Lights, sirens and first responders, everywhere. This was the scene in the area of Pioneer Lodge on Monday afternoon after a fire complaint.
Most emergency incidents involve one or more first responder groups and this one had Lloydminster Peace Officers, EMS, Lloydminster Fire Department and RCMP members attending as well as utility workers.
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When an emergency incident occurs, an evaluation is first completed by the call taker with the information received. This allows them to determine which first responders may be needed.
Once dispatched responders arrive at the scene, they may request other responder groups due to what the event presents. These situations are often extremely dynamic and assessed on risk. Responder requirements change by the minute.
As risk and operational assessments are continually done while the event unfolds, strategies on how responders approach it will morph into a response to best deal with the incident.
A general rule is, the more responders involved, the bigger the area we need to work in. Streets got blocked and traffic was re-routed to create a safety perimeter for responders to work. We need nearby drivers to focus only on their driving and not the ‘rubber-necking’ we can get, which has resulted in collisions, which take away resources from the primary incident.
Curiosity unfortunately can increase risk and interfere with responders being able to do their jobs. People will drive and walk up to incidents to see what is happening which is the opposite of what responders need.
We need space and as few people in the vicinity as possible so they aren’t at risk or too close, interfering with responders’ abilities to do their jobs.
A priority of every response is the safety of the public in addition to the responders. Fire trucks and ambulances are large and need room to park and maneuver.
Monday, the threat resulted in residents and staff being evacuated, and with so many people involved, this takes time and lots of space.
As the exact extent of the threat is not always clearly visible, any threat to other property or people, i.e. neighbouring residents, nearby motorists, pedestrians, etc., may be difficult to determine.
This is another reason responders need the public to stay out of the area. If those living nearby are at risk, they would be duly notified.
Monday’s scene expanded as the residents were evacuated and transports were required to be brought in to move them.
Due to scene management, we had to turn away some very well-intentioned people wanting to help.
Responders do work to try and open up access to the area as quickly as possible to lessen any inconvenience, but risk mitigation remains the priority. This incident ended as well as it could have, however, much property work remains.
Thank you to all who respected our perimeter and gave the responders space to work. No matter the type of emergency, the best assistance is to stay clear of the area. All responders will thank you.
– Staff Sgt. Jerry Nutbown, is the NCO in charge of the Lloydminster RCMP detachment’s General Investigation Section. Stay tuned for future articles from the Lloydminster RCMP.
This column was originally published in the Sept. 12, 2024, edition of the Meridian Source.
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