Florida 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) Practice Exam

Which of the following defines a ‘mass casualty incident’?

1. An event causing a large number of casualties

2. Any single vehicle accident

3. A routine medical call

4. An isolated fire incident

The correct answer is: An event causing a large number of casualties

A 'mass casualty incident' is defined as an event causing a large number of casualties. This definition reflects the overwhelming nature of such incidents, which typically exceed the resources available in a standard response, leading to the need for a coordinated response from multiple agencies, including emergency medical services, law enforcement, and fire departments. Mass casualty incidents can arise from various scenarios, including natural disasters, large-scale accidents, or terrorist attacks, where the number of injured or deceased individuals significantly impacts the capacity to provide immediate medical care. The other choices describe situations that do not meet the criteria for mass casualties. A single vehicle accident, while potentially serious, usually does not involve a large number of casualties. Routine medical calls typically involve one or two patients and are part of standard operations, whereas an isolated fire incident usually concerns a specific location without widespread impact on multiple victims. Therefore, only the choice that points to a high number of casualties accurately captures the essence of a mass casualty incident.