Decide whether the situation should be declared a major incident. It may be a Major Incident for your service but not others.

If no, continue complete an “ETHANE” message but regularly review the situation in case the incident escalates and becomes a Major Incident at a later stage.

Be as accurate as possible, use street names, landmarks, building numbers and post codes. You may also consider using GPS coordinates, latitude and longitude or what3words where these are accepted and understood by your organisation.

Current Location

Define the exact nature of the incident, for example, road traffic collision, explosion or building collapse.

Explosion Firearms Incident Siege Violence Flooding High Winds Landslide Building Fire Fire at Waste Site Vehicle Fire Wild Fire CBRN HAZMAT Ship/Ferry (Single) Ship/Ferry (Cargo) Ship/Ferry (Passenger) Unpowered Recreational Vessel Motorised Recreational Vessel Disorder Uncontrolled Crowd Animal In/Near Water Road Vehicle (HGV) Road Vehicle (Multiple) Road Vehicle (Single) Air Aircraft (Cargo) Aircraft (Light) Aircraft (Military) Aircraft (Passenger) Train (Freight) Train (Multiple) Train (Passenger) Electricity Gas Water Other

Include the hazards that are known to be present or suspected, and those that could potentially arise.

Access Animal Hazard to Traffic Building/Structure Collapse Building Under Construction Chemical Exposure Collision Confined Space Contact Contamination Corrosive Crush Injury Dangerous Animal Dangerous Crowd Density Deep Water Disorder Edgeded Weapon Explosion Explosive Fallen/Loose Debris Fallen Tree Fast Flowing Water Fire Firearm Flammable Gas Flammable Liquid Flammable Solid Fuel Spill Gas Leak Grounding Hazardous Cargo High Wind IED Ice Live Rail Overhead lines Unstable Structure Person(s) in Water Marauding Attackers Mud Hypothermia Heat Stroke Multiple Vehicles Oxidising Substances Person(s) Trapped Petrochemicals Pollution Down Power Line Quicksand Radioactive Material Secondary Device Rising Water/Tide Serious Disorder Sinking Smoke Smoke Fumes Standing Water Still Water Sub-surface Hazard Swift Water Toxic and Infectious Substance Trespassers on Electrical Installations Unstable Surface Unstable Vehicl Unstable Vessel Unstable Wreckage Violence towards Emergency Services Violence towards Public Working at Height Working Sub-surface

Describe the routes that are safe to use and provide access to the incident. This should also include access to any relevant Rendezvous Point (RvP). In the case of a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) incident, it may also include areas to avoid. Consider egress routes as some organisations will come and go from the incident such as the ambulance service transporting casualties.

Current Location

Determine the number of casualties and if possible the level and severity of injuries.

Which, and how many, emergency responder agencies are required or are already on-scene?