First Response
The responses and actions of the first person who
arrives on the scene of an emergency, commonly
called the first responder, are crucial. This person
must rapidly assess the nature of the situation, the
safety of the site, and the possible injuries and
treatment needs for those involved in the emer-
gency. In many situations the most appropriate
first response is to call 911 to summon medical
assistance and provide comfort for those who are
injured. In other circumstances the first responder
may need to stop bleeding, perform CARDIOPUL-
MONARY RESUSCITATION(CPR), or stabilize a possible
FRACTURE.
The essential and most crucial first action for the
first person to arrive on the scene of an emergency
is to safeguard his or her own safety and protection.
This means conducting a rapid but thorough SITE
AND SITUATION ASSESSMENTto determine:
- What happened?
- Does the cause of the situation still exist as a
risk for further harm? - How many people appear to be involved?
- What is the nature of injuries or medical need?
The next action for the first responder is to
summon aid. Though it is a natural tendency to
rush to the aid of the person who needs care, the
few seconds it will take to call 911 are more likely
to save lives by getting trained and equipped res-
cue personnel to the scene. This is especially criti-
cal when the emergency is a HEART ATTACK; people
who receive advanced cardiac care in a hospital
within one hour of the heart attack’s onset have a
significantly higher chance of survival. As well,
taking a few moments to survey the scene and the
situation helps the responder focus and become
calm.
The situation and circumstances determine the
first responder’s subsequent actions, which may
include administering first aid, removing the per-
son from danger, directing traffic or the activities
of others who arrive to help, or simply comforting
the person until medical and rescue personnel
arrive. Because responding aid personnel may
have questions about what happened or the cir-
cumstances under which the first responder hap-
pened upon the scene, the first responder should
check with them before leaving the site.body substance isolation Procedures for safely
handling and disposing of body fluids and tissues
such as BLOOD, SPUTUM, URINE, and feces. Body flu-
ids can transmit bacterial and viral infections to
others. Cuts and scrapes on the responder’s body
can allow pathogens to enter, risking INFECTION.
Other possible points of entry are the responder’s
eyes, NOSE, and MOUTH.
Everyone who provides assistance to those
who are injured or ill should wear latex or latex-
type gloves and use barrier protection when per-
forming resuscitation BREATHINGto protect against
direct contact with body fluids. Commercial first
aid kits such as many people carry in their cars
typically contain gloves. When gloves or resuscita-
tion shields are not available, the responder must
carefully consider his or her personal risk for
infection before proceeding with any contact. The
natural tendency when first arriving on the scene
of an emergency to arrive at the scene of an
emergency is to perform the necessary first aid
procedures without consideration for personal
risk. Materials such as clothing, towels, and other
substances provide some protection from direct
contact when the situation is life threatening.
When emergency aid personnel are on the way a357