The Office of EMS, Division of Emergency Operations has chosen to include both S.A.L.T. and S.T.A.R.T. in the mass casualty incident management program. Our rules and regulations do not mention a specific triage system, instead referencing a Virginia approved triage tag. We leave it up to agencies and/or localities to determine which triage system meets the needs of the organization and community. The Mass Casualty Incident Management I and II program provide information on utilizing both S.T.A.R.T. and S.A.L.T.
As always, we recommend agencies work with their surrounding response partners to ensure a smooth integration in the event mutual aid is needed, to ensure that providers are able to integrate with whatever triage system is in use.
We continue to look at updates to the Virginia approved triage tag and will provide updates as changes occur.
If you have any questions please contact Karen Owens, Emergency Operations Division Director, at Karen.Owens@vdh.virginia.gov.