Incident Command System protocol says that command is owned by the first person to respond, even if they're not certified in anything besides basic CPR.
And then they hand off command when an individual in a position of greater authority arrives.
As an example of the general case, as I understand it
in Massachusetts the Fire Department ultimately receives Incident Command
at a Hazmat accident, no matter who got there first.
And to be more specific, one of the best ham radio breakfast sessions
I've ever attended in 15+ years
was hearing a husband and wife with significant first responder training
describe how they were the first (trained) people to pull over when a 2-mom/n-kids
minivan flipped into the median of I-495 at highway speed one morning.
(Ultimately there were multiple fatalities, so imagine the carnage).
Yet P. and D. called in the accident and immediately set to work triaging the victims.
As soon as the first state trooper arrived at warp speed,
they summarized the situation for him, then resumed rendering such first aid as they could,
and gradually stepped back as more emergency services arrived.
The bulk of S&R work in the White Mountains is done by volunteers who have far more experience than F&G. The state workers coordinate a lot of it, but they have exclusive access to the radio network (which often isn't all that great).
Not surprised (thanks). The last I heard, White Mountain rock climbing rescue work depends on (among other folks) the employees at the equipment stores on the main drag in North Conway.
But there isn't some radically different state agency that's going to step in and coordinate wilderness operations. Say, the State Liquor Store employees; they're pretty much limited to topping off the brandy kegs of any St. Bernards working an avalanche scene.
No longer true in much of the state. Most FDs also run the ambulance service and listening to the scanners tells me that they are constantly on the run with traffic accident, drug overdose, elderly issues, etc. calls. I know that some cities/towns may contract out these services but it seems most of the towns I'm familiar with use the FD for this, so there is no rest/sleeping on the job waiting for a fire to break out anymore for them.
No debate, there. I know an employee of our town's Health Department who is partially funded to coordinate emergency service volunteers. But she's also a flavor of EMT, and spends some of her time technically medicaling at emergencies. And I ignorantly fancy she's worked details being pre-positioned at major events like parades or carnivals.
But to press the analogy, I don't think she lurks around town,
waiting to spot someone with an exposed laceration that needs a band-aid.
I thought this part of the discussion was about "search and rescue".
(This "discussion" has "parts"? It sure could use a Dramatis Personae cheat sheet for all of the acronyms being bandied about. And that's
without any thread-jacking).
