Page 8 - EMS Handbook

Safety Protocol

The safety of all Emergency Medical Staff is important. Always remember your safety is as high a priority
as that of the patients you are treating. This section will cover some basic tips for keeping you and your
partner safe in the field. Please make sure you follow these tips as it could save you or your partners lives.

Code 4
Before you even arrive on scene you need to be aware of the area you are heading towards. Ask yourself
this, is it cleared for emergency personal to enter? If the answer is no, or you are unsure if it is safe, then
contact your Dispatcher. They can give you more information about the location and possibly your
patients status. If the scene is safe you should get a Code 4 response, area is safe to enter.
If your Dispatcher, or an officer on scene, radios back telling you it is not cleared then ​DO NOT​ approach
yet. Park your ambulance 2 blocks from your destination and wait. Listen to the radio chatter, you may
hear the Code 4 over the radio. When you get a confirmation the area has been secured you may
proceeded to the scene.

BSI, it means Body-Substance-Isolation.
Before or immediately after you exit the ambulance it is advised you, at minimum, put on a pair of
disposable gloves (rubber gloves) to avoid direct contact with blood and other substances. If you can,
place a mask over your mouth to avoid toxic inhalants possibly on scene. Other types of BSI include face
shields, gowns, and even disposable booties. All of these items help keep your body from being exposed to
potentially harmful substances or contracting disease.
If your skin comes in contact with anything take time after the patient is tended and wash the substance
off. If the substance is harmful or causing discomfort seek a solution right away to remove it safely.

Your Surroundings
Even after a scene has been cleared it can still be potentially dangerous to you and your partner, things
can change in the blink of an eye. Be sure to watch the surface you are walking on, try to avoid walking on
things that could present itself to be a fall risk. Be aware of the people around, or near, you who are not
medical personal or law enforcement.
If you find yourself in a building be aware of where the exits and entrances are in case you are forced to
flee the scene. If worst comes to worst and you are forced to leave in order to preserve your safety leave
your equipment behind. It can be replaced later, you can't. If possible have an officer of the law nearby for
just such occasions. Request any pets on scene to be relocated to another room or area. Even the most
docile of animals may bite when their owner is in distress or pain.

Road Safety
Emergency calls on roadways present their own kind of danger. Anytime you find yourself called out to a
highway, or roadway in general, be aware of the traffic near the scene. Before, or as, you step out of the
ambulance put on a Reflective Traffic Jacket. Its attention grabbing color could save your life on the road