Arriving at the scene

Make the area safe and gather as much information about the incident as you can. The history of the incident and any casualty information about their illness or injury could help you decide your course of initial treatment. (covered in detail in module 4).

Bystanders

A bystander can be of great benefit to you – do not be afraid to ask for help.

Your bystander can help you by:

Calling for an ambulance
Getting the first aid kit and defibrillator (AED)
Managing crowds and traffic
Consoling relatives and friends
Helping you provide first aid (if they are trained to do so)

A responsive adult must agree to receive first aid treatment.

‘Expressed consent’ means that the casualty gives their permission to receive care and treatment. To obtain consent, first identify yourself, tell them about your level of training and ask if it’s ok to help them.

Consent

‘Implied consent’ means that permission to perform first aid care on an unresponsive casualty is assumed. This is based on the idea that a reasonable person would give their permission to receive lifesaving treatment if they were able to.

When caring for vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly, consent must be gained from a parent, family member or legal guardian. When life-threatening situations exist and the parent, family member or legal guardian is not available, you must provide first aid care based on implied consent.