Interactive Ready for Review: Interactivities

During all phases of rescue, your primary concern is , and your primary role is to provide emergency medical care and prevent further injury to the patient.

When there are not enough personnel for both an EMS team and a rescue team, you and your team may have to act as rescuers as well.

Safety during rescue or begins with the proper mind-set and the proper equipment.

During scene size-up, you should identify the safest, most efficient way to access the patient. Try to get to the patient as simply and quickly as possible without using any tools or breaking any glass. Make sure that you and the patient are protected with a fireproof blanket.

Unless there is immediate danger, perform an initial assessment of a patient while he or she is still in the vehicle. Immobilize the cervical spine before moving the patient from the vehicle.

If a special rescue team is needed, inform the .

When a scene calls for a search or for specialized rescue, you may have to call for a technical rescue group, or you may find one already at work when you arrive. Your interaction and cooperation with this group, and with an when one has been designated, are important to a smooth rescue.

You will be involved to some degree in the logistics of vehicle staging and patient movement, as well as patient care.

Tactical situations are best directly handled by teams with specialized training. Your role will often largely consist of remaining out of danger, cooperating with the incident commander, or with police or other specialized personnel if incident command is not in effect, and remaining ready to care for any patients that are brought to you.