6. Point out to new EMT-Bs that the EMS commander who doesn’t delegate, but instead attempts to wear all the vests, cannot possibly get the overall picture of the incident, because he or she has taken on too much responsibility. P RECEPTOR P EARL
7.
8. Multiple-Casualty Incident (MCI) An incident that places a great demand on EMS equipment and personnel Sorting multiple casualties into priorities (3 levels) for care or transportation Triage K EY TERMS
9. Encourage new EMT-Bs to practice declaring EMS Command, establishing a triage sector, donning sector vests, giving an arrival report to dispatch, and applying triage tags at all incidents involving three or more ambulances. In this way, the procedures will be second nature to them at larger incidents. P RECEPTOR P EARL
33. Emphasize to new EMT-Bs that they must not rescue people from the hot zone unless they have been trained to the proper level and are dressed with the appropriate protection for the chemical involved. P RECEPTOR P EARL
38. Point out to new EMT-Bs that it is important to ask if patients have been properly decontaminated and exactly how this was done before patients are loaded into their ambulance. The last thing anyone wants to do is transport contaminated patients to the hospital. This could lead to a shutdown of the entire ED in order to decontaminate the department’s personnel. P RECEPTOR P EARL
39. 1. What should an EMT-B do when first to arrive at a hazmat scene? 2. What resources are available to identify hazardous substances? 3. What are the responsibilities of the EMS sector officers at an MCI? 4. What is the difference between the NFPA 704 and DOT UN placards systems? R EVIEW QUESTIONS