Emergencies
Below are procedures for Medical Emergency and Lost Child.
Medical Emergency
Rangers who encounter participants having medical difficulties should engage the participants and call Khaki to request medical response.
Calling For First Aid
When calling Khaki to request First Aid for medical assistance, the focus of your radio call should be your location and nature and severity of complaint. This allows First Aid to send the right response at the right priority level.
Things you absolutely need to mention:
- Severe bleeding
- Difficult, uneven, or no breathing
- Unconsciousness
If you don’t say any of these things, it will be assumed that the participant is conscious, breathing, and not bleeding heavily.
Use the phrasing “I need X at Y for Z.”
Example: “Khaki, Khaki, this is Ranger Beta. I need First Aid at Diode for participant who is complaining of chest pain. He is semi-conscious and his breathing is labored.”
[To note: this protocol replaces the previous “LOGIC-B” protocol.]
Things to Note
- Describe, do not diagnose! Describe what is happening in terms of symptoms (dry skin, lowered level of consciousness, burns) rather than making diagnoses (dehydration).
- Don’t use words about “death” or “drugs” over the radio: If you believe someone to be dead, call it is as a medical for an “unconscious and not breathing” person and request an immediate face-to-face with Khaki. This goes along with the “do not diagnose” guideline. You CAN use the word “disoriented” over the radio.
- Be mindful of the environment around you! Make sure that the same thing that injured the participant doesn’t injure you and that well-meaning participants don’t make the situation worse.
- If needed, the NorthBeast EMTs will call 911. Having a single, informed point of contact will ensure that the right help gets to the injured participant as quickly as possible.
If you have medical experience
Rangers with medical or first aid certification can operate up to their own scope of practice but must call First Aid or NorthBeast EMT to the scene if the injury is any more serious than injuries that might normally be treated at home by Mom (band-aid, etc). In such situations, Rangers cannot terminate care, but they must release the scene to First Aid or NorthBeast EMT upon arrival. Rangers should defer to the judgment of the First Aid staff or NorthBeast EMT.
Let Khaki know at the beginning of your shift if you have medical/first aid experience. It's always helpful for Khaki to know what resources are available.
See section on the First Aid.
Creating a perimeter
First Aid personnel may request that Rangers on scene provide a perimeter to keep onlookers at a distance while they work. Stand so that you can easily see the crowd, the medics, the patient, and your partner. Recruit participants to help you with your perimeter: two Rangers is a weak perimeter, but two Rangers plus five participants is a strong one.
Stay on the scene
Once you have called for First Aid/NorthBeast EMT, you MUST stay with the participant until help arrives and you are cleared from the scene by Khaki. Inform Khaki when First Aid or NorthBeast EMT arrives on scene.
Staying in contact with Khaki
In any situation involving medical response, there are three points at which you should call Khaki: 1. When you arrive and asses that First Aid (or NorthBeast EMT) is needed on scene. 2. When First Aid arrives. 3. When First Aid has released you and you are ready to continue your shift.
Lost Child
If someone reports a lost child, call Khaki immediately with the last place seen.
Wait for Khaki to respond! There may be a delay! Khaki has a specific protocol to follow that involves closing the gate and calling the board.
While waiting, make sure you collect the following information to give to Khaki:
- Where/when last seen
- Name, age, height, weight, clothing
- Eye/hair/skin color
- Names of parent(s)
- Home camp
- Reporter’s relationship to child