Chapter 1
What is your role
in the EMS
System?
Have you or
anyone you know
been involved in a
serious accident?
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Chapter 1
Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Name the six parts of the EMS system.
Describe the function of each part of the
EMS system.
Evaluate your role in the EMS system.
Identify the most important action you
could take in an emergency situation.
List 5 common barriers to action that may
prevent people from responding to
emergencies.
Explain ways bystanders can help at the
scene of an emergency.
What is an emergency?



An emergency is a situation demanding
immediate action.
An emergency can happen at any time or at
any place, it is not a clear-cut situation.
Your response may be the difference
between:
– life or death
– temporary or permanent disability
– short or long term recovery
Types of Emergencies
There are two types of emergencies that
require first aid:
Sudden illness is a physical condition that
requires immediate medical attention.
Examples of sudden illness include a heart
attack and a severe allergic reaction.
Injury is damage to the body from an external
force, such as a broken bone from a fall.
Types of Emergencies
(Continued)
Emergencies can also be categorized as lifethreatening and non-life-threatening.
1.
A life-threatening emergency is an illness
or injury that impairs a victim’s ability to
circulate oxygenated blood to all parts of
his or her body.
2.
A non-life-threatening emergency is a
situation that does not have immediate
impact on a victim’s ability to circulate
oxygenated blood , but still requires
medical attention.
What is First Aid?

First Aid is the Immediate care given
to a victim of injury or sudden illness
until more advanced care can be
obtained.
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The EMS System



The emergency medical services (EMS) system is a
network of community-based personnel often
dispatched through a local emergency number who
provide emergency care for ill or injured victims.
Think of the EMS system as a chain made up of
several links. Each link depends on the others for
success.
When the EMS system works correctly, a victim
moves through each link in the chain, beginning with
the actions of a responsible citizen and ending with
care being provided to attempt to restore the victim
to health.
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The EMS System
(Continued)

There are six parts of the EMS
system:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The Citizen Responder
The EMS Dispatcher
The First Responder
The Emergency Medical Technician
(EMT)
Hospital Care Providers
Rehabilitation
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The Citizen Responder


As a citizen responder, you are the first and most
crucial link in the EMS system.
A citizen responder is a lay person (someone who does
not have special or advanced medical training/skills)
who recognizes an emergency and decides to help.

The CR must first recognize that the illness or injury
that has occurred is an emergency.

He/she must then activate EMS with a 911 call.
The EMS Dispatcher



The 2nd link in system.
The dispatcher receives the call
and quickly determines what help
is needed.
Some dispatchers are trained
EMT's.
The First Responder

The 3rd link in the EMS system.

A first responder is a person trained in emergency care
who may be called upon.

Usually the first person to arrive on scene who is
trained to provide a higher level of care.


The FR provides a critical transition between the CR’s
basic level of care and the care provided by more
advanced EMS professionals.
A FR can be a law enforcement officer, fire fighter, or a
lifeguard.
The Emergency Medical
Technician (EMT)


The 4th link in the EMS system.
An EMT is a person who has successfully completed a
state-approved emergency medical technician training
program.

They are capable of providing more advanced care.

At the scene, they serve as "eyes & ears" of hospital.

The first four links of the EMS system give victims of
injury or sudden illness the best possible out-ofhospital medical care.
Hospital Care Providers



The 5th link of the EMS system.
It begins once the victim arrives
at hospital.
They provide the most advanced
care.
– ER doctors/nurses, X-ray techs,
specialists, etc.
Rehabilitation



The sixth and final link to the EMS
system.
The goal of rehabilitation is to return
the victim to his or her previous state
of health.
These professionals include family
physicians, consulting specialists,
social workers, and
physical/occupational therapists.
Your role in the EMS
system
1.
2.
3.
4.
Recognize that an emergency
exists.
Decide to act.
Call EMS professional (9-1-1).
Provide first aid until help
arrives.
Recognizing Emergencies

Recognizing an emergency is the first step in
responding.

A medical emergency is a sudden illness that requires
immediate medical attention, such as a heart attack.

An injury is damage to the body from an external
force, for example, such as occurs with a fall or
extremes of temperature.

Some emergencies are more obvious than others

Common indicators include unusual noises, sights,
odors, and appearance or behavior.
Unusual Noises
 Screams, moans, yells, calls for help
 Breaking glass, crashing sounds,
screeching tires
 Abrupt/loud unidentifiable sounds
 Silence
Unusual Sights
Things that look out of the ordinary:





A stalled vehicle
An overturned pot
Spilled medicine container
Broken glass
Downed electrical wires.
Unusual odors
 Smells that are stronger than
normal:



Gasoline at a gas station
Chlorine at swimming pools
Smoke
 Unrecognizable odors
Unusual Appearance or
Behavior
Unconscious
Difficult breathing
Clutching chest/throat
Slurred, confused, or hesitant
speech
 Unexplainable confusion/drowsiness
 Sweating for no apparent reason
 Skin color is unusual




Deciding to Act




How do you feel about what you just saw?
How many of you feel you would respond to
this emergency?
Those of you who would not respond, why
not?
Can anyone think of any reasons that might
discourage a person from responding?
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Barriers to action
 Sometimes people fail to recognize an emergency. At other
times, people recognize an emergency but are reluctant to
act.
 Reasons people give for not helping are called barriers to
action.
 Common barriers include:
 The presence of bystanders.
 Uncertainty about the victim.
 The nature of the injury or illness.
 Fear of disease transmission.
 Fear of not knowing what to do or of doing something
wrong.
Presence of Bystanders



Bystanders can cause confusion at an
emergency scene.
Never assume that just because a crowd
has gathered that someone is caring for the
victim.
You may feel embarrassed about coming
forward in front of strangers. Do not let this
feeling deter you from helping. You may be
the only one who knows first aid.
Presence of Bystanders
(Continued)
 If someone else is already giving care, offer to help.
 Untrained bystanders may be a great help in an emergency.
They can:
 Call for an ambulance.
 Meet the ambulance and direct EMS personnel to the
victim.
 Direct traffic away from the accident scene.
 Help provide care.
 Retrieve necessary equipment and supplies.
 Provide information about the victim regarding his or her
medical condition or the cause of injury.
 Comfort and reassure victims.
Uncertainty About the
Victim



Since most emergencies happen in or near the
home, you are more likely to give care to a friend
or family member than to a stranger.
If you do not know the victim, you may feel
uncomfortable touching a stranger. How the victim
may look or act may also make you feel
uncomfortable.
Sometimes victims of injury or illness may act
strangely or be uncooperative. If at any time you
feel threatened, retreat to safety and call 9-1-1 or
the local emergency number.
Nature of the Illness or
Injury



An injury or illness may sometimes be very
unpleasant to handle.
You cannot always predict how you will
respond to disturbing factors, such as blood,
vomit, unpleasant odors, or torn or burned
skin.
Sometimes you may need to compose
yourself before acting. Take a few deep
breaths and then provide care.
Fear of Disease
Transmission



Although there is general concern for disease transmission in
a first aid situation, the actual risk is much smaller than you
may think.
Giving first aid in and of itself will not cause you to become
infected with a disease.
Four conditions must be present for a disease to be
transmitted. If any of these conditions is absent, disease
transmission is not possible. The conditions are:
– The injured or ill person must be infected with a disease.
– The rescuer providing first aid must be exposed to an
infected person's body substances.
– The rescuer must come in contact with infected
substances through breaks or cuts in his or her skin or
through the mucous membranes of the mouth or eyes.
– There must be sufficient amounts of body substances that
contain enough pathogens to cause infection.
Fear of Disease
Transmission
(Continued)


Diseases that can pass from one person to
another are called infectious diseases and
can develop when pathogens enter the
body.
In situations that require first aid, diseases
can be transmitted by touching, breathing,
and biting.
Fear of not knowing what to do
or of doing something wrong




Doing the wrong thing and possibly making
the situation worse is a common fear.
Always remember that the worst thing to do
is nothing.
Sometimes people worry about being sued.
Do not let this overly concern you. Lawsuits
against those who give emergency care are
highly unusual and rarely successful.
Most states have enacted Good Samaritan
Laws that protect citizen responders who
voluntarily give first aid in good faith.
GOOD SAMARITAN LAWS


Gives legal protection to people who
willingly provide medical care to ill or
injured people with out accepting
anything in return.
This law does not apply to people
when responses are grossly or
willfully negligent or reckless or when
the rescuer abandoned the victim after
initiating care.
Help may be given
When:
 The victim is or says the following:
 "you can help me"
 Victim is unconscious
 Victim becomes unconscious after refusing
care
 Victim's state of mind is such that they
may not know/understand the seriousness
of injuries
 Victim is a small unattended child
Help cannot be given
When:
 The victim is conscious, alert,
understands what is going on, and
refuses your help.


Call 911 if injuries warrant it.
LAWS MAY VARY FROM STATE TO
STATE
Helping at an emergency
scene


Providing help at an emergency scene
does not always mean providing direct
care for the victims.
In what other ways can you give help?
Other ways to give help




Keeping the scene safe
Finding out what is wrong
Getting professional help
Giving care
Important note
Different situations may change the order in which
things are done. For instance, if the scene is unsafe, you should call the emergency number first.
In a situation where the scene is safe, you might
not call 9-1-1 until you check the victims.
Sometimes these actions can happen
simultaneously. For instance, you might send
someone else to call the emergency number while
you check the injured or ill person(s).
As a rule, the safety of the rescuers, victims, and
bystanders should always be foremost, and lifethreatening conditions should be cared for before
conditions of lesser urgency.
Closing
 Emergency scenes can be overwhelming and
confusing.
 Deciding to act is not always an easy decision to make.
 The presence of a crowd does not mean that
someone is helping.
 It is not always easy to determine how to help in
an emergency.
 There are many ways to help besides providing first
aid care.
 The decision to act is yours and yours alone.
 Your decision to respond should be guided by your
own values, as well as the knowledge of the risks that
may be present.
Closing
 Regardless of your decision, calling EMS
personnel is the most important action you
can take when you recognize that an
emergency has occurred.
 In the next lesson, you will learn the
Emergency Action Steps, which will provide
a basic plan of action for any emergency
situation.