PCP EMS Operations and Scene Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a water rescue, a paramedic without specialized water rescue training should follow which principle?
- Reach, throw, row, then go (Correct answer)
- Go immediately to save the victim
- Wait for police to authorize entry
- Attempt a swimming rescue with a partner
Correct answer: Reach, throw, row, then go
The reach-throw-row-go sequence prioritizes rescuer safety, reserving in-water rescue only for trained specialists as a last resort.
Question 2: Which method of patient transfer is MOST appropriate for a patient with a suspected spinal injury found in a vehicle?
- Firefighter's carry
- Extremity lift
- Rapid extrication technique (Correct answer)
- Direct ground lift
Correct answer: Rapid extrication technique
Rapid extrication is used for patients with suspected spinal injury when the scene is unsafe or the patient is critical, maintaining spinal alignment throughout.
Question 3: In the Unified Command structure of ICS, who sets the overall incident objectives?
- Each agency commander independently
- All participating agency commanders together (Correct answer)
- The senior law enforcement officer
- The EMS medical director
Correct answer: All participating agency commanders together
In Unified Command, representatives from all involved agencies collaborate to establish shared incident objectives.
Question 4: A paramedic crew arrives at a scene where a patient is in cardiac arrest inside a building with an active gas leak. What is the correct action?
- Enter immediately to begin CPR
- Attempt CPR from the doorway
- Stage away and wait for the scene to be made safe (Correct answer)
- Don an N95 mask and enter
Correct answer: Stage away and wait for the scene to be made safe
An active gas leak makes the scene unsafe; EMS must stage away until fire/hazmat teams secure the environment before any patient care.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a medical incident command post (MCI CP) during a mass casualty event?
- To treat the most critical patients on-site
- To coordinate triage, treatment, and transport of patients (Correct answer)
- To provide medical direction to hospital staff
- To communicate directly with insurance companies
Correct answer: To coordinate triage, treatment, and transport of patients
The medical incident command post coordinates all patient care activities — triage, treatment, and transport — to organize the EMS response.
Question 6: When approaching a helicopter landing zone (LZ), EMS personnel should approach from which direction?
- From behind the tail rotor
- From the front or side as directed by the pilot (Correct answer)
- From any direction at a crouching walk
- Approach only after the rotor has stopped
Correct answer: From the front or side as directed by the pilot
Personnel must approach from the front or side as directed by the pilot or crew, never from the rear where the lethal tail rotor is located.
Question 7: Which START triage category is assigned to a patient who is not breathing even after the airway is repositioned?
- Red (immediate)
- Yellow (delayed)
- Green (minor)
- Black (expectant/deceased) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Black (expectant/deceased)
In START triage, a patient who does not breathe after a simple airway maneuver is tagged Black (expectant/deceased) and no further resources are allocated.
PCP EMS Operations and Scene Management 2
During a water rescue, a paramedic without specialized water rescue training should follow which principle?