                                        SECTION I

                                   ORDER OF PRIORITY 
                                    IN AN EMERGENCY

In EVERY emergency situation, there is a logical order to be
followed. First, it is important to carefully assess the scene of
an emergency BEFORE any further steps are taken. The purpose of
this assessment is to assure it is safe to provide first aid care.
For example, an unconscious victim might be lying on a live power
line. If a rescuer were to touch the victim before the power could
be shut off, the rescuer would become a victim as well! Always be
sure it is safe before you attempt to help a victim!

Once you determine it is safe for you to help a victim, you should
immediately determine if the victim is threatened by life
threatening conditions. 

Begin by checking to see if the victim is responsive. If the victim
is prone, kneel and ask, " ARE YOU OK?" If there is no response,
you must immediately do a PRIMARY SURVEY which is intended to
identify life-threatening conditions! 

First, if there are bystanders on the scene, summon someone to your
side to provide assistance.   

If the victim is on his stomach, first place the victim's arm
closest to you above his head. Then turn him over by placing one
hand on the victim's hip and the other hand at the victim's
shoulder. Turn the body in a smooth, even straight line so as to
not cause further injury in the event of existing spinal cord
injury. 

With the victim now on his back, OPEN THE VICTIM'S AIRWAY by
placing the heel of your hand on the victim's forehead and the tips
of your fingers under the bony part of the jaw.

Push down on the forehead while lifting up the chin until the jaw
is pointing straight up. Now place your ear over the victim's mouth
and LOOK, LISTEN & FEEL for breathing for 3 to 5 seconds. LOOK at
the chest to see if it is rising, LISTEN for sounds of breathing
and FEEL for air coming from the victim.

If the victim is not breathing, RESCUE BREATHING is required
immediately!                         
  
*****************************************************************
                                        IMPORTANT

        WHILE THIS TUTORIAL IDENTIFIES LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS
            REQUIRING RESCUE BREATHING OR CPR, THESE SKILLS REQUIRE
              INTENSIVE CLASSROOM SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND PRACTICE 
                 AND CANNOT BE EFFECTIVELY PRESENTED OR TAUGHT  
                         IN THIS TUTORIAL. THE AUTHOR
                         STRONGLY ENCOURAGES EVERYONE
                              TO ENROLL IN A CPR
                                    COURSE
*****************************************************************
Rescue breathing will provide vital oxygen to a victim who cannot
breath on their own. After giving a victim two breaths, the pulse
is checked at the Carotid Artery to ascertain if the victim has a
heartbeat. This artery is located on the side of the neck and is
located by first positioning the fingers on the victim's Adam's
Apple, then sliding the fingers down into the soft groove on the
side of the neck. The pulse is checked for 5 to 10 seconds.

If the victim has a heartbeat, but is not breathing, RESCUE
BREATHING is required. If the victim is NOT breathing AND does not
have a HEARTBEAT, CPR is required without delay!

These initial steps of checking the AIRWAY, BREATHING and
CIRCULATION (pulse), together with a check for major BLEEDING,
constitute THE PRIMARY SURVEY, which looks for life-threatening
conditions!

AFTER the PRIMARY SURVEY is completed, and life threatening
conditions identified, a bystander should be dispatched to call
EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES (911 or other emergency number in your
community) while a suitably-trained rescuer begins appropriate
emergency treatment!

In every instance where first aid is to be provided, it is
important to always ask a conscious victim for permission to help
them. If a victim is unconscious, it is presumed they have provided
consent for you to assist them.


