Major Road Crash Multi-Agency Response Plan

A clear, practical guide for Australians on how police, fire, ambulance, and SES work together at serious traffic incidents. This article turns policy into steps anyone can follow on the roadside or at work. It includes the full PPRR cycle, coordination, tools, and inclusive planning for families and crews. This resource deliberately uses the focus phrase “major road crash response plan” up front to help readers and searchers find the right advice quickly.

Approx. 8–9 min read

Last updated: 17 August 2025

Prevention

Australia’s best crash plan starts long before sirens. Prevention reduces the number and severity of major incidents. Councils, road authorities, businesses, and households can all act now.

Design safer roads: median barriers, rumble strips, protected right turns, and forgiving roadsides near rural towns.
Manage speed: temporary limits near worksites, speed indicators on problem stretches, and night-time enforcement in high-risk corridors.
Target impairment: support roadside alcohol and drug testing, provide courtesy buses for events, and workplace policies on fatigue.
Vehicle safety: encourage ANCAP 5-star vehicles, electronic stability control for fleets, and tyre checks before holiday road trips.
Data use: share anonymised crash clusters with local committees so engineering fixes get funded, not just patrolled.

The cheapest life saved is the one never put at risk. A major road crash response plan still matters, but prevention keeps families together and responders safer.

Preparedness

Preparedness turns chaos into a controlled routine. Families, businesses, and crews can prep once and benefit for years. Think comms, kit, and clear roles.

For households

Store a small roadside kit: torch, gloves, hi-vis, triangle, first aid, emergency blanket, and a paper notepad.
Save emergency ICE contacts and medical info on your phone’s lock screen.
Practise safe stopping: pull well off the roadway, hazards on, and passengers behind a barrier.

For businesses & schools

Fleet cards in every vehicle listing 000, insurance, and incident reporting steps.
Driver induction: fatigue breaks, towing limits, and crash scene safety basics.
Site plans: GPS entrance points and access codes pre-shared with local services.

For responders

Run multi-agency drills on high-risk stretches; include tow operators and traffic managers.
Pre-plan helicopter landing zones and diversion routes.
Load vehicle tablets with digital preplans, chemical guides, and local hazards.

Emergency contacts — quick list

000 • SES 132 500 • Poisons 13 11 26 • Lifeline 13 11 14 • Local council • Energy provider outages line

Preparedness in 5 minutes

☐ Add ICE contact to lock screen
☐ Place hi-vis and gloves in boot
☐ Save local tow number
☐ Learn to place triangles safely
☐ Review this major road crash response plan with family

Response — activating the major road crash response plan

Serious crashes unfold fast. The first arriving unit sets the tone. Use a simple structure: make safe, triage, extricate, and transport. Communicate early and plainly.

Approach & scene safety: slow early, park upstream on an angle to shield, lights on, cones or triangles placed from far to near. Establish a safe lane and move bystanders behind barriers.
Size-up: location, number of vehicles, hazards (fire, fuel, electricity, water), patients and entrapment, access and egress. Declare “major incident” if thresholds are met.
Command & control: name the incident, take initial command, define inner/outer perimeters, appoint safety and triage roles if resources allow.
Fire & hazards: isolate batteries, chock and stabilise, lay a dry line for protection, and control spills. Watch for EV high-voltage components.
Triage & care: perform rapid triage; open airways, control bleeding, and maintain C-spine. Prioritise extrication to meet trauma timelines.
Extrication: glass management, door popping, dash lifts, or roof removal as required. Protect patients from glass and noise.
Traffic management: request road closures or diversions; use variable message signs and police points.
Information flow: log times, patient categories, and transport destinations. Share clear updates with dispatch and hospitals.

When resources are stretched, do the greatest good for the greatest number. Simple, repeatable actions save lives.

Recovery

Recovery starts while crews are still working. Families, freight routes, and the community all need timely information and support after a major crash.

Hand back lanes as soon as safe to reduce secondary crashes and economic loss.
Offer psychological first aid to witnesses and responders; share support lines.
Document debris removal, road damage, and spill remediation for insurers.
Coordinate media updates, detours, and reopening times with a single voice.
Schedule a hot debrief within 24–48 hours and a cold review later with all agencies.

How it works — the science behind crash response

Crash survival follows time-critical curves. Airway obstruction kills within minutes; uncontrolled bleeding in tens of minutes. The golden hour is less a clock than a mindset: compress every step from discovery to definitive care.

Systems science: Incident Command System (ICS) reduces cognitive overload by standardising roles and language. Shared mental models let strangers work like a team within minutes.

Human factors: Clear, brief radio messages cut errors. Staging vehicles prevents blocker trucks from delaying the rescue set. PPE and hydration protect decision-making in heat.

Road safety engineering: Barriers and shoulders shape how and where vehicles come to rest, changing extrication complexity. Data from previous incidents guides better layouts and signage.

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Roles & coordination

Use ICS to separate thinking from doing. Keep the structure small at first, then build.

Incident Controller (IC): first qualified officer. Names the incident, sets priorities, and coordinates agencies.
Operations: runs the tasks—fire protection, extrication, triage, traffic, and tow coordination.
Planning: tracks resources, maps hazards, and prepares the next operational period even for short jobs.
Logistics: lighting, fuel, toilets, rehab, and relief crews for protracted closures.
Police: lead traffic management, crash investigation, and coronial liaison.
Ambulance: clinical command, triage unit management, and hospital notifications.
Fire & Rescue: hazard control, vehicle stabilisation, extrication, and protection lines.
SES / Council: road closures, lighting towers, signage, barriers, and debris clearance.

For crew leaders

Keep radio discipline (call sign then message). Use check-backs. Lock-out/Tag-out on battery disconnects and airbag zones. Nominate a safety officer if tools are operating. Rotate saw and spreader operators every 10–15 minutes in heat.

Handover & continuity: When command changes, say it on the radio: who, what, where, and priorities. Share a quick METHANE-style update to incoming crews.

Equipment & tools

What you bring shapes what you can do in the first 15 minutes. Here’s a practical, Australian-context list.

Households

Hi-vis vest, nitrile gloves, compact first aid, foil blanket
Phone power bank and USB lead
Reflective triangle and small torch
Paper notepad for regos and witness details

Businesses

Fleet-wide first aid kits with trauma dressings
Portable triangle kits and amber beacons for supervisors
Vehicle tracking with SOS and driver fatigue prompts
Incident cards with legal/insurance steps

Responders

Stabilisation: step chocks, cribbing, wedges, ratchet straps
Tools: spreaders, cutters, rams, reciprocating saw, air tools
Medical: tourniquets, haemostatic dressings, oxygen, monitors
Traffic: cones, flares where permitted, signs, LED wands, VMS
Support: lighting towers, spill kits, electric vehicle isolation kits

Match your kit to the road. Rural highways need water, shade, and extra comms; metro freeways need signs, portable message boards, and tow coordination.

Field scenarios — lessons learned

1) Rural rollover in heat

A ute rolls off a country road at 2 pm, 38°C. First crew arrives with two members. They establish a blocker truck, request extra tankers for shade and water, and run rapid triage. A tourniquet saves one limb; early helicopter request shortens transport time. Lesson: call for shade, rehab, and air support early—heat harms judgment.

2) Multi-vehicle pile-up in fog

Five vehicles collide on a freeway. The first officer closes two lanes far upstream with police, assigns a lookout with a loud-hailer, and moves walking wounded to a safe bus turnout. Lesson: traffic control is patient care—secondary crashes kill.

3) EV side-impact in suburbia

An electric SUV hits a parked truck. Crews isolate the 12V system, identify orange HV cabling, and use door pin push to avoid battery intrusion. Thermal imaging checks for runaway. Lesson: know EV cut points and cooling tactics; never cut HV orange.

Checklists

Household roadside

☐ Park well off road, hazards on, position behind barrier
☐ Call 000; give exact location (km post/app)
☐ Put on hi-vis; place triangle if safe
☐ Don’t move seriously injured unless life-threatened
☐ Share witness details with police

Business fleet manager

☐ Confirm driver safety and location
☐ Notify insurers and organise tow
☐ Send supervisor with triangles/beacon
☐ Preserve telematics and dashcam data
☐ Log incident; schedule return-to-work support

Responder first-arriving

☐ Establish command and safe lane
☐ Size-up: vehicles, hazards, patients, access
☐ Stabilise, isolate power, protect with a line
☐ Triage, treat catastrophic bleeding, airway
☐ Request extra resources and designate roles

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Accessibility & inclusion

Inclusive planning protects the most vulnerable and reduces confusion at scenes. Keep language simple, signs visible, and assistance respectful.

Disability: provide quiet space for autistic passengers; use pictogram cards for instructions; offer arm support, not wrist grabs.
Language: use plain English first, then interpreter lines; point to signs and use gestures.
Elderly: check for hearing aids and glasses; keep them warm; sit them away from traffic spray.
Children: crouch to eye level; explain what you’re doing; avoid showing damaged vehicles.
Pets: leash or cage away from responders; if injured, contact local emergency vets.
Neurodiversity: reduce flashing lights if safe; assign one communicator; avoid rapid instruction changes.

FAQs

What makes a crash “major”?

Multiple vehicles, entrapment, life-threatening injuries, hazardous materials, or heavy traffic impacts. Declare it early to unlock resources.

Should I move injured people?

Only if there’s an immediate threat (fire, submerged vehicle, live traffic) and you can do so safely. Otherwise keep them warm and still and call 000.

How do crews coordinate quickly?

ICS roles, a named incident, and short radio messages. A simple plan beats a perfect one delivered late.

What about electric vehicles?

Identify badging, isolate 12V systems, avoid orange HV cabling, and monitor for delayed thermal runaway.

Why is traffic control part of patient care?

Secondary crashes injure responders and patients. Early lane closures and clear signs save lives.

How can businesses help on the day?

Provide access codes, site contacts, and incident logs promptly. Keep supervisors available for statements and tow coordination.

Links & hotlines (Australia)

Credits & review notes

Prepared by FireRescue.com.au Editorial Team. Peer review: Senior Paramedic (Clinical), Police Sergeant (Road Policing), Fire & Rescue Station Officer (Extrication). Internal review dates: 10 August 2025 (clinical), 12 August 2025 (operations), 15 August 2025 (public).

Version: 1.0 • Next review due: February 2026.

Emergency education — not official advice. Always check local warnings and follow directions from authorities.

Training helps—join your local brigade/unit.

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