Ch. 30-Vehicle Stabilization and Victim Extrication

1. Ch. 30-Vehicle Stabilizationand Victim Extrication 1

2. Basic Guidelines • Safely reach the victim • Render first aid care without risk of personal injury • Move any supplies or equipment without risk to your own safety • Involve others in caring for the victim as appropriate, without risking your own or others’ safety 2

3. If victim does not need to be moved before emergency personnel arrive: • Control the hazards and stabilize the accident scene. • Gain access to the victim if it is possible and safe to do so. • Perform life-saving care to stabilize the victim. • Stay with the victim until the emergency team arrives. 3

4. If you determine that the victim needs to be moved, consider: • Your own physical condition—your strength, stamina, and any injury or illness you have that could affect your ability to move the victim • The victim’s size • The victim’s condition • The limitations posed by the vehicle itself— jammed doors, jammed windows, broken glass, twisted metal, and so on • The availability of others who can help • Any dangers at the scene that need to be controlled or considered 4

5. Vocabulary • Extrication- The process of removing a victim from a dangerous situation or wrecked car 5

6. Dealing with Dangers If a car is on fire and firefighting personnel have not arrived, follow these guidelines: • If passengers are not trapped, move them before you try to contain the fire • If passengers are trapped, deal with the fire If you approach an accident with downed power lines • Assume all downed lines are live; call for expert assistance. • Park your vehicle at a safe distance from the power line. • Warn bystanders to stay clear. • Tell victims to stay inside their vehicles. • Never try to handle a live wire yourself 6

7. PROGRESS CHECK 1. To help locate all victims, look for ____________. (blood/torn clothing/tracks in the earth or snow) 2. If a vehicle is on fire and the victims are not trapped, first ____________. (call the fire department/move the victims/fight the fire) 3. If there are downed power lines, have the victims ____________. ( jump clear of the car/step out of the car/stay in the car) 7

8. Gaining Access to the Victim • Attempt to open the door nearest the victim by using the door handle • If doors are locked, ask a person inside the car to unlock them • If the doors cannot be opened, determine the next best point of entry • If you have to, break a window • Always break the window farthest from the victim • If possible, put strips of broad tape over the glass before you break the window to keep broken pieces of glass from spraying the victim. • To break a window, give a quick, hard thrust in the lower corner with a spring-loaded punch, screwdriver, or other sharp object. • Once the window is broken, use your gloved hand to pull glass outside the vehicle. • Clear all glass away from the window opening. • Before you crawl through a broken window, drape a heavy tarp, blanket, or coat over the edge of the window 8

9. PROGRESS CHECK 1. You should consider ____________ vehicle unstable. (an overturned/a stacked/any) 2. To stabilize an overturned vehicle, chain the ____________ to a post or tree. (frame/axle/door) 3. If a vehicle rests on all four tires, place an automatic gear selector in ____________. (reverse/overdrive/park) 4. To stabilize an upright vehicle that is resting on all four tires, use blocks or wedges at the __________. (frame/bumpers/wheels) 5. The first step in trying to gain access to a victim is to try the ____________. (door nearest the victim/window nearest the victim/window farthest from the victim) 6. Try to open the door with ____________. (a crowbar/a tire iron/the door handle) 7. If you need to break a window, choose the one ____________ the victim. (closest to/farthest from/across from) 8. If you can, put strips of ____________ over the window before you break it. (tape/aluminum foil/webbing) 9

10. Removing a Victim Lying on the Floor 1. Place the backboard flat on the seat. 2. Have one First Aider keep the victim’s head and neck in alignment with the body while another First Aider maintains alignment of the feet and legs 3. While the body is kept in alignment, have at least one other First Aider reach over the seat and grasp the victim’s clothing at the waist, hips, and thighs. 4. On signal from the First Aider at the victim’s head, lift the victim onto the backboard, maintaining body alignment. Secure the victim to the backboard and remove the person from the car. 10

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12. PROGRESS CHECK 1. Your first priority once you are in the vehicle with the victim is to ____________. (secure the person to a backboard/give psychological support/ perform a primary survey) 2. If more than one victim is involved, ___________. (send for help/perform triage/stay out of the vehicle) 3. If necessary, you can immobilize the victim’s neck with a ____________. (blanket/seat belt/bandage) 4. ____________ combined with weather extremes can be fatal during long extrication. (Bleeding/Shock /Head injury) 12