Incident Handling and Reporting

Critical Incidents

A Critical Incident is anything happening in the party that should trigger an emergency response call: a fatality, multiple injuries, or an incapacitating injury that prevents self-evacuation.  All Mazamas activity leaders must follow the Emergency Call Protocol in a Critical Incident.  Basically, after stabilizing the situation and calling for emergency response, call the Mazamas at 503-227-2345 ext. 3.

Summary of the Mazama Emergency Protocol (2019)

Mazama Emergency Protocol full page

Mazama Emergency Protocol simplified for smartphone

Mazama Emergency Protocol pocket card

SOAP Note blank

Summary of the Summary of the Emergency Protocol 

If you have an accident or critical incident first deal with the incident and contact emergency services if needed.  

Once the initial crisis is controlled contact the Mazamas.  Call the number for the MMC (503-227- 2345) and choose voice mail option 3.  Your call will be forwarded to an answering service that is available 24/7.

You will be asked some very basic questions regarding the nature of your incident, such as your location and the status of your group.  That basic information will then be provided to a Risk Management Committee member who will call you back directly to obtain further information. Please be aware that your call to the Mazamas will not activate emergency responders such as 911, Sheriffs, or SAR.

A word on post-incident public communications...

A critical incident on a Mazama activity is likely to gain attention from traditional and social media.  It is very important that the Mazamas be able to manage all media interactions following a critical incident.  This is impossible if anyone involved in the activity posts on social media, or speaks to the media.

When in doubt, avoid posting about the incident, especially any information about anyone else, and especially while the incident is unfolding.  This restriction includes all friends and family of yourself and your climbers, and your emergency contact.  Make sure your emergency contact understands this responsibility before the climb, and remind your team to adhere to this policy if an incident occurs.

Respect for the privacy of everyone involved in the incident is paramount, forever.  Always respect the privacy of everyone involved in the incident, and do not ever share personally identifiable information without their explicit permission.

Remember: Talk to a Mazama representative before sharing any info via traditional or social media.

Non-Emergency After-Action Reports: Incidents and Behavioral Issues

Leaders must report incidents that happen on your climbs using the Incident Reporting Form within 2 days of returning from the climb.  An incident is any event that negatively impacts the activity, or any participant in the activity, in more than a cursory or planned-for way.  Examples of incidents that must be reported using this form include:

• Any critical incident (defined above)

• Any illness or injury that requires treatment beyond basic first aid, either in the field or afterward (e.g. sprains or broken bones, but not blisters or colds)

• A close call or “near miss” that could have resulted in injury or other adverse consequences (such as rockfall that narrowly missed party members, nearby/harmless avalanche, or minor falls that could have been much worse)

• Assisting non-Mazamas parties experiencing an impacting incident

• Minor disruptive behavioral issues, such as disregarding leader directions, use of intoxicants, interpersonal conflicts, ignoring Mazamas rules, leaving the climb without authorization

Note: Major behavioral issues such as harassment, sexual harassment, assault, management misconduct, etc…, must be reported through the Behavioral Incident Form, on the Mazamas website under Policies and Reporting Tools .  These behavioral reports only go to high level Mazamas staff, and are handled in a manner that honors confidentiality as its first principle.  

Any participant on a climb can fill out an Incident Report, but they are required of the Leader and Assistant Leader for any incident as defined above.  When in doubt about whether or not to report an incident, simply report it. 

TODO is the 2-day deadline for incident/behavioral reports correct, or is that just for the post-climb report? If a Behavioral Incident is reported, do you also file a regular Incident Report if there is no other issue?  Do these forms suffice for the leader manual requirement that "All accidents must be reported to the Mazamas office, Climbing Committee, and the Board within 24 hours of completing the climb."? Or is that statement obsolete?  Or can you do a quick email report within 24 hrs and submit the full form later?  Generally, is there any requirement to report climb completion OR non-critical incidents to the Mazamas <whatever> beyond the post-climb report and incident reports?

(Perhaps this needs to become a Q&A?)

Critical Incident Report Handling

Depending on the information provided, the chair of the RMC may activate a Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT) to respond to the incident.  Note that you should not speak to the press or other members of the media at any time.  All contacts with, or statements to, the press should only be made by Executive Director,  President of the Board, or member of the CIMT.

Mazamas response to incident reports

Each Incident Report will be discussed by the RMC.  The outcome of that discussion might simply be the recording of the incident’s details into the RMC database, or a more detailed analysis, possibly culminating in recommendations for changes in practices or procedures.  Contents of these reports may be included in reports to the Board of Directors, articles in the Mazamas Annual, or submitted to Accidents in North American Mountaineering.

The Climbing Committee complies with the official Mazamas policy (TODO bad link):

http://mazamas.org/pdf/policies/Mazama_Disciplinary_Policy_(02092016).pdf