Introduction to First Aid: Your Role in Emergency Response

1. Intro to First Aid

2. Emergencies happen everyday • Car accidents • Falls • Sudden illness • Heart attacks/stroke • Heart Disease – leading cause of death • 900,000 die each year, 300,000 of them are from sudden cardiac arrests • Unintentional Injury – in 2008; 118,000 died from injury and 25.7 million were disabled

3. Your role: give first aid until medical attention arrives • EMS (Emergency Medical System)- Police, Fire, Paramedics, EMT’s, 9-1-1 dispatchers, and you • Your job  Check – Call – Care • Sequence of events • 1st: Citizen call • 2nd: 911 Dispatch • 3rd: First Responder • 4th: EMT’s • 5th: Hospital • Last: Recovery/Rehab

4. As a responder you will take 4 steps to help the victim • 1: Recognize • 2: Decide to Act • 3: Activate EMS • 4: Give care until help arrives

5. Recognize • Noises • Screaming/Yelling • Crash – Glass, Metal, Screeching • Change in normal sounds • Unusual Silence • Sights • Stopped vehicle • Downed wires • Motionless person • Spills • Smoke/fire

6. Odors • Stronger than usual • unrecognizable • Unusual Behavior • Unconsciousness • Confusion • Sudden Fall • Obvious Pain • Trouble Breathing

7. Decide to Act • Once you see a victim/emergency, you must decide to act • How can you act? • Talk to victim, Call 911 or family, administer 1st Aid • Why don’t people assist in an emergency? • Fear of doing something wrong • Don’t know what to do • Assume someone else will do it • Type of injury is too gross or scary • Fear of catching disease • Fear of being sued

8. Contact EMS • Depending on Emergency, depends on who you call • 99% of the time 911 will work • They will put in contact with correct agency • They will also guide in helping victim and giving care • Sometimes (rarely) an area does not have 911 services • Contact local sheriff, poison control, doctor, etc • Also, see if you can contact family member of victim (Do not interrupt care of victim or hang up on 911)

9. Give Care • Only give care in which you have been trained or feel comfortable doing • ALWAYS!!!!! Think first. • Do NOT do anything that will injury/harm the victim anymore • Do NOT harm yourself when giving care

10. Be Prepared for Emergencies • Have your contact info and medical info on you at all times • Get trained in first aid and CPR (umm, that’s what your doing right now) • Know where first aid kits are • Know who to contact • Where medical bracelet in needed

11. Good Samaritan Law • When you give first aid, you are legally protected if: • you give care in good faith without expecting anything in return • Use common sense and use reasonable level of skill • Move victim only if life is endangered • Ask victim for permission to give care • Check for life threatening emergencies • Call for help • Give only care in which you are trained

12. When you are not protected: • You are deliberately negligent/reckless • Start to help and quit • Do not assist at all or call for help • Provide care in which you are not trained and do more damage

13. Things to Remember in an Emergency • Before you Act • Be Realistic • You can’t always help • Know yourself • Know your strengths and weakness (physically & emotionally) • Know the Facts (laws) • Be Prepared • Gather Supplies

14. Recognize the Need to Act • Learn signs or signals of an emergency • Familiarize yourself with hazards • Prepare for aftermath • Victim may go into shock • Infection • Your own emotional situation

15. During an emergency • Remain Calm • DO NOT PANIC!!!!! • You must have a clear mind for yourself and others • Most victims do not know the severity of injury, panic will make it worse • Use common sense • Be resourceful • Use what you have to help • Be aware • Things change during emergencies • Do no further Harm • To yourself or the victim