911 AREA
When you are confronted with a medical emergency in a 911 area, your response, after you determine that the scene is safe for you to enter, is basically to check the victim for breathing and bleeding and call for help. If the victim is not breathing, CPR must be started. If the victim is severely bleeding, a pressure bandage must be applied. If the victim is breathing and not bleeding severely, you will apply a pressure bandage, treat the victim for shock and monitor her condition until emergency medical services personnel arrive.
WILDERNESS OR REMOTE AREA
In a wilderness or remote situation things will be different:
a. You will have fewer resources, including less equipment, supplies and fewer (if any) trained personnel
b. You will have to do a more extensive assessment of the victim to find out everything that is wrong with him
c. You may have to treat the victim much longer, hours at least, and maybe days
d. You may have to move the victim out of immediate danger, e.g. a rising creek, or approaching fire
e. You may have to evacuate the victim
f. You may have to deal with severe environmental factors, e.g. adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain
g. You might be sick or hurt too
h. You will have to deal with the effects of the emergency on yourself and others, e.g. fatigue and emotional strain
i. You will need to keep a written record of the status of the victim to hand off to rescuers
Obviously, in a medical emergency in a wilderness and remote situation, you and those around you are more important than when an ambulance is on the way. Therefore it is important to carry sufficient supplies and equipment and complete appropriate training to be prepared for whatever may arise.
When you are confronted with a medical emergency in a 911 area, your response, after you determine that the scene is safe for you to enter, is basically to check the victim for breathing and bleeding and call for help. If the victim is not breathing, CPR must be started. If the victim is severely bleeding, a pressure bandage must be applied. If the victim is breathing and not bleeding severely, you will apply a pressure bandage, treat the victim for shock and monitor her condition until emergency medical services personnel arrive.
WILDERNESS OR REMOTE AREA
In a wilderness or remote situation things will be different:
a. You will have fewer resources, including less equipment, supplies and fewer (if any) trained personnel
b. You will have to do a more extensive assessment of the victim to find out everything that is wrong with him
c. You may have to treat the victim much longer, hours at least, and maybe days
d. You may have to move the victim out of immediate danger, e.g. a rising creek, or approaching fire
e. You may have to evacuate the victim
f. You may have to deal with severe environmental factors, e.g. adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain
g. You might be sick or hurt too
h. You will have to deal with the effects of the emergency on yourself and others, e.g. fatigue and emotional strain
i. You will need to keep a written record of the status of the victim to hand off to rescuers
Obviously, in a medical emergency in a wilderness and remote situation, you and those around you are more important than when an ambulance is on the way. Therefore it is important to carry sufficient supplies and equipment and complete appropriate training to be prepared for whatever may arise.
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