Special Operations

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Special Operations
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You Are the Emergency Medical Responder
Lesson 47 Special Operations

• You are the emergency medical responder (EMR)
  the scene of a construction site cave-in. On
  arrival you find a man who was working in an open
  trench that has collapsed around him to mid-chest
  level.

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Special Operations Units

• Tactical Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Unit
• Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) EMS Response Unit
• Fire Rehabilitation Unit
• Disaster/Multiple-Casualty Incident (MCI)
  Response Unit
• Search and Rescue (SAR) Unit
• Specialized Vehicle Response Unit

4
Drowning

• A drowning is an event in which a victim
  experiences respiratory impairment due to
  submersion in water. Drowning may or may not
  result in death
• Fifth most common cause of death from
  unintentional injury, but rises to second among
  those 1 to 14 years of age
• Home pools the site of drowning for most young
  children
• Highest rates of drowning in children younger
  than 5 years and young adults from ages 15 to 24
  years

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Three Types of Water-Related Victims

• Distressed swimmer
• Drowning victimActive
• Drowning victimPassive

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Activity

• You are assigned to a local waterfront as part
  of the EMR team because you have received
  training in swimming rescues. You are stationed
  near a lake and notice that a young teenage
  swimmer has been treading water for the past
  several minutes and then begins to move her arms
  wildly.

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Non-Swimming Rescues and Assists

• Reaching assists
• Reaching with an object
• Throwing assist
• When beyond your reach floating object with line
• Wading assists
• Safe and shallow enough

8
Activity

• You are assigned to a local waterfront as part
  of the EMR team because you have received
  training in swimming rescues. You are stationed
  near a lake and notice that a young teenage
  swimmer has been treading water for the past
  several minutes and then begins to move her arms
  wildly.

9
Ice Rescue

• Call for ice rescue team immediately
• Never go onto the ice to attempt a rescue
• Use reaching and throwing assists if patient is
  drowning
• Provide care for hypothermia if you are able to
  pull the person from the water

10
Hazardous Terrain

• Challenges
• Evacuation possibly rough and difficult for
  maneuvering
• Patients position in relation to terrain
• The greater the angle of the terrain, the greater
  the risk

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Confined Spaces

• At, above or below ground
• Silos, grain bins and grain elevators
• Underground vaults
• Utility vaults
• Cave-ins
• Specialized rescue team needed
• No one to enter trench or area immediately around
  it due to increased risk of secondary cave-in

12
Crime Scene

• Law enforcement officers are in charge
• EMR responsibility maintain integrity of
  evidence
• Four types
• Closed access to an unsecured crime scene?hazard
  still exists
• Limited-access crime scene?critical evidence
  could be destroyed or compromised hazards still
  may be present
• Open-access crime scene?evidence still needs to
  be collected, but personnel have access to entire
  area
• Cold crime scene?no evidential concerns or
  hazards are present

13
Activity

• You arrive at the scene of a convenience store
  robbery in which a store employee was shot in the
  leg. The suspect has been caught and is in police
  custody. You are to provide care to the store
  employee.

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Basic Guidelines for Fires

• Do not approach a burning vehicle
• Never enter a burning or smoke-filled building
• If you are in a building that is on fire, always
  check doors before opening them. If a door is hot
  to the touch, do not open it
• Since smoke and fumes rise, stay close to the
  floor
• Never use an elevator in a building that may be
  burning

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Special Event/Stand-by

• Special event EMS incident commander in charge
• Staff certified in BLS or ALS
• Personnel available to care for special event
  spectators or participants within 10 minutes of
  notification of the need for emergency care

16
You Are the Emergency Medical Responder

• You find that the patient is conscious but
  appears to be in respiratory distress from the
  compression of the soil surrounding him.