Patrol Operations and Incident Response
What the exam tests
This domain tests scene control, officer safety, domestic violence response, active-threat response, and medical aid. Expect questions on establishing command, containing a scene, communicating, and deciding when to arrest.
Core rules
- Establish command early: assign contact, cover, perimeter, and medical roles. Keep radio traffic concise.
- Domestic violence: RSA 173-B:10 allows warrantless arrest when probable cause exists, even if the act was not in the officer's presence. Separate the parties, identify the predominant aggressor, and document injuries and statements.
- Active threat: move toward the threat with available officers, bypass uninjured victims, and stop the killing before rendering aid.
- After the scene is safe, render aid, preserve evidence, and complete reports.
Worked example
Officers respond to a domestic call. A victim has a red mark and says her partner struck her; the partner denies it but is agitated. The officer separates them, interviews witnesses, photographs the injury, and arrests the partner under RSA 173-B:10. Reasoning: probable cause exists from the injury and statement, and domestic violence law permits arrest without the act occurring in the officer's presence. The officer must still document why the partner was the aggressor.
Traps
- Arresting the loudest person rather than identifying the predominant aggressor.
- Waiting for a warrant when a domestic violence exception applies.
- Entering an active-threat scene without a plan or communication.
- Failing to document injuries and excited utterances.