FACEM Emergency Response Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a mass casualty incident (MCI), which triage system uses four color-coded categories: black, red, yellow, and green?
- START triage (Correct answer)
- SALT triage
- SIEVE triage
- CESIRA triage
Correct answer: START triage
START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) uses black (expectant/deceased), red (immediate), yellow (delayed), and green (minor) categories for MCI triage.
Question 2: In the hospital incident command system (HICS), who holds ultimate responsibility for overall emergency operations?
- Operations Section Chief
- Incident Commander (Correct answer)
- Safety Officer
- Medical Staff Director
Correct answer: Incident Commander
The Incident Commander holds ultimate authority and responsibility for all aspects of the emergency response, including strategy, tactics, and resource allocation.
Question 3: A patient with blast injury presents with tympanic membrane rupture but no other apparent injuries. What is the PRIMARY concern in continued monitoring?
- Secondary infection risk
- Occult pulmonary barotrauma (Correct answer)
- Cervical spine injury
- Corneal abrasion
Correct answer: Occult pulmonary barotrauma
Tympanic membrane rupture is a marker of significant blast exposure, and occult pulmonary barotrauma (blast lung) can present with delayed deterioration.
Question 4: Which decontamination method is recommended as the FIRST step when a patient has been exposed to an unknown chemical agent?
- Neutralization with sodium bicarbonate
- Copious water irrigation (Correct answer)
- Application of activated charcoal
- Dry decontamination with absorbent powder
Correct answer: Copious water irrigation
Copious water irrigation (wet decontamination) removes the majority of chemical contamination and is the first-line step for unknown chemical exposures.
Question 5: During a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) event, which zone directly surrounds the area of contamination where decontamination activities occur?
- Hot zone
- Warm zone (Correct answer)
- Cold zone
- Transition zone
Correct answer: Warm zone
The warm zone (contamination reduction corridor) is where decontamination activities occur, between the hot (exclusion) zone and the cold (support) zone.
Question 6: In a radiation exposure event, which measurement unit describes the biologically effective dose of radiation absorbed by human tissue?
- Gray (Gy)
- Sievert (Sv) (Correct answer)
- Becquerel (Bq)
- Curie (Ci)
Correct answer: Sievert (Sv)
The Sievert (Sv) accounts for the biological effectiveness of different radiation types, making it the appropriate unit for assessing health risk from radiation exposure.
Question 7: A hospital activates its emergency operations plan. Which NIMS component governs the structured approach to resource management and interoperability between agencies?
- Incident Command System (ICS)
- National Incident Management System (NIMS) (Correct answer)
- Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
- Unified Command
Correct answer: National Incident Management System (NIMS)
NIMS provides a comprehensive, nationwide framework ensuring standardization, interoperability, and coordination across all agencies during emergency response.
FACEM Emergency Response Procedures 2
During a mass casualty incident (MCI), which triage system uses four color-coded categories: black, red, yellow, and green?