Patient Assessment

A common thread runs through all first-responder education, regardless of whether that education is for law-enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, or EMTs: learning to assess a situation is at the top of essentials. Assessing factors such as the safety of a scene, the seriousness of a situation, understanding the need for additional help and understanding the risks to the rescuer’s personal safety are all realities drummed into the heads of these professionals. While there are (of course) curricula that should be reserved for the professionals, assessing a situation is not one of them.  It might be you that needs to perform this function until EMS arrives!