COE Wilderness First Aid & Emergency Response Flashcards
6 cards from real COE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 COE Wilderness First Aid & Emergency Response flashcards as text
An outdoor educator arrives at a scene where a participant is unresponsive. What is the FIRST step in the primary survey?
Answer: Check scene safety before approaching
Scene safety must be confirmed before approaching a patient to prevent the responder from becoming a second victim.
Which lightning safety protocol is recommended when a storm approaches a COE field group?
Answer: Spread the group out, move to low terrain, avoid tall objects, and assume lightning position if caught in the open
Dispersing the group reduces mass casualty risk; low terrain and avoiding conductors minimizes lightning strike danger.
What is 'acute mountain sickness' (AMS), and at what general elevation does it commonly begin?
Answer: A syndrome of headache, nausea, and fatigue caused by rapid ascent typically above 8,000 feet
AMS results from inadequate acclimatization to reduced oxygen partial pressure and most commonly appears above 8,000 feet.
What does a COE instructor use a 'go/no-go' decision matrix for during an emergency?
Answer: Systematically evaluating whether conditions and resources support a safe evacuation route
A go/no-go matrix structures high-stakes decisions by weighing patient condition, terrain, weather, and available resources against acceptable risk thresholds.
A participant is found unconscious near a water source. After scene safety is confirmed, what is the NEXT step?
Answer: Assess responsiveness using a verbal and tactile stimulus
Assessing responsiveness (tap and shout) determines whether the patient is truly unresponsive and initiates the patient care algorithm.
Which communication tool should a COE instructor carry in a remote area beyond reliable cell coverage to request emergency evacuation?
Answer: Standard handheld FRS radio
PLBs and satellite communicators (e.g., Garmin inReach) transmit GPS coordinates to rescue coordination centers when cell and radio coverage are unavailable.