Victims of mass casualty incidents, such as bombings and active shooter scenarios, could now have a better chance of survival thanks to new federal guidelines that support medical professionals entering the fray sooner rather than later.

The recent guidelines, which were released by the U.S. Fire Administration in September, advocate creating local-level policies that allow EMS personnel to respond to seriously injured victims of mass casualties right away, rather than waiting for police to secure the scene. The most seriously injured are often closest to the threat, so waiting for the area to be secured means those who need treatment the most wait the longest. Although that makes sense for the safety of medical personnel, it can be a death sentence for those suffering serious injuries.

“As we say: Risk a little to save a little, risk a lot to save a lot,” Fire Administrator Ernest Mitchell Jr. told the New York Times in an article published on December 7. First responders needed a way to treat the injured as soon as possible, without getting in the way of the highly coordinated response that such situations demand. A large part of the problem was that while specialized operations were called for, local firefighters and EMS are often first to respond. Equipping smaller agencies with a protocol for treating victims quickly will allow them to respond more effectively, officials say.

“A lot of places, EMS and fire departments were looking for some guidance, and this really lays it out,” Richard Serino, Federal Emergency Management Agency Deputy Administrator, told the Hartford Courant in October. “It gives them a template that they can work from.”

That template, which was inspired by a document called the Hartford Consensus, recommends that emergency personnel focus on stanching bleeding and removing victims to receive further treatment as soon as possible. Further, when treating victims on the scene, first responders should wear body armor and be accompanied by police.

Additionally, local fire, EMS, and law enforcement agencies, “must have common tactics, communications capabilities, and terminology to have seamless, effective operations,” the report stated.

The new guidelines come in response to an increasing number of mass casualty situations and the realization that current practices weren’t working. After the Sandy Hook School shootings last year, Dr. Lenworth Jacobs of Hartford Hospital saw the need to make changes. So he organized the committee of government, medical, fire, and law enforcement experts that eventually drafted the Hartford Consensus.

“We’re seeing these events in increasing frequency, and unfortunately we have to change how we approach them to keep death tolls down,” Dr. Jacobs told the Times.

The issuance of the USFA guidance isn’t the end of the committee’s efforts, however. Recognizing that bystanders can also provide valuable assistance, they are now working on the Hartford Consensus II, which would provide CPR-like training to the public.

“You have to build a system where the most inexperienced person can function for 10 minutes,” Jacobs told the Courant. “We need to build a system where the first responding group has a clear plan of action and can execute it immediately within five to 10 minutes, because after that help will come.”