Chapter 1

1. Chapter 1 If Not You ……Who?

2. Emergencies • Emergency – a situation demanding immediate action 2 types: • Sudden Illness- heart attack, severe allergic reaction • Injury- damage to body from an external force; broken bone from a fall

3. Emergencies • Life threatening emergency – an illness or injury that impairs a victim’s ability to circulate oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. • Non-life threatening emergency – doesn’t fail to circulate oxygenated blood, but still requires medical attention.

4. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System • a network of community resources and medical personnel that provides emergency care to victims of injury or sudden illness. Who is involved: *Lay Responders – you *EMS Call Taker – takes the call and determines what help is needed

5. EMS System *EMR(1st Responder) – trained to give a higher level of care could be firefighters, police, lifeguards & Lay person. *Emergency Medical Technicians – EMT’s trained medical professionals who are dispatched to an emergency by the call taker 3 levels a) EMT - Basic training to assess a victim’s condition and care for both life threatening and non-life threatening emergencies

6. EMS System b) AEMT- more advanced training; administering medications and intravenous fluids c) Paramedics: highly specialized emergency medical technicians; can administer drugs, and intravenous fluids, provide advanced airway care and perform other advanced lifesaving techniques.

7. Primary Role of Lay Responder • Recognize that an emergency exists • Unusual noises: screaming, breaking glass, crashing metal, screeching tires • Unusual sights: broken glass, spilled medicine container, downed electrical wires, smoke, fire • Unusual odors: gasoline fumes, smoke, odors that are stronger than usual • Unusual behaviors: unconsciousness, confused, trouble breathing, clutching chest or throat, slurred speech, inability to move body parts, sweating for no apparent reason

8. Primary Role of Lay Responder • Decide to Act: sometimes people are reluctant to act (barriers to action) • Presence of bystanders- Someone Else Will take Over • Uncertainty about the victim (do not know them) • Nature of the injury or illness • Fear of disease transmission • Fear of not knowing what to do or of doing something wrong • Unsure of when to call 9-1-1 • Fear of Being Sued

9. Primary Role of Lay Responder • How you can use bystanders to help • Call, meet and direct the ambulance • Direct traffic • Give first aid • Go for additional supplies • Give comfort to others on the scene • Supply important information about victim or scene

10. Primary Role of Lay Responder • Taking action by calling 9-1-1 or local emergency number (get professional help a.s.a.p.) • Give name, phone # and address of emergency (cross streets) • # of victims • Nature of injury • Care being given • Let EMS hang up first * Give Care until medical help arrives

11. Give appropriate Care until medical help arrives. Stop Only when: • Obvious signs of life • Another trained responders takes over • You are too exhausted to continue • The scene becomes unsafe • Person becomes conscious and ask for you to stop

12. Incident Stress – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder • See page 11 for all signals

13. Preparing for an Emergency • Keep important information handy • Keep medical & insurance records up-to-date • Know local emergency # (if not 911) • Teach children how to call 911 • Have first aid kit available and re-stocked • Learn CPR skills & First aid • Make house numbers easy to read • Wear Medical ID if you have medical conditions