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First Responder Checklist

First responders are people who have been trained and certified to provide pre-hospital care when there is a medical emergency. They are trained to provide more than first aid, but they are not a replacement for medical personnel. Checklists help first responders avoid the temptation of falling back on emotions in an emergency by reminding them of the proper steps to take.

  1. Analyze the Scene

    • When a first responder arrives at the scene of an emergency, his first course of action should be to quickly size up or analyze the scene to determine several things. Determine whether the scene is safe for you, the patient or patients, and other emergency personnel. This can be achieved by making sure that there are no threats on the scene of the emergency and by taking necessary precautions to ensure personal safety from infectious diseases.

    Caring for the Victim

    • Identify the injured, cause of injury and number of injured. Ascertain the level of injury and request additional help, if necessary. Inform a conscious adult victim of your qualifications and ask for consent to administer emergency care. The conscious adult has the right to refuse emergency care. If the victim is a child, ask for consent from the parents or guardian. If the victim is seriously injured or even unconscious, there is an implied consent, which is derived from the assumption that a rational conscious adult would normally consent to receiving emergency care. Implied consent is also assumed in the case of a mentally handicapped victim.

    Emergency Care

    • Upon determining the level of injury, look for medical identification tags before rendering emergency medical care, based on the assessment of the injury. Emergency medical care might include administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation, opening and maintaining an airway, manually stabilizing injured limbs, applying bandages to wounds, assisting in childbirth and ventilating patients. The first responder is also responsible for reassuring patients and other concerned parties while waiting for other emergency medical caregivers to arrive.

    Documentation

    • After the patient has been stabilized or transferred to other emergency medical personnel, like paramedics or medical technicians, a first responder must fill out paperwork to document the care that was rendered. Documentation is very important for many reasons, including continuity of care, for legal purposes, for quality assurance, to show proof that care was rendered, and for accountability.

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