How should personnel initiate Emergency Traffic?

• A. Activate the emergency button and repeat 'Emergency Traffic' three times.
• B. Announce 'Emergency Traffic' once over the radio.
• C. Use hand signals only.
• D. Call the Incident Commander and wait for instruction.

Answer: (A)

Emergency Traffic must be declared immediately to alert everyone on scene that someone is in danger. The quickest and most reliable way to start it is to use the emergency button, which interrupts normal transmissions and flags a high-priority alert, then announce the words “Emergency Traffic” three times. Repeating it three times helps ensure every unit on the channel hears the alert, so people stop what they’re doing, acknowledge the message, and clear the channel for a rapid, coordinated response. Simply announcing once, relying on hand signals, or waiting for further instructions can delay lifesaving actions and leave others unaware of the urgent situation.