Although police respond to emergencies far less frequently than to routine incidents,32 emergency response is a vital aspect of what police agencies do. Emergency responses, often referred to as critical incidents, are used for crimes in progress, traffic accidents with serious injuries, natural disasters, incidents of terrorism, officer requests for assistance, and other situations in which human life may be in jeopardy. Emergency responses take priority over all other police work, and until an emergency situation is secured and some order restored, the officers involved will not turn to other tasks. An important part of police training involves emergency response techniques, including first aid, hostage rescue, and the physical capture of
