What is the primary purpose of "pre-incident planning"?

The primary purpose of pre-incident planning is to identify potential hazards and prepare response strategies. This planning involves assessing specific facilities, locations, or events where hazardous materials may be present, leading to a tailored response plan that addresses the unique risks associated with those scenarios. Through this proactive approach, emergency responders can gain crucial insights into the types of materials likely to be encountered, the layout of the site, and any safety considerations that must be made in advance. This preparedness ultimately ensures a more effective and efficient response during an actual incident, reducing risks to responders and the surrounding community.

While reviewing past incidents is valuable for learning and improvement, it does not serve the primary purpose of pre-incident planning. Training personnel in hazmat protocols and developing a command structure are also important, but these actions typically follow the identification of hazards and planning for specific incidents. Thus, the correct focus of pre-incident planning is proactive hazard identification and response strategy preparation.