Page:Derailment of Amtrak Passenger Train 188 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania May 12, 2015.djvu/41

NTSB Level I adult trauma centers (Einstein Medical Center, Hahnemann University Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and Temple University Hospital) within 8 miles and a Level II adult trauma center (Aria Health Torresdale) about 12 miles away. Temple University Hospital and Aria Health Frankford (not a trauma hospital) are the closest medical facilities; both are within 3 miles of the accident site.

In an MCI, the goals for EMS are to triage, treat, and transport the injured as expeditiously as possible within the incident command system. EMS personnel are trained to perform an initial, quick triage of patients in an MCI. According to the PFD's operational procedure, EMS uses the Simple Triage and Rapid Transport method in which patients are evaluated and classified as follows: "*An injured person who is walking and talking is classified as priority 3 or green.
 * A person who cannot walk but is breathing normally, is not in shock, and is following commands is classified as priority 2 or yellow.
 * A person who cannot walk and has signs of respiratory distress or shock or cannot follow commands is classified as priority 1 or red."

After evaluating the injured, EMS must then get them to the appropriate level of medical care as expeditiously as possible. Traditionally, red patients are transported first, followed by yellow, and then green. Generally, patients classified as red and yellow will require expert care in a Level I or II trauma center. In order for a hospital to respond appropriately to an influx of seriously injured patients, each needing this level of resources, the staff must be drawn from outside the hospital or from the care of other patients.

At the beginning of an MCI, hospitals are notified of the event by a 911 center or other local authority, and each hospital reports how many critical (red and yellow) and minor (green) patients they can reasonably handle. 31