During a mass casualty incident, what is the role of the Transport Officer?

• A. To manage the transportation of patients to medical facilities.
• B. To coordinate on-scene triage.
• C. To operate the communications center.
• D. To log all equipment assets.

Answer: (A)

During a mass casualty incident, the Transport Officer focuses on moving patients from the scene to appropriate medical facilities. They coordinate ambulance resources, assign hospital destinations based on capacity and patient needs, and keep track of patient transport to ensure accountability and an even distribution of patients across facilities. This role stays in close contact with field units and receiving hospitals, adapting transport plans as hospital status changes and the incident evolves.

Coordinating on-scene triage is handled by the Triage Officer or Medical Group, not the Transport Officer. Operating the communications center is the duty of the Communications Unit Leader, and logging all equipment assets falls under asset/logistics management rather than transport.