RCI Red Cross Instructor Emergency Response & Rescue Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When performing a water rescue, what is the preferred first action an instructor should teach before entering the water?
- Jump in and swim to the victim
- Reach or throw a rescue device from safety (Correct answer)
- Wade in and grab the victim's arm
- Dive under and push the victim to shore
Correct answer: Reach or throw a rescue device from safety
The 'reach, throw, don't go' principle keeps the rescuer safe by using a pole, rope, or flotation device before entering the water.
Question 2: An instructor is teaching spinal injury management in water. Which technique is used to keep a suspected spinal victim's head stabilized?
- Two-person removal carry
- Head-splint technique (Correct answer)
- Wrist-tow technique
- Cross-chest carry
Correct answer: Head-splint technique
The head-splint technique uses the victim's arms to brace the head and neck in a neutral inline position in the water.
Question 3: During a land-based rescue training session, a student asks when it is appropriate to use a throwing rescue device. What is the correct answer?
- Only when the victim is unconscious
- When the victim is within arm's reach
- When the victim is conscious and can grasp the device (Correct answer)
- Only after entering the water first
Correct answer: When the victim is conscious and can grasp the device
A throwing rescue device such as a throw bag is most effective when the victim is conscious and able to hold on to it.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the role of an RCI-certified instructor during a mass casualty incident (MCI)?
- Take command of all emergency personnel on scene
- Provide immediate advanced life support interventions
- Triage victims and provide basic life-saving care until EMS arrives (Correct answer)
- Evacuate all bystanders before giving any care
Correct answer: Triage victims and provide basic life-saving care until EMS arrives
Instructors trained in emergency response assist by triaging and providing BLS-level care until advanced medical personnel arrive.
Question 5: A lifeguard student is struggling to maintain proper body position during a rear approach rescue. What correction should the instructor prioritize?
- Tell the student to approach faster
- Have the student make eye contact with the victim
- Coach the student to keep arms extended and avoid grabbing the victim from the front (Correct answer)
- Instruct the student to use a front approach instead
Correct answer: Coach the student to keep arms extended and avoid grabbing the victim from the front
A rear approach prevents the panicking victim from grabbing the rescuer and pulling them under the water.
Question 6: In Red Cross emergency response training, what does START triage stand for?
- Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment (Correct answer)
- Standard Trauma And Rescue Technique
- Systematic Triage And Resuscitation Training
- Stabilize, Treat, Assess, Respond, Transport
Correct answer: Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment
START (Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment) is the widely used triage system for sorting multiple victims by severity in under 60 seconds each.
Question 7: When teaching students to use an AED on a victim who has fallen into water, what must be done first?
- Apply the pads while the victim is still in the water
- Dry the victim's chest before applying the AED pads (Correct answer)
- Use the AED immediately without moving the victim
- Administer two rescue breaths before attaching the AED
Correct answer: Dry the victim's chest before applying the AED pads
The victim must be removed from the water and the chest must be dried to ensure good pad contact and to prevent electrical current from spreading across a wet surface.
RCI Red Cross Instructor Emergency Response & Rescue Techniques 2
When performing a water rescue, what is the preferred first action an instructor should teach before entering the water?