Incident management for first aiders and responders
Incident management refers to the skills required to manage the scene of an emergency. First aiders may be ‘first on scene’ at an incident so need to know basic principles of incident management.
The main principle of incident management is that you are the most important person and your safety comes first!
Your first actions when coming across the scene of an incident should be:
- Check for any dangers to yourself or bystanders
- Manage any dangers found (if safe to do so)
- Ensure continuing safety of yourself and bystanders
Think about the following situation:
Imagine you came across this situation, think about the following questions:
- What would your first action be?
- What dangers could there be in this situation?
- How would you manage these dangers?
- Which other emergency services would be required?
Feel free to leave your answers in our comments section!
In some situations it may be too dangerous for you approach the scene. In this situation you should remember that you are the most important person – stay back and call for professional assistance.
Calling for emergency help
In many first aid situations, help from the emergency services may be required.
Ensure you know which number to call!
– United Kingdom: 999
– United States: 911
– European Union: 112
– Other countries: 911dispatch.com/911/911_world.html
Give clear, precise information about
– The location of the incident
– The number of casualties / people involved
– The nature of their injuries
– In some cases, their age
– Any hazards at the incident (e.g: spilt fuel, fire, electricity)
If the area is remote/difficult to access, consider sending someone to meet the emergency services in a known location
Want to learn more about first aid? Have a go at one of our free online first aid courses.
call 911,
check to see if any danger are
check on people