CERT Triage & Mass Casualty Incidents 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Approximately how much time should a CERT member spend assessing each victim during initial START triage?
- 30 seconds (Correct answer)
- 1 minute
- 2 minutes
- 5 minutes
Correct answer: 30 seconds
START triage is designed to be completed in approximately 30 seconds per victim, enabling rapid sorting of large numbers of casualties.
Question 2: In START triage, a capillary refill time greater than how many seconds indicates poor perfusion and places the victim in the immediate category?
- 2 seconds (Correct answer)
- 5 seconds
- 1 second
- 10 seconds
Correct answer: 2 seconds
A capillary refill time greater than 2 seconds suggests inadequate circulation, which places the victim in the immediate (red) category under START triage.
Question 3: What does a YELLOW tag indicate in CERT triage?
- Delayed priority; injuries are serious but treatment can be safely postponed (Correct answer)
- Immediate priority; injuries are life-threatening
- Minor priority; the victim has only superficial injuries
- Expectant; the victim is unlikely to survive
Correct answer: Delayed priority; injuries are serious but treatment can be safely postponed
Yellow tags indicate 'delayed' priority — victims whose injuries are significant but who can wait for treatment without immediate risk to their lives.
Question 4: During mass casualty triage with many victims, when should CERT members perform CPR?
- CPR should generally not be performed during triage when resources are overwhelmed (Correct answer)
- CPR should be given to every unresponsive victim immediately
- CPR should be started after all victims have been tagged
- CPR is only given if a physician is present to supervise
Correct answer: CPR should generally not be performed during triage when resources are overwhelmed
In mass casualty triage, CPR is generally withheld because it consumes significant resources for one victim; non-breathing victims are tagged black so responders can help survivable victims.
Question 5: How is mental status assessed in the START triage system?
- By asking the victim to follow simple commands (Correct answer)
- By calculating the Glasgow Coma Scale score
- By testing pupil reactivity with a penlight
- By checking the victim's grip strength in both hands
Correct answer: By asking the victim to follow simple commands
START triage assesses mental status by checking whether the victim can follow simple commands, providing a rapid indicator of neurological function.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of triage tags in a mass casualty incident?
- To quickly communicate each victim's treatment priority to all responders (Correct answer)
- To record the victim's full medical history at the scene
- To document the precise mechanism of injury for each victim
- To assign each victim to a specific receiving hospital in advance
Correct answer: To quickly communicate each victim's treatment priority to all responders
Triage tags provide a rapid, standardized communication tool that conveys each victim's priority level to all responders, enabling coordinated and efficient treatment and transport.
Question 7: What should CERT members do if they themselves are injured during a mass casualty incident?
- Self-identify as victims and seek treatment (Correct answer)
- Continue working until a supervisor relieves them
- Treat their own injuries and remain in operation
- Wait until all other victims have been triaged before seeking care
Correct answer: Self-identify as victims and seek treatment
Injured CERT members must self-identify as victims and seek treatment, as injured responders cannot perform effectively and may become an additional burden on the operation.
CERT Triage & Mass Casualty Incidents 2
Approximately how much time should a CERT member spend assessing each victim during initial START triage?