METHANE is an acronym used as a structured way to communicate critical information about an incident. It helps emergency responders provide concise, consistent, and clear updates when reporting an incident to a control center or other teams. The acronym stands for:

M - Major Incident Declared (yes/no or unknown)
E - Exact Location of the incident
T - Type of Incident (e.g., fire, flood, chemical spill, etc.)
H - Hazards present or suspected (e.g., chemicals, structural collapse)
A - Access routes (safe routes or those blocked)
N - Number of casualties or people involved (e.g., injured, trapped)
E - Emergency Services present or required (e.g., police, fire, ambulance)
Using the METHANE format ensures all responders have a shared understanding of the situation.

And if its not a major incident… ETHANE it anyway