How many categories of critical incidents exist?

• A. 4
• B. 3
• C. 5
• D. 6

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that critical incidents are grouped into four distinct categories to keep response, documentation, and follow-up consistent across incidents. In many DPS training materials, the four areas cover: officer-involved incidents (such as shootings or significant uses of force), incidents in custody or detention settings (inmate deaths or serious assaults), incidents affecting the public or occurring during field operations (mass arrests, riots, active threat scenes), and disasters or mass casualty events and other large-scale emergencies (natural disasters, major crashes, hazardous incidents). This four-category framework is simple yet comprehensive, ensuring agencies can standardize reporting, investigation, and post-incident support. That’s why the correct count is four.