How Do You Provide Effective Emergency Leadership During First Aid?
An emergency scene with injured people is not the place for democracy or consensus-based decision making. Decisive leadership can mean the difference between life and death. Take a deep breath. Focus your attention on being calm, methodical and thorough. Make sure the scene is safe. (See “How to Maximize the Safety of an Emergency Scene During First Aid.”) Put on latex gloves to prevent infection or transmission of disease. Have other rescuers do the same. Assign a scribe, whose task is to record important information such as vital signs and the nature of the injuries. Match the severity of the situation against your resources (time, people, material). Delegate tasks to other rescuers according to your assessment. Check in frequently with other rescuers by asking questions: How are they feeling? Is there anything they need? Follow up, once the emergency is over, by asking for people’s frank assessments of how you performed as a leader. Take note, and apply appropriate criticisms to the
