EMT Essentials

01Scene Safety & Size-Up

Before approaching any patient, confirm the scene is safe for you, your partner, and bystanders — check for traffic, violence, unstable structures, hazmat, or downed power lines. If the scene isn't safe, do not enter; request the appropriate specialized resource (police, fire, utility company) first.

02Primary Assessment Order (ABC vs. XABC)

For medical patients, the primary assessment follows Airway, Breathing, Circulation (ABC). For trauma patients with life-threatening external (exsanguinating) hemorrhage, current guidelines prioritize X — controlling that bleeding — before Airway, since uncontrolled bleeding can kill faster than airway compromise.

03Normal Vital Signs by Age

A healthy adult's normal resting heart rate is 60-100 bpm and respiratory rate is 12-20 breaths/min. Young children run faster than adults — a 3-year-old's normal respiratory rate is roughly 20-30 breaths/min — with vital signs approaching adult norms by adolescence.

04Oxygen Therapy — When to Apply It

Supplemental oxygen is generally indicated when SpO2 falls to about 93% or below, titrated to a target range (roughly 90-96%) rather than given automatically to every patient. A patient with an adequate SpO2 who is breathing comfortably does not need oxygen just because they are injured or anxious.

05Recognizing Stroke & Heart Attack

Use FAST — Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911 — to recognize stroke, and always document exact symptom-onset time since stroke treatment is time-sensitive. Heart attack warning signs include chest pain/pressure that may radiate to the arm, neck, jaw, or back, plus shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, or sudden fatigue.

06Bleeding Control, Tourniquets & Patient Refusal

For life-threatening bleeding direct pressure can't control, apply a tourniquet several inches above the wound (never on a joint), tighten until bleeding stops and the distal pulse disappears, and never loosen it once applied in the field. A mentally competent, oriented adult who understands the risks has the legal right to refuse treatment/transport; implied consent lets EMS treat an incapacitated patient who cannot consent.