Taking Action - Emergency Action Steps

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Taking Action - Emergency Action Steps

• Dont put yourself in danger!!! Dead or injured
  heroes are no help to anyone.

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Three basic steps in any emergency

1. CHECK the scene and the victim.
2. CALL 9-1-1 or the local emergency number
3. CARE for the victim

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CHECK

• Before you can help a victim, you must make sure
  the scene is safe for you and any bystanders.
• Look the scene over and ask yourself some
  questions.

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Questions when checking the scene

1. Is the scene safe?
2. What happened?
3. How many victims are there?
4. Can bystanders help?

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Is the scene safe?

• Check for spilled chemicals, traffic, fire,
  escaping steam, downed electrical lines, smoke,
  extreme weather or poisons.
• If these or other dangers threaten, do not go
  near the victim.
• Stay a safe distance and call 9-1-1

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Dangers

• Leave dangerous situations to the professionals
  like fire fighters and police who have the
  training and the tools to deal with them.
• You can assist in other ways.
• Try to find out what happened so you can describe
  clearly what you know.

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Look Carefully

• Look for more than one victim. You might not see
  everyone at first.
• If someone is bleeding or screaming it is hard to
  notice an unconscious victim.
• It is also easy to overlook a child or an infant.

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Directions

• Turn in Health article 4 in the basket in the
  back of the room
• Make sure your name is on your journal entries
  and place that in the basket in the front of the
  room.
• Take out your First Aid Portfolio

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Do NOT

• Do not move a seriously injured victim unless
  there is an immediate danger.
• If you must move a victim, do it quickly and as
  carefully as possible.
• If there is no danger, tell the victim not to
  move. Tell any bystanders not to move the victim.

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Provide Comfort

• You may have to find information from bystanders.
  A victim may be too upset to answer your
  questions.
• A child may be especially frightened.
• Anyone who awakens after being unconscious for a
  few minutes may be frightened.
• Bystanders or parents can also comfort.

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Look for signals

• Check if the victim is conscious. You may be the
  reassuring person.
• Unconsciousness is a life-threatening emergency.
  If there is no response make sure 9-1-1 is
  called.
• Look for bleeding and breathing. These are
  life-threatening events.
• Look, listen, smell for problems.

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CALL

• 9-1-1 (free on a cell phone)
• If you are on a cell phone, you must know your
  location or nearby landmarks.
• Calling 9-1-1 is often the most important action
  that is taken in emergency situations.
• This starts the EMS as fast as possible.
• DO NOT hang up until the dispatcher does.
• Whenever possible, ask a bystander to make the
  call.

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Call first if

• Shout for help first. If you are alone, call
  first if before providing care
• An unconscious adult or child 8 years or older.
• An unconscious infant or child known to be at
  high risk of heart problems.

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Call first if

• Time is a critical factor. Cardiac emergencies
  are time critical events.
• The shorter time from collapse to use of AED, the
  greater chance of survival.

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Call fast for

• An unconscious victim less than 8 years old.
• Any victim of submersion or near drowning.
• Any victim of cardiac arrest
• Any victim of drug overdose.

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Sometimes

• Sometimes a conscious victim will tell you not to
  call an ambulance and you may not be sure what to
  do.

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WHEN TO CALL - call 911 if

• Victim is or becomes unconscious.
• Has trouble breathing or breathes strangely.
• Has chest discomfort, pain or pressure that
  persists for 3 - 5 minutes.
• Is bleeding severely.
• Has pressure or pain in the abdomen that does not
  go away.

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WHEN TO CALL - call 911 if

• Is vomiting or passing blood.
• Has a seizure that last more than 5 minutes or
  multiple seizures.
• Has a seizure and is pregnant or diabetic.
• Has a severe headache or slurred speech.
• Appears to have been poisoned.
• Has injuries of the head, neck or back.
• Has possible broken bones.

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Also call when

• Fire or explosion.
• Downed electrical wires.
• Swiftly moving or rapidly rising water.
• Presence of poisonous gas.
• Vehicle collisions
• Victims who cannot be moved easily.

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Calling 9-1-1 (EMS)

1. Call 9-1-1
2. Give the dispatcher the necessary information
3. Exact location
4. Callers name
5. What happened
6. How many people are involved
7. Condition of the victim
8. What help is being given

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Calling 9-1-1 (EMS)

1. Do not hang up until the dispatcher hangs up.
   The EMS dispatcher may be able to tell you how to
   best care for the victim.
2. Return and continue care for the victim. It is
   often best to have a bystander make the 9-1-1
   call while you provide care.

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CARE

• Always care for life threatening emergencies
  first.
• Watch for changes in breathing and consciousness.
• Help the victim rest comfortably.
• Keep the victim from getting chilled or
  overheated.
• Reassure the victim.

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Transporting a victim

• BE VERY CAREFUL about making a decision to take
  the victim to the hospital yourself. Many things
  can happen and change.
• DO NOT transport a victim with a life threatening
  condition.
• Do not let a victim drive, either alone or with
  you.

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Do no further harm

• One of the most dangerous threats to a seriously
  injured victim is unnecessary movement.

Clothes Drag, Two Person Seat Carry, Walking
Assist, Pack Strap Carry, Blanket Drag
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Permission to care

• You must get the victims permission to care.
• Tell them who you are.
• Tell them about your training.
• Tell them how you plan to help.
• Do not give care to a conscious person who
  refuses it. Call 9-1-1

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Permission to care

• Permission is implied if you come upon a victim
  who is unconscious or unable to respond.
• This means you can assume that, if the person
  could respond, he or she would agree to care.