Emergency & First Aid Procedures

Fire alarms, ambulance horns and police sirens ring out all across the world each day, and heroes take the streets to help save lives in emergencies. These emergency medical technicians, firefighters and police officers are trained in a variety of emergency and first aid procedures. Texas A&M University lists three main goals of emergency procedures: to preserve life, to prevent further injury and to promote recovery.

CPR

• CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and it is probably the best known emergency procedure used by professionals. Rescue workers use CPR to aid a person who has entered cardiac arrest as a result of an existing condition or accident. Anyone over the age of eight can safely receive CPR from a professional without large health risks.

  When cardiac arrest occurs, the patient's heart stops beating; this means there is no blood flowing to the brain, so the lungs shut down. In general, the technique begins with an injury check. If the patient is unresponsive, the professional tilts back the victim's head, lifts the chin and listens and feels for breath.

  If the patient is not breathing, the professional will administer rescue breathing by pinching the nose shut and breathing twice slowly into the victim's mouth. The breathing is followed by 30 compressions of the chest; the whole cycle is repeated until the person regains consciousness or someone else arrives to take over.

AED

• Automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, are used in conjunction with CPR rescue techniques. The AED is capable of shocking a person's heart back into motion, thus getting blood flowing and potentially getting the patient breathing again.

  CPR should be performed before and after the AED is used, unless the person begins breathing again immediately.

  AEDs are designed so that as soon as they are activated, the machine gives verbal commands regarding use. The AED comes with electrode pads that read a person's heart rhythm to determine if shock is needed and, if so, how strong the shock should be. If the machine determines that no shock is needed, the user is instructed to resume CPR; if it administers a shock, there will a warning, followed by a command to resume CPR.

  Never attempt to perform CPR or any other emergency procedures unless you are instructed to do so by a professional or you have had professional training. If absolutely necessary, a non-professional can successfully use an AED by following the audible instructions. Never deviate from these instructions. Inexperienced people using these procedures can cause increased bodily harm or even death.

Fire Emergencies

• Fire emergencies can occur within buildings or in open, outdoor areas. Regardless of the location, bystanders and professionals must take certain precautions to avoid injury.

  If you see a fire or smoke that indicates a fire, immediately call emergency personnel. It is better to be safe than to have someone injured. Never approach a fire or enter a building that is on fire, regardless of the situation. Wait for emergency personnel to arrive to provide further instruction.

  When firefighters and other personnel arrive on the scene of a fire, they will assess the situation and proceed accordingly. Rescue efforts may be used if someone is in immediate danger from the fire; otherwise, extinguishing techniques will be used.

  Never enter an area or a building after a fire until the structure has been cleared by emergency personnel. Buildings are still in danger of collapse or sparking even after the flames are out.