Lesson 1: GENERAL EMERGENCY INSTRUCTION
EVALUATING THE VICTIM(S)
Once you’ve determined what happened, or determined you don’t know what happened, you’re ready to evaluate the victims.
The car accident: Is anyone trapped in a vehicle? Are the victims conscious, or unconscious? In situations such as this, where the extent of injuries may be severe, it’s best to not move the victims, and provide as much care as you can with the victims in their original positions. The exception to this rule is when the victims are in immediate danger, such as lying in the lanes of oncoming traffic, or in a car that’s on fire. In that case, move the victim(s) to a relatively safe location, provided it’s safe for you to get to the victims in their original locations. Trying to remove a victim from a car that is fully engulfed in flames is not safe for you, the rescuer.
The fire: Remove the victims to a safe area if it's required, and if you're able, and evaluate for injuries. Most often, in a fire situation, the injuries you'll be dealing with are burns (Lesson 2) and smoke inhalation.
The undetermined incident: Leave the victim in his original position unless there is a threat of danger, such as suspected carbon monoxide poisoning or a gas leak inside a house.
How to evaluate a victim: Look for obvious signs of injury: Does the victim have severe bleeding? Are all limbs intact? Are there signs of trauma such as a gunshot or stab wound, or broken bones protruding through the skin? Internal injuries can be tricky, and sometimes impossible to identify by anyone other than the physicians in the Emergency Room, but there are symptoms of internal injuries that may be present for you to identify. We'll discuss internal bleeding in the "Life-Threatening Conditions" section of this lesson. Is the victim conscious? If so, can he tell you where it hurts? Is he coherent? Is the victim having trouble breathing or speaking? If the victim is unconscious, is he breathing? Does he have a pulse? If there is more than one victim, all victims must be evaluated as quickly and thoroughly as possible, so you can determine who must be first to receive care. Victims with life-threatening conditions must be cared for before anyone else.
Next, we'll be discussing use of your local emergency phone system, and how to use the system correctly.
