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Table of Contents

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LESSON 2

IDENTIFY AND REACT TO A SERIOUS INCIDENT

OVERVIEW

LESSON DESCRIPTION:

In this lesson you will learn the three categories of serious incidents and how to react to them.

INTRODUCTION

As a military police sergeant, you will often be the first person to receive an incident report. If you are the patrol supervisor you may be the first authoritative person to arrive at the incident scene. You must classify the incident based on all of the information available and the provisions of AR 190-40. You will also be responsible for the military police immediate reaction. Your supervisors will depend upon you to properly forward the information through channels according to the category of the incident and local standing operating procedure (SOP).

PART A - IDENTIFY AND REACT TO A SERIOUS INCIDENT

Serious incident is defined as an actual or alleged incident, accident, misconduct, act, or condition (either criminal or noncriminal) that warrants timely notice to DA because of its nature, gravity, publicity, or potential consequences. The incident should be reported despite the rank or position of the personnel involved.

Is any adverse publicity going to be generated because of this incident on your installation? Is the publicity local or national? Will the news media contact the Secretary of Defense immediately to ask questions about the incident, (i.e., a riot took place on your post). Does he need to know about this before he is contacted. This incident (riot) could bring adverse publicity.

The gravity of the event itself. How serious was it? Did the incident involve death, injury, large value of property damaged or stolen? (Example, a soldier is wounded while trying to escape from a confinement facility.)

What effect is the incident going to have on unit readiness? Can the unit operate without the missing or damaged equipment? How long will it take to repair or replace the equipment? (Example, fire in unit's motor pool destroys or damages several vehicles. Damage is about $15,000 dollars.)

Categories of serious incidents are clearly defined in AR 190-40. A summary of these categories follows.

Category I, is of immediate concern to the Department of the Army. This involves such things as terrorist activities on the installation or involving military personnel or property; explosions resulting in death, injury, or property damage; riots on or off the installation; member of the U.S. Army seeking political asylum in a foreign country; war crimes and threats against the President, Vice President, or other high government officials. Notification for a category I incident:

• Immediately telephone the Army Operations Center (AOC), regardless of where you are, overseas or stateside, and give a brief account of the event. Provide minimum basic data: Who, what, when, where, and how, using the message format as a guide. Timeliness means more than completeness on all calls.

• Follow-up with an electronic message using DD Form 173/1 (Fig 2-1), Joint Message Form, no more than 12 hours after you called. This message is sent to HQDA (DAPE-HRE). SIRs must be approved by the provost marshal and installation commander.

• Army National Guard (ARNG) incidents involving their activities also will be telephonically reported to FORSCOM. The State Adjutant General will make this report immediately upon receipt of information or discovery of a category I incident to: (a) the Army Provost Marshal having geographical jurisdiction; (b) the National Guard Office of Military Support during duty hours, and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) duty office during nonduty hours.

Category II is of serious concern but slightly less than category I. These include the theft of firearms or ammunition; murder; major fires where people have been killed or injured; sales or trafficking of narcotics greater than $500; and training maltreatment. Notification for a category II incident:

• An electronically transmitted message will be sent directly to Department of the Army, Washington, DC (DAPE-HRE), within 24 hours after the receipt of the information or discovery that a category II incident has occurred. No telephone calls needed.

• ARNG, an electronic message will be transmitted within 24 hours after the discovery of a category II incident to the Army Provost Marshal having geographical area jurisdiction and HQDA, Washington, DC (NGB-MS). Does not apply when the ARNG unit is mobilized for federal service.

Category III is not as time sensitive. They include major fires on an installation with property damage, but no one killed or hospitalized. (Example, the PX burns down. This is going to hurt the installation, but will not affect unit readiness.) However, it does need to be reported. Other examples are thefts greater than $500, but less than $5,000. Notification for a category III incident:

• Option 1; send a letter using the message format to HQDA (DAPE-HRE), Washington, DC 20310, within 3 days after a category III incident occurred.

• Option 2; within 7 days after the incident, send an electronically transmitted message to DA, Washington, DC (DAPE-HRE).

• ARNG: A letter will be sent within 3 days or an electronically transmitted message within 7 days after the incident to:

• The Army Provost Marshal having geographical area jurisdiction.

• HQDA, Washington, DC (NGB-MS).

If identified and categorized as a serious incident, respond in accordance with the local SOP.

• The desk sergeant will notify the MP duty officer, staff officer, etc., as per the local SOP. If you are sure it is a serious incident, but don't know the category, ask the supervisor for help.

• The patrol supervisor responds to the location of the incident, assures that the incident is handled in accordance with local SOP. He then contacts the MP duty officer, staff duty officer, etc., and transmits pertinent information to the desk sergeant as soon as possible, for the incident report.

• ROTC, ARNG, and USAR will contact their supervisor and respond in accordance to unit or installation SOP.

PART B - FORMAT AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING SERIOUS INCIDENT REPORTS

Format and Instructions for Preparing Serious Incident
Report (DD Form 173/1, Joint Message Form)