What is the purpose of a Casualty Collection Point (CCP)?

The purpose of a Casualty Collection Point (CCP) is to effectively gather victims of an incident and initiate triage and multi-casualty incident (MCI) protocols. At a CCP, medical personnel assess and categorize the victims based on the severity of their injuries to prioritize treatment based on urgency. This organized approach is critical in a mass casualty situation, such as an active shooter incident, where numerous individuals may require medical attention at the same time. The timely identification of those who need immediate care helps ensure that limited medical resources are utilized efficiently and effectively, ultimately improving the chances of survival for the most critically injured.

The other options do not fully capture the primary role of a CCP. While it might provide some form of medical attention, the main function is not to offer immediate treatment to all victims. Securing the perimeter is important in crisis response, but it falls under the responsibilities of law enforcement and not the CCP. Additionally, while transportation of victims to hospitals is a critical element of emergency response, this is not the direct purpose of the CCP; it is focused more on the collection and initial triage of casualties prior to transportation.