionality to decide the scale or circumstances of a defect as to whether a vehicle should be driven or not.

Parking of police vehicles on a road

Care and attention to parking restrictions should be observed and complied with. There will be exceptions where parking a police vehicle contrary to parking regulations or restrictions is required and necessary to deal with incidents, including scenes of collisions. There can be no legitimate excuse for ignoring restrictions unless it can be justified. Inconsiderate or illegal parking of police vehicles may result in negative press reporting and may adversely affect public perceptions. Where an officer or staff member receives notice of enforcement for breach of any such regulation or restriction, they must take personal responsibility for the outcome unless they are able to justify their actions.

Post collision/incident review

The police driver training strategy must always seek to promote public confidence in the way in which police fleet is used. Where driving standards fall below the accepted principles it is incumbent on the force to identify, review and act proportionately in any post-collision investigation and/or intervention. All driver training leads are expected to be cognisant of emerging police collision/incident reviews following internal investigations, court proceedings, coroner's rulings, or recommendations made following IPCC reviews.

Practitioners and strategic driver training leads must bring to the attention of the NPCC lead any examples of emerging threat, risk or harm that need to be reviewed and/or actioned at a national level (eg, changes to APP or the national learning standards). All such information will be regularly disseminated through the NPCC lead and the College of Policing as part of curriculum and programme maintenance.

Police pursuits

Police pursuits APP including the tactics directory details issues relating to police pursuits and sets the standards that should be adhered to.

Emergency response

Officers are deemed to be in an emergency response when they are using emergency warning equipment to facilitate progress, at which time they may make use of exemptions afforded to them by legislation. There may be occasions, depending on time of day, circumstances and events, which are deemed unsuitable or inappropriate for the use of emergency warning equipment. Where a driver drives in an emergency response or at high speed without emergency warning equipment, it is for them to justify the decision and give a reasonable account as to why the warning equipment was not used.

Navigation devices/Airwave and vehicle recording equipment

While it is recognised that police driving standards are subject to a high level of scrutiny and attention, the increasing expectations to use mobile technology, data communications systems and other forms of electronic equipment while driving raises a number of issues likely to be in conflict with expectations for members of the public when they are driving.

The College of Policing driver learning standards now incorporate the use of such devices as part of the course curriculum.

Page last accessed 06 October 2020

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Each year, the police service responds to many incidents or requests for urgent help from the public or police colleagues. Police officers respond to these incidents and requests using different types of vehicle, and are required to negotiate challenging road environments and conditions.

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How the severity of Incidents are graded

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How the severity of Incidents are graded

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Incidents are broken down into a grading system, this system has 4 categories:

Grade 1 - Emergency Response

Grade 2 - Priority Response

Grade 3 - Scheduled Response

Grade 4 - Resolution Without Deployment

What do these grades mean?

Grade 1 - Emergency Response

This is where a call has been made to the emergency services and they believe that the incident is likely to result in either :

Threat of violence

Serious damage to a property

Serious injury to a person

Danger to life

An example of this could be a road traffic collision:

Will more than likely involve serious injury to a person

The road would be blocked and therefore would create a traffic jam

Some more possibilities of a grade 1 incidents could be criminal conduct e.g:

An offender is creating a disturbance at a scene

A detained offender presents a threat to arresting officers

A serious crime is happening

When on call from a grade 1 incident all vehicles responding to the incident will use there blue lights and sirens and have the right to ignore road speed limits and red lights. A grade 1 incident would be responded to within 20 minutes.
Grade 2 - Priority Response

In a grade 2 incident there is a certain degree of important or urgency however emergency response is not required. Some examples of a grade 2 incident could be:

Somebody involved is vulnerable and upset

An offender has been detained

There is concern for a person's health and well being

There is risk of the loss of a witness or evidence

There is serious injury or road obstruction in a traffic collision

Hate crimes

A grade 2 incident would be responded to within 2 hours.

Grade 3 - Scheduled Response

In a grade 3 incident the emergency services are not required instantly, the time of response could be anything up to 48 hours. An example of a grade 3 incident could be:

A service orientated incident like the police being required at the hospital.

Grade 4 - Resolution Without Deployment
In a grade 4 incident the call handler is able to resolve the incident through a number of different ways:

Written advise

Phone call

Answering callers questions

Recommend a more appropriate service

In a grade 4 incident the response of a police officer is not required however the incident would be recorded and analysed. The incident would more than likely be handed over to another agency e.g:

Safer community team

Child protection agency

Intelligence units

Traffic control team

When any incident is rang in it is the responsibility of the call handler to asses the situation and decide a=on what grade the incident should be, then after the incident is graded action will be taken.

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Incidents are broken down into a grading system, this system has 4 categories: Grade 1 - Emergency Response Grade 2 - Priority Response Grade 3 - Scheduled Response Grade 4 - Resolution Without Deployment What do these grades mean?

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TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT AND CONTINGENCY PLANNING

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TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT AND CONTINGENCY PLANNING

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Section 7.2.4 has the relevant information for the police

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The role of the police when attending a major incident

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The role of the police when attending a major incident

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Forces are responsible for determining the structure and resourcing of their road policing capability so as to enable roads to be policed effectively, based on their strategic aims and targets. Incidents should be managed in accordance with Highways England and others (2019) CLEAR: Keeping Traffic Moving principles. Decisions should be made in accordance with the national decision model.

Forces should identify locations, for example, bridges, tunnels and transport hubs with particular hazards and vulnerabilities within their force areas, and allocate specific threat levels to them. Where appropriate, these may require specific plans.

Roads can be a high-risk environment. Staff will, therefore, benefit from appropriate training prior to operating in the higher-risk environments, but this is not always a prerequisite if Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is a consideration.

Conducting an initial incident assessment

The first officers or police staff attending a collision that has resulted in a road death and/or life-changing injuries must conduct an initial assessment and send a situation report to the control room. The control room will, if necessary, coordinate the deployment of supervisors and additional resources to the incident. Effective communication is paramount at this stage, along with considerations of potential safety issues. The mnemonic, METHANE, helps officers to conduct this initial assessment.

The initial assessment should consider the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) in the early and continuing management of the incident. These principles have been developed between blue light responders and partner agencies. They identify the chain of command and responsibilities upon individual agencies to implement, review and effectively deal with incidents through the effective coordination and combination of their skills, assets and resources.

For further information see:

Dynamic risk assessments

Officers must conduct a dynamic risk assessment when attending incidents on roads. These assessments should consider the following.

1. Location

Position/visibility - is the carriageway position dangerous, for example, in lane three or on a bend?

Characteristics - is the location on an elevated or narrow section?

Traffic flow - is the volume and/or speed of passing traffic an issue?

Signs - are signs close and correctly set to assist?

Communication - is it effective and are any special arrangements needed between agencies?

Constraints - do any physical constraints of the locality make safe working difficult?

2. Vehicles

Number and type involved.

Suspicion - is there anything suspicious about the vehicle or contents?

Crime/intelligence - has the vehicle been involved in any reported criminal activity?

Condition - damage and extent and is any part of the vehicle or load obviously dangerous?

Hazards in the vehicle or load.

Other hazards.

Owner/driver - is the owner/driver present?

Occupants - how many/are all accounted for?

Lighting - is the vehicle unlit during the hours of darkness?

Any special recovery requirements?

3. People

Number involved.

Demeanour.

Condition - eg, are they trapped or injured and how badly? are they sober, drunk, suffering illness?

Comprehension - are they able to understand instructions or guidance given?

Crime - has a criminal record PNC check been completed, if so what is the result and are there any warning markers?

4. Localised factors

What has happened - is it likely to happen again?

Environmental factors.

Security/impact issues.

Equipment - what is available or needed?

ACE CARD

Each feature of ACE CARD must be considered in sequence, but each one may not necessarily be implemented on every occasion. Advance warning of the scene is critical to the safety of those present, and takes precedence over all other action at the initial stage.

The ACE CARD mnemonic reminds responders of the steps they need to consider when dealing with road incidents. It stands for the following.

Whenever possible, all incidents on motorways and dual carriageway roads should be approached from the rear (when all lane running (ALR) is in effect, alternative approaches should be considered). Where a critical or major incident occurs, special circumstances may apply and the control room will inform officers on how to approach the scene.

The first officers at the scene are expected to put into place the immediate safety measures, control the incident and be responsible for the overall management of the scene until relieved by a more suitable incident control officer, if required.

Early advanced warning of incidents ensures a safer scene for attending units.

Control rooms or regional control centres (RCCs) in England should display the speed limit and/or lane closures required on variable message signs (where available). Police officers should be trained to place signs and cones correctly. The incident commander should encourage partner agencies to update and/or remove any emergency traffic management measures in a timely manner.

The main methods of positioning a police vehicle on the carriageway are:

in-line - the police vehicle is parallel to the running lanes on the carriageway. This maximises rear-facing lighting and rear vehicle markings

fend-off - the police vehicle is angled, pointing front end towards the carriageway in the direction the traffic should pass. This method fills the lane that is going to be closed, and also acts as a visual reinforcement of the cone taper. It appears stationary to the approaching traffic

fend-in - the police vehicle is angled, pointing front end toward the nearside in the direction the traffic should pass. This method fills the lane that is to be closed and acts as a visual reinforcement of the cone taper

Officers should be aware that the effectiveness of rear-facing lighting on the police vehicle is reduced, as is their visibility of approaching traffic during fend-off and fend-in.

On roads with a speed limit of more than 40 mph, the police vehicle should be positioned at a minimum of 50 metres to the rear of any carriageway hazard. When providing advance warning of a scene, police vehicles should always remain unoccupied.

When out of vehicles, officers must (unless the policing purpose is frustrated):

wear high-visibility safety clothing

deal with motorists from the safest side of the vehicle

The early notification to road users through a range of mediums, for example social media should be considered. Where there are no matrixes or variable message signs (VMS), staff should consider the benefits, practicalities and risks of placing warning signs on the central reservation. Before erecting equipment, a dynamic risk assessment should be undertaken. It may be necessary to deploy a full rolling road closure on approach to the scene.

When locating signs, the following minimum distances should be observed.

Consideration should be given to placing signage at 900 metres to further enhance safety.

Whenever possible, signs should be placed to give a clear view of at least 100 metres to the first sign. On single carriageway roads, warning signs should be placed on both approaches to the scene.

After providing sufficient advance warning, the scene should be examined to determine whether further assistance is required. Normally, the first officer at the scene acts as the communication link, and liaises with partner agencies to prevent duplicating requests.

In examining the scene, the mnemonic METHANE should be used to consider the key points systematically. This assessment should be repeated at regular intervals when new information becomes available.

C - casualties

An early check should be made to ensure that all casualties have been located. Consideration should be given to using other resources, for example, an air support unit or police search dog units to assist in the search for casualties or the deceased. See Investigating road deaths.

Details of casualties should be obtained before they are removed from the scene where possible. If the injuries are considered life threatening or life changing, it may be necessary to deploy a continuity officer.

A - ambulance, fire and rescue and other partnership agencies

The cooperation of all emergency services and other partners is required to maintain free passage to and from the scene, and to keep traffic moving at a safe speed. In a multi-agency response that requires police attendance, coordination and scene management rests with the police. They must inform the other partners of any special road conditions at the scene at the earliest opportunity.

All services must share information relevant to the safety of personnel at the scene and the command of the incident.

R - remove the obstructions

The police are responsible for securing evidence at the scene of an incident on the road. No vehicle should be removed from the scene until the investigating officer is satisfied.

Incidents should be managed in accordance with Highways England and others (2019) CLEAR: Keeping Traffic Moving.

The recovery operator's incident manager should still be notified of the anticipated need to allow them to plan a suitable response.

Considerations include:

staff should not manually handle vehicles unless there is a risk to life

control rooms should use authorised, nominated recovery operators

staff outside of vehicles (see C - caution signs)

D - detailed investigation

When investigating serious collisions see Investigating road deaths.

Collision investigation

Investigations into collisions which result in little or no injury are investigated by an investigating officer, who collects evidence from the scene and prepares an accident report. Collisions resulting in a road death(s) or likely to result in a road death(s) require a roads policing lead investigator (RP lead investigator).

Roads policing officers should be aware of:

liquid petroleum gas - advice must be taken from the fire and rescue service (FRS) and/or a suitably trained police hazmat adviser

rollover protection system

hybrid vehicles - officers should seek advice from the FRS before touching the vehicle

environmental conditions which may affect driving, for example, snow and ice, flooding, high winds and fog

supplementary restraints systems (airbags) - officers should be aware of these systems and the dangers posed by them. If there is any doubt at a scene, advice should be taken from the fire and rescue service

Fire on the carriageway

When a vehicle is on fire, police officers should:

cone off and sign the lane(s), to create a sterile working area for the FRS, while having regard to their own safety

remember their own and the public's safety - if smoke is present, it is likely to be highly toxic and can affect a wide area

on motorways, close lane one when the burning vehicle is on the hard shoulder so that the FRS can carry out their duties

Officers should be cautious of the chemical changes that occur when a vehicle is on fire. When dealing with any fire damaged vehicle or component, either at the roadside or during a later vehicle examination, officers must wear protective gloves. These must be disposed of safely after use.

If contamination is suspected, officers should thoroughly irrigate the area with water, apply hydrofluoric acid antidote gel if available, and seek immediate emergency treatment.

Carriageway and road surface

Repair or improvement on the carriageway is planned by the highway authority in consultation with partners. Stopping vehicles in works areas must be avoided. Coned-off areas where people may be working should not be used by police vehicles, except in cases of extreme emergency. Contractors may mark out an emergency lane for the police and other services to use.

Patrols should report any carriageway faults, for example, potholes, collapsed areas or sections of safety barriers that have been damaged. Cones placed near a damaged barrier indicate that the highway authority has been notified and no further police action is required.

When dealing with a collision that involves damage to street furniture, the precise location must be identified using any reference numbers found on the item. The vehicle that caused the damage must be noted in any report. This enables the Highways England or local highway authority to correctly pursue a claim for repair work.

Removal of debris

Removal of debris on specified roads and motorways is primarily the responsibility of Highways England traffic officers. If police officers find debris and decide to remove it, they must assess whether they are equipped and capable of doing so without taking excessive risks. They should ensure that advanced warning signs are set, if available.

When removing debris, officers should:

not turn their backs on traffic

consider whether a temporary road closure is necessary

consider a rolling block on motorways and dual carriageways (if trained to do so)

use protective equipment

Where officers have to stop on a hard shoulder or verge to clear debris from a live carriageway, they should stop 50 metres before the debris. If the debris appears to be hazardous material, officers must take extreme care and consider closing the road. Special advice and early access by local authorities may prevent more costly road repairs being required and reduce the duration of closure.

Vehicle loads

Some loads transported on the road network may be considered to be dangerous goods or abnormal loads. An abnormal load is restricted to a notified route and should not be diverted or re-routed without prior consultation with the police. In the case of heavy loads (generally over 44 tonnes) Highways England and bridge authorities must also be consulted. The force control room will be informed of any such movements. If it is a vehicle with an abnormal load, authorisation is required from the Department for Transport (DfT). If a heavy load becomes immobile on a bridge or overpass, the highway authority should be informed.

The following should be considered when dealing with dangerous goods or hazardous materials.

Those involved in specialist escorts should carry dangerous goods identification guides.

The scene of an incident should be approached upwind and from a down gradient if possible. The wind should be blowing on the officer's back while facing the incident.

The FRS should be informed of all suspected incidents involving dangerous goods.

Police officers should not become involved in rescue as they are not equipped to deal with chemicals.

If officers suspect hazardous chemicals, the carriageway should be closed and cleared for a considerable distance. It is usually be necessary to close the opposite carriageway as well, unless they are separated by a considerable distance.

All unknown loads or substances must be treated as hazardous until it is known that they are safe.

For further information see Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) (2010) Guidance/Practice Advice on the Movement of Abnormal Indivisible Loads.

Escort vehicle

An escort vehicle is usually required in the following situations.

Motorways

The Motorway Traffic Regulations (England and Wales) 1982 control the use of motorways. Regulation 16 (as amended) provides exceptions and relaxations to the regulations. Patrolling officers need to be aware of these exceptions and mindful of what partner organisations are permitted to do under these regulations. The exemptions include persons under the direction of a constable in uniform or a Highways England traffic officer in uniform.

A partial or full closure of a motorway causes delays, economic loss, displaced traffic congestion and increases the risk of collisions on diversion routes.

Key partners and the media must be notified of any closure to allow the travelling public to be informed and advised of any diversionary routes.

Forces should have a policy for the removal of broken-down vehicles. When carrying out any procedures on the hard shoulder, a lane one closure should be considered to ensure an adequate safety zone.

The occupant(s) of a broken-down vehicle should be given advice that maximises their personal safety, dependent on the prevailing circumstances.

Police should inform the regional control centre of any broken-down vehicles so that action can be taken.

Partial closure

There are two types of partial closure - individual lane closures and rolling roadblocks. Police officers who work in a motorway environment must be trained to implement a rolling roadblock. Individual lane closures must be completed in accordance with ACE CARD.

Full closure of a motorway

If the decision is taken to fully close a motorway, there must be sufficient resources to ensure that it is implemented effectively. A road policing officer can make the initial decision that the motorway should be closed, but a supervisor and the Highways England's regional control centre and/or highway authority should be notified at the earliest opportunity so the decision can be reviewed. If the closure is likely to be lengthy, the highway authority will be asked to arrange for the initial closure to be replaced by a full closure in accordance with Department for Transport (2006) Traffic Signs Manual Chapter 8.

If the police implement full closure, the following should be undertaken.

Early notification to road users through a range of mediums, for example social media.

Emergency welfare of displaced and/or stranded road users.

Divert traffic along predetermined routes, which need to be checked for obstructions before using them.

Close all slip roads likely to affect the closure.

Visually check of all the closed area (to be completed by a patrol car officer) to ensure there are no broken-down vehicles or pedestrians present.

Hard shoulder

Officers should take the following into account when using this section of the road.

Driving on the hard shoulder (hard shoulder running) should be kept to a minimum.

It may be in use as a live lane.

There could be vehicles obstructing or straying into the hard shoulder.

Keeping to an appropriate speed.

The hard shoulder may be unsafe because of dirt and debris.

If attending a stationary vehicle, especially in darkness, the driver or another vehicle occupant may be walking on the hard shoulder.

Emergency refuge areas

These are to be treated as a break-out area from a live lane, for the safety of road users. Gaining access to and from emergency refuge areas (ERAs) presents an increased risk and may require assistance from the emergency services or partner agencies.

ERAs should not be used for non-emergency purposes.

Reverse flow

This is deployed when emergency or highways authority vehicles are required to travel the wrong way down the motorway, to access the scene of an incident.

Reverse flow needs to be carried out under strict guidance by specialists fully trained in motorway procedures. It can only take place once the motorway is confirmed as fully shut in the normal direction of travel.

Rolling roadblocks

A rolling closure is a traffic control measure which is used to gradually slow the traffic to create a gap in the flow, or bring the traffic to a halt. It can be implemented by using one patrol vehicle or more than one patrol vehicle driving alongside each other and blocking the lanes. All rear-facing emergency lighting must be illuminated to prevent vehicles passing. Consideration should be given to using motorway signs to provide advance warning of any build-up of traffic.

Considerations include:

officers carrying out this procedure should have received suitable training

at the start of this manoeuvre, the speed of the patrol car matches that of the traffic and then gradually and safely it is reduced

lifting a rolling roadblock - once the incident has been cleared, the patrol car in the offside lane will leave first, followed by the vehicle in the centre lane and lastly the nearside car. The block should be lifted gradually with the blocking vehicles building up speed over a distance of one to two kilometres before turning off their emergency lighting and returning to other activities

Emotionally and mentally vulnerable individuals

Emotionally and mentally vulnerable individuals may present a danger to officers, emergency service personnel and the public. The police should consider:

turning off sirens on approaching the scene (other emergency vehicles attending should also be requested to do this)

reducing speed on both carriageways to reduce the risk to motorists

stopping traffic on both carriageways

requesting two ambulances if a person is on a bridge over a road, so that medical assistance is available both on the bridge and the carriageway below

the assistance of expert negotiators

multi-agency support post incident

approaching the person with extreme caution and maintaining a safe distance from them. The person's judgement may be distorted by having taken drugs or alcohol. They may also have concealed weapons on them

Protests

When the police become aware of a protest or potential protest activity, their response should be coordinated and the impact on the road network mitigated.

As protests may involve offences being committed or public safety concerns, they are police-led in accordance with Highways Agency and ACPO (2005) The Network Operations National Guidance Framework. Police should ensure that the guidelines are followed.

Air support

Police air support units are recognised as a key resource in the policing of roads and can be deployed for:

police pursuits

locating stolen vehicles

searches for missing persons

containment

high-risk prisoner movements

searches for suspects

casualty evacuation

policing of large events

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Management of incidents | College of Policing

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Forces are responsible for determining the structure and resourcing of their road policing capability so as to enable roads to be policed effectively, based on their strategic aims and targets. Incidents should be managed in accordance with Highways England and others (2019) CLEAR: Keeping Traffic Moving principles.

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What job should UK mountain rescue teams be doing?

Below is a quote from the wife of a UK Mountain Rescue team member, posted on the Facebook page of a regional newspaper on a story about Police pay:

They farm more and more of the "unpleasant" work out to organisations such as mountain rescue teams who have to pick up the dead bodies from farm and road accidents. If they are not happy, leave and become self employed and find out how hard the real world is.

It's an interesting one. Should MR teams be retrieving bodies from farm accidents? Are police forces 'farming out' work to unpaid civilian volunteer teams?

The history of UK mountain rescue teams is usually rooted in a community response to incidents happening in their area. The first teams came about following the rise in popularity of mountaineering without a system of rescue and medical care being in place that could deal with the inevitable accidents. Mountaineering clubs gradually improved the skills and equipment they held through the early 20th Century, formalising first with the First Aid Committee of Mountaineering Clubs, which later became the Mountain Rescue Committee. The efforts of groups of mountaineers and clubs, often working alongside the RAF Mountain Rescue teams set up to deal with the rescue and recovery of downed aircrew, became the MR teams that are busy in the hills and mountains of the UK still. The underlying principle that linked them all is that they are "saving lives in wild and remote places" - the mission statement of Mountain Rescue England and Wales (although now missing from their website).

The role many of the teams under the Mountain Rescue England and Wales banner today is varied. The busiest teams in the U.K., such as Llanberis MRT work almost solely on callouts involving lost, missing or injured walkers, climbers and other mountain-goers. Occasionally they deal with other incidents in their are where their technical expertise is crucial in accessing those areas. The gradual rise in callouts over the last decade have been attributed to many things, from the increased popularity and success of tourism promotion or the new possibilities for finding hiking friends and groups that social media has allowed. Mobile phones, cheaper outdoor equipment or just more people wanting to experience the mountains for themselves have also been blamed. Whatever the reason, the busiest teams are generally getting busier.

The quieter teams tend to be away from the popular mountain and outdoor recreation areas. They may have hundreds or thousands of square miles of wild and remote terrain in their 'patch', but the operational tempo is a lot lower, numbering in single figures for some teams. However these teams still work to a professional standard, with the same equipment and the same unpaid volunteers trained to a level unmatched anywhere by a salaried job in the U.K.

UK rescue teams have become involved in high and low-profile incidents away from the mountains for many years now. Missing person searches in rural and urban areas, flooding and severe weather events, murder inquiries, technical rope and water rescues, crashed aircraft and a lot more besides that isn't always public knowledge. A quick read through the newsfeed of Mountain Rescue England and Wales shows a number of non-mountain incidents peppered amongst the usual lost or injured walkers and climbers. Like the fire service, UK mountain rescue has evolved into a set of teams that perform a role the other emergency services cannot. Where this started is difficult to unpick though - how and why did mountain rescue drift away from the mountains and onto the streets and fields?

I think for most teams they could see something happening in their community, and they knew they had the skills and personnel to help. It may be a missing child or vulnerable person, or somebody in a situation that could be resolved using techniques honed in the wilderness. In the first instances at least. For some teams (and I must stress the 'some') the potential diversity in their role was a way of improving their awareness and getting some publicity for their relatively quiet teams. It's all a question of cash...

Like all modern charities each mountain rescue teams have to run like a business, even if everybody involved is an unpaid volunteer giving dozens of hours each month (or week!). Their customer is the general public, whom they rescue without charge and (normally) without criticism. The customer pays for this service through fundraising and donations. Not everybody pays, but those who do drop a pound coin into the collection tin or bequeath hundreds of thousands of pounds to rescue teams essentially fund their operations. A small amount is now given to teams by various government funds, but the vast majority of rescue teams in England and Wales does comes from the general public. The problem is - who are you giving money to? Is it the team that you see fundraising in the local town centre but have otherwise never heard of, or the one you saw on the evening news the night before as the reports came in of a daring rescue of a family in terrible weather? I bet it's the latter. If you live somewhere decidedly flat and travel to climb, hike or otherwise play in the mountains then you may donate to a team that covers the are you visit more often, but generally speaking the teams that receive the most donations are the ones with the highest profiles.

Some teams are quite literally millionaires, or very close. The operational costs of a rescue team can be from £50,000 to over £100,000 depending on what that team needs and what they buy for team members, and that is usually without the hidden costs that are absorbed by team members and their families. Fuel, personal equipment, lost work time and so on. All teams need those donations and you can donate to a more central fund, but this is a relatively new concept still and you can still see the differences in the funds each team raises on the Charity Comission website. It must be said however that the busiest team is not necessarily the richest - Llanberis Mountain Rescue team and Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation share a border and have a similar number of incidents when averaged out over a number of years - but OVMRO are decidedly better off than LMRT. So is it public profile or incident frequency that leads to more donations? Or is the type of incidents responded to that tips the balance?

And does it matter? No. A team isn't raising money to buy a yacht or to give back to shareholders - a team raises money to buy equipment, train personnel, maintain buildings and do something that nobody else can do.

I have some (limited, and gradually becoming less relevant) experience of this. I was a team member, then Training Officer then Deputy Team Leader of a North Wales Mountain Rescue team, and briefly Operations Officer for the regional association. During the time I was there the team evolved from mainly performing missing person searches in rural and semi-rural areas with the occasional rescue or recovery of a hiker, climber or other person in the mountains. The team actually covered the biggest area of any team in England and Wales, and also responded to requests for assistance from police forces in neighbouring English counties. A quick calculation gives me an area of approximately 8,000km² at the time I joined - later shrunk by the formation of lowland SAR teams in those counties. During my time there the team developed and improved it's technical rope and water rescue skills and got involved in some 'interesting' incidents as a result - flooding and water incidents, rope rescues in quarries and steep slopes on the edge of town centres, major missing person searches that dominated the headlines for months and sever weather incidents like heavy snow. For a couple of evenings one winter the North Wales Mountain Rescue teams were effectively the only ambulance response available for most areas - the local ambulance trust just didn't have vehicles that could respond. Another evening I sat for hours (snowed in) in the farmhouse, an Airwave radio set in one hand, a couple of phones in another and a laptop on my knee and coordinated the response of several teams in North Wales as they were rescuing stranded motorists from cars on lonely mountain passes, evacuating residents from remote houses and generally being selfless and saving lives. Other colleagues spent days in the North Wales Police control room acting as a point of contact and giving expert advice to all other agencies and performing a role nobody else there could do.

And that's the answer - Mountain Rescue teams (and their Lowland equivalents) do work that the other emergency services just cannot. If every MRT in the UK decided to close up tomorrow there would be hole in the provision of care, rescue and emergency response that the other services cannot fill. By proving time and again they cannot be matched and by doing what they do well, with professionalism and with virtually no cost to the taxpayer they are bound to be called on to work away from the mountains - and they will respond because that's what they do, and it helps them continue to do it. You cannot blame emergency services for calling on a resource that is professional, trustworthy, versatile and, crucially, free to fill in the gaps of what they can do. You cannot also blame teams for capitalising on the increased and diverse range of callouts to raise their profile and get more donations. It's a symbiotic relationship that both parties created - if mountain rescue teams hadn't continually offered their services and proven that they could do what others could not then they wouldn't be called to do those things now.

To close, to be critical of frontline emergency services officers because they have expressed concerns over the way they are being used is missing every point. Their disquiet with the role they perform has little to do with the role that UK Mountain Rescue teams have come to perform. Responding to events away from the traditional theatre of mountains, crags and moorland IS the modern face of Mountain Rescue in the UK, it just varies from team to team. To tell them to "leave and become self employed and find out how hard the real world is" ignores the fact that nobody is forcing MRT members to be part of their team - just as nobody forces you to run your own business.

Mountain Rescue teams do something incredible, and so do police officers. If you attack either because of your (voluntary situation), you're an idiot.

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Below is a quote from the wife of a UK Mountain Rescue team member, posted on the Facebook page of a regional newspaper on a story about Police pay: They farm more and more of the "unpleasant" work out to organisations such as mountain rescue teams who have to pick up the dead bodies from farm and road accidents.

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This explains what the police have to do in a car accident

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Dussault & Zatir Personal Injury Lawyers MA & RI

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One of the first things that you do when you've been in a car accident is to call the police. At the scene of the accident, the police officer's duty is to make sure everyone is safe and to manage the logistics like automobile removal, traffic movement, and to document the accident. After the accident, however, they may also have a role in helping to determine fault.
Police Report
After a car accident is reported to the police, officers are responsible for preparing a police report about what happened. A police officer will interview the drivers and any witnesses about the car accident, asking a series of questions designed to piece together an accurate account of what occurred. The police report may contain a statement about who was at fault in the accident based on the police officer's professional judgment, but many police reports do not include a determination of fault. It is important to understand that even if a police report states who was responsible for a car accident, this does not automatically mean that the person will be held legally responsible (or "liable") for damages in a subsequent lawsuit.
Traffic Citations
As part of a police officer's investigation into a car accident, he or she may issue one or more traffic citations. A traffic citation is a notice issued by a law enforcement officer that accuses a driver of violating a traffic law such as exceeding the speed limit or making an unlawful turn. It may indicate that a penalty such as a fine or deduction of points has been or will be assessed against the driver. A traffic citation may also require a driver to appear in traffic court. While a traffic citation will not ultimately prove who is legally responsible for a car accident in a subsequent lawsuit, it may be used as evidence that the driver was negligent. This will be discussed more thoroughly below.

In certain circumstances, the police officer may be asked to come in to the court room as a witness in your case. Their perspective can be very helpful in supporting and elaborating on the details of the police report, citing the conditions surrounding the accident and those involved.

As always, when you're in a car accident that you fell was caused by the negligence of another driver, don't hesitate to contact one of our experienced attorneys to handle your case and guide you through it.

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What Is The Police Officer's Role In A Car Accident Case? | Dussault & Zatir Personal Injury Lawyers MA & RI

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One of the first things that you do when you've been in a car accident is to call the police. At the scene of the accident, the police officer's duty is to make sure everyone is safe and to manage the logistics like automobile removal, traffic movement, and to document the accident.

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Fire engine crashed

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Fire engine and ambulance at a car crash

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Fire engine and ambulance at a car crash