Number of Courses:  One Live 2-Hour Class
Credit Awarded:  2 Hours
Credit Type: Advanced
Accredited: CAPCE (F5-VILT), CE Broker (FL & TN), Pennsylvania Bureau of EMS, and Virginia Office of EMS
Enrollment Period:  One year or until completed, whichever comes first
Topics:  Crew Resource Management & MCI Response

This CE activity is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education for a total of 2 Paramedic CEH.

Are you in need of a few hours to round out your Paramedic or AEMT recertification? This individual NCCP course will meet those needs and is offered several times a month with a varying schedule.

Want to see when classes are offered, click here DistanceCME Course Calendar

Topics covered in this Live NCCP L15

  • Crew Resource Management & MCI Response (2hr)

If you need more than a few hours, this bundle is perfect for your continuing education: Live 30 Hour NCCP + Anytime. You’ll complete your NCCR requirements and also gain access to our Anytime EMS CEU Package, offering over 100 on-demand learning modules with CEUs.

Course Overview
Successful EMS providers do far more than perform clinical skills. They communicate effectively, lead under pressure, make sound decisions in rapidly evolving environments, and function as part of a coordinated team. Whether responding to a routine medical call or a large-scale disaster, operational performance directly influences patient outcomes, responder safety, and the overall effectiveness of the emergency response.

This course examines two essential components of modern emergency medical operations: the Incident Command System and mass casualty incident management, followed by the principles of Crew Resource Management. Learners will explore how structured command systems, standardized communication, effective triage, and collaborative decision-making allow responders from multiple agencies to safely manage complex incidents while working toward the greatest good for the greatest number of patients.
Building upon the National Incident Management System, the course demonstrates how EMS personnel integrate into larger emergency responses through the proper use of incident command, resource management, trauma triage, treatment operations, and coordinated patient transportation. The course then transitions into Crew Resource Management, emphasizing the human factors that affect communication, leadership, decision-making, situational awareness, teamwork, and error prevention during high-stress events.

Incident Command and Mass Casualty Response
Learners will develop a detailed understanding of the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System, including common terminology, command structure, span of control, resource management, and the responsibilities of command and general staff. The course reviews the functions of operations, planning, logistics, and finance, as well as the roles of the safety officer, public information officer, liaison officer, and incident commander. Special attention is given to the medical branch and the coordinated responsibilities of triage, treatment, and transportation personnel. Learners will examine when an incident should be declared a mass casualty event, how available resources influence operational decisions, and why early establishment of command is essential for maintaining scene control, accountability, and responder safety.

Trauma Triage and Patient Prioritization
The course reviews the principles of primary and secondary triage and the transition from an individual patient-centered approach to a population-based strategy during incidents in which patient needs exceed immediately available resources. Learners will examine the Immediate, Delayed, Minor, and Expectant triage categories and the clinical and operational considerations associated with each priority level.
Adult patients are assessed using the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment, or START, system, with emphasis on respirations, perfusion, and mental status. Pediatric considerations are addressed through the JumpSTART system, including pediatric respiratory criteria, pulse assessment, rescue breathing, and age-appropriate mental status evaluation. The course also addresses patient reassessment, hazardous materials considerations, responder injuries, disruptive patients, hospital notification, transport coordination, and distribution of patients among receiving facilities.

Crew Resource Management
Crew Resource Management provides a structured approach to improving teamwork by making effective use of all available personnel, information, equipment, experience, and clinical resources. Learners will examine the origins of Crew Resource Management in aviation and its application to healthcare and emergency medical services. The course explores common human factors that contribute to error, including fatigue, stress, distraction, cognitive overload, poor communication, authority gradients, overconfidence, and tunnel vision. Rather than focusing solely on individual mistakes, Crew Resource Management emphasizes behaviors and systems that reduce risk, strengthen team performance, and improve patient safety.

Communication, Leadership, and Teamwork
Learners will explore the complementary roles of leadership and followership, including the responsibility of leaders to establish clear priorities and the responsibility of team members to remain engaged, communicate concerns, and advocate for patient safety. The course reinforces that effective teams are not defined by hierarchy alone, but by mutual respect, shared responsibility, and a commitment to the mission. Communication strategies include closed-loop communication, clear task assignment, message confirmation, inquiry and advocacy statements, respectful questioning of authority, and the professional duty to inform the team of changing conditions or potential threats. Learners will also examine how curiosity, rather than defensiveness, supports psychological safety and allows important concerns to be heard and evaluated.

Situational Awareness and Decision-Making
Because emergency scenes and patient conditions are constantly changing, the course emphasizes continuous situational awareness. Learners will examine how to monitor the patient, the environment, available resources, team performance, and evolving threats while avoiding fixation on a single task or finding. Decision-making is presented as a collaborative but accountable process. Crew Resource Management does not replace the authority of the team leader or require every decision to be made by consensus. Instead, it ensures that leaders receive the most complete and accurate information available before selecting and communicating a course of action.

Who Should Take This Course?
This course is primarily designed for AEMTs and Paramedics who may participate in advanced clinical, operational, leadership, or mass casualty response roles. The material remains understandable and valuable to EMTs seeking to strengthen their knowledge of incident command, triage, communication, teamwork, and prehospital decision-making.