Major disasters require extensive activity by the fire-fighting, technical and emergency services. Simultaneously, victims have to be rescued, fires have to be fought and other technical aspects of assistance have to be employed. Ill and injured patients have to be removed from danger, prepared for transport, and taken by ambulance, under the care of skilled personnel, to hospitals. The responsibility for these actions lies in West Germany in the hands of the Fire Brigades.

The Alert. Emergency calls arriving at Fire Brigade communication centers or emergency service control centers are often inaccurate. It is necessary for professional emergency personnel to give detailed information from the incident site. This should include the nature and gravity of the damage, the number of injured and their severity, and the best possible access.

Exploration of the Site. In major medical incidents it is highly important to gain a full overview of the scale of the danger and damage. Often incident sites with a great number of injured are difficult to reach and to survey.

Searching for the Injured. It is a matter of high priority to search all over the site for injured persons and those suffering from shock. In large areas, which are difficult to survey, this must still remain a priority. Additional personnel may have to be called in.