SMART Triage Training

SMART triage is a necessary component of providing emergency care. SMART Triage is not typically part of routine emergency response calls. Since it is only utilized during mass casualty events, it requires the periodic practice of assessment skills and techniques to achieve a comfortable level of confidence and proficiency.  The continuous turnover of first responders requires that new first responders in the region along with new service chiefs and officers receive training. Regional MCI exercise evaluations continue to indicate that a sufficient level of proficiency in SMART triage continues to be an opportunity for improvement.

Additionally, the region has significant potential for mass causality incidents that would require the use of the SMART system, primarily due to Agricultural Fairs in the region, Woodstock and Brooklyn, the Thompson International Speedway, physical fitness/obstacle course “Tough Mudder” type events, and high volume of passenger and commercial traffic on interstates and state roads.

This training will provide emergency medical personnel with the knowledge to effectively utilize the SMART triage system.

A little about SMART.

Colin Smart, the creator of the SMART triage system, was working as a military medic back in the 1980’s. Mr. Smart recognized the need for an aide memoir for responders to record details from an incident in a way that was easy to understand and would promote a systematic approach to casualty management. From this initial idea, TSG Associates™ began in 1996 when the SMART Medi Memo was born.

The concepts behind the SMART Medi Memo led to the design and production of an incident management system that would enable rescue services to provide a methodical, structured response to multiple casualty incidents (smartmci.com). The Connecticut Department of Public Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services, adopted the SMART triage system as the state standard for MCI operations in 2007.