Chapter 2 Objectives

1
Chapter 2Objectives

1. Identify the four emergency action steps.
2. Establish four important questions to be answered
   when checking the scene of an emergency.
3. Explain what to do if the scene is unsafe.
4. List four conditions considered life threatening
   in an emergency.
5. Name three things you must tell the victim to get
   permission to give care.
6. Make clear when and how to call EMS personnel.

2
Preparing for Emergencies

• Keep important information.
• Keep medical and insurance records.
• Find out if your community is served by 9-1-1 or
  a local emergency telephone number.
• Keep emergency telephone numbers listed.
• Keep a first aid kit readily available.
• Learn and stay up to date on first aid and
  cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills.
• Make sure your house or apartment number is easy
  to read.
• Wear a medical alert tag.

3
Taking ActionEmergency Action Steps- The four Cs

• The emergency action steps are the four basic
  steps you should take in any emergency. These
  steps include
• Stay Calm, you must always keep yourself under
  control.
• Check the scene, then Check the victim.
• Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
• Care for the victim until professional medical
  help arrives.

4
Check the Scene

• Before you can help the victim, you must make
  sure the scene is safe for you and any
  bystanders.
• Take time to check the scene and answer these
  four important questions

5
Check the Scene(Continued)

• Is the scene safe?
• Look for anything that may threaten your safety
  and that of the victim or bystanders. If any
  dangers are threatening, do not approach the
  victim. Retreat and call 9-1-1 immediately.
• What happened?
• Look around the scene for clues about what caused
  the emergency and the type and extent of the
  victims injuries. If the victim is unconscious,
  your check of the scene may be the only way to
  tell what happened.

6
Check the Scene(Continued)

• How many Victims are there?
• Look carefully for more than one victim. You may
  not spot everyone at first. If you find more than
  one victim ask bystanders to help care for them.
• Are Bystanders available for help?
• Bystanders may be able to tell you what happened
  or help in other ways. A bystander who knows the
  victim may know whether he or she has any medical
  problems or allergies.

7
Check the Victim

• Do not move a victim unless an immediate danger,
  such as fire, flood, poisonous fumes, hazardous
  traffic patterns, or unstable structure,
  threatens you and the victim.
• If you find the victim has any immediate
  life-threatening conditions, you must call EMS
  personnel immediately or send someone else to
  call.

8
Check the Victim(Continued)

• The four conditions considered immediately life
  threatening in an emergency situation are
• unconsciousness
• no breathing or difficulty breathing
• no pulse
• severe bleeding

9
Check the Victim(Continued)

• Be calm and reassuring
• Before giving first aid to a conscious adult
  victim, identify yourself as a person trained in
  first aid.
• Get permission to provide care. This permission
  is referred as consent. To get consent you must
  tell the victim
• Who you are
• Your level of training
• What it is you would like to do.
• If the victim is unconscious or unable to respond
  consent is implied.

10
Call EMS Personnel

• Your top priority as a citizen responder is to
  get professional help to the victim as soon as
  possible.
• The system works more effectively if you can
  provide information about the victims condition
  when the call is placed. This information helps
  to ensure that the victim receives proper medical
  care as quickly as possible.

11
When to callAs general rule, call EMS personnel
for any of the following conditions

• Unconscious or altered level of consciousness
• Breathing problems
• Persistent chest or abdominal pain or pressure
• No pulse
• Severe bleeding
• Severe burns

• Vomiting blood or passing blood in feces or urine
• Poisoning or suspected poisoning
• Seizures, severe headache, or slurred speech
• Injuries to head neck, or back
• Broken bones or suspected broken bones

12
When to callSpecial situations

• Fire or explosion.
• The presence of poisonous gas.
• Downed electrical wires.
• Motor vehicle collisions.
• Victims who cannot be moved easily.

13
Making the Call

• When you make the call, you should do the
  following
• If someone else is placing the call give them the
  number.
• Give necessary information
• The exact street address or location.
• The telephone number from which the call is being
  made.
• Your name
• What happened
• How many people are involved
• The condition of the victim
• The help be given
• Do not to hang up until the dispatcher hangs up.
• If someone else is making the call, tell them to
  report to you after making the call.

14
Making the CallWhen you are alone

• If you are in a situation in which you are the
  only person other than the victim, you must make
  a decision to Call First or Call Fast.
• You should call first before giving care if
• An unconscious adult victim or child age 8 or
  older.
• An unconscious infant or child known to be at
  high risk for heart problems.
• Call First situations are likely to be cardiac
  emergencies, such as sudden cardiac arrest, where
  time is critical.

15
Making the CallWhen you are alone

• Call Fast, that is, provide 1 minute of care,
  then call 9-1-1 for
• An unconscious victim younger than 8
• Any victim of submersion or near-drowning
• Any victim of cardiac arrest associated with
  trauma
• Any victim of drug overdose.
• Call Fast situations are likely to be related to
  breathing emergencies rather than sudden cardiac
  arrest. In these situations provide support for
  airway, breathing and circulation through rescue
  breaths and chest compressions, as appropriate

16
Care

• Once you have checked the scene and the victim,
  you may have to provide care. Always care for
  life-threatening conditions before those that are
  not.
• If the victim is conscious be aware of their
  condition, just in case it changes. This may be a
  sign of a more serious illness or injury.

17
Closure

• You, the citizen responder trained in first aid,
  play a critical role by being the first link in
  the chain of survival. Your actions can help save
  a life.
• The most important things you can do in any
  emergency are to recognize that an emergency has
  occurred and decide to act.
• Check Call Care will guide your actions in any
  emergency and most importantly stay Calm
• If you are prepared for unforeseen emergencies,
  you can help ensure that care begins as soon as
  possible for yourself, your family, and your
  fellow citizens.
• Your training will help you better mange your
  fears and overcome barriers to action and enable
  you to respond more effectively.