Chapter 38/39/40/41

First-Responder vehicles

Specialized vehicles used to transport EMS equipment and personnel to the scenes of medical emergencies.

Ambulance

A specialized vehicle for treating and transporting sick and injured patients.

Sterilization

A process, such as heating, that removes microbial contamination.

Medevac

Medical evacuation of a patient by helicopter.

High level disinfection

The killing of pathogenic agents by using potent means of disinfection.

Jump Kit

A portable kit containing items that are used in the initial care of the patient.

Cushion of Safety

A safe distance between your vehicle and any vehicles around you.

Cleaning

The process of removing dirt, dust, blood, or other visible contaminants from a surface.

Blind Spots

Areas of the road that are blocked from your view by your vehicle or mirrors.

Disinfection

The killing of pathogenic agents by direct application of chemicals.

Decontaminate

To remove or neutralize radiation, chemical, or other hazardous material from clothing, equipment, vehicles, and personnel.

CPR Board

A device that provides a firm surface under the patient’s torso.

Spotter

A person who assists a driver in backing up an ambulance to help adjust for blind spots at the back of the vehicle.

Air ambulances

Fixed-wing and rotary-wing (known as helicopters) aircraft that have been modified for medical care; used to evacuate and transport patients with life-threatening injuries to treatment facilities.

Star of Life

The six-pointed star emblem that identifies vehicles that meet federal specifications as licensed or certified ambulances.

Hydroplaning

Occurs when the tires of a vehicle are lifted off the road surface as a result of water piling up underneath them, making the vehicle feel as though it is floating.

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus

Respirator with independent air supply used by firefighters to enter toxic and otherwise dangerous atmospheres.

Entrapment

To be caught (trapped) within a vehicle, room, or container with no way out or to have a limb or other body part trapped.

Hazardous Material

Any substance that is toxic, poisonous, radioactive, flammable, or explosive and causes injury or death with exposure.

Special Weapons and Tactics Team

A specialized law enforcement tactical unit.

Structure Fire

A fire in a house, apartment building, office, school, plant, warehouse, or other building.

Technical Rescue Group

A team of emergency responders from one or more departments in a region who are trained and on call for certain types of technical rescue.

Size up

The ongoing process of information gathering and scene evaluation to determine appropriate strategies and tactics to manage an emergency.

Tactical Situation

A hostage, robbery, or other situation in which armed conflict is threatened or shots have been fired and the threat of violence remains.

Danger Zone

An area where people can be exposed to hazards such as electric wires, sharp metal edges, broken glass, toxic substances, radiation, or fire.

Access

Gaining entry to an enclosed area and reaching a patient.

Extrication

Removal of a patient from entrapment or a dangerous situation or position, such as removal from a wrecked vehicle, industrial incident, or collapsed building.

Command Post

The designated field command center where the incident commander and support staff are located.

Complex Access

Entry that requires special tools and training and includes the use of force.

Incident Commander

The individual who has overall command of the incident in the field.

Safe Zone

An area of protection providing safety from the danger zone (hot zone).

Technical Rescue Situation

A rescue that requires special technical skills and equipment in one of many specialized rescue areas, such as technical rope rescue, cave rescue, and dive rescue.

Simple Access

Access that is easily achieved without the use of tools or force.

Decontamination

The process of removing or neutralizing and properly disposing of hazardous materials from equipment, patients, and responders.

Span of Control

In incident command, the subordinate positions under the commander’s direction to which the workload is distributed; the ideal supervisor/worker ratio is one supervisor for five subordinates.

Logistics

In incident command, the position that helps procure and stockpile equipment and supplies during an incident.

Safety Officer

In incident command, the person who monitors the scene for conditions or operations that may present a hazard to responders and patients; he or she may stop an operation when responder safety is an issue.

Incident Action plan

An oral or written plan stating general objectives reflecting the overall strategy for managing an incident.

Demobilization

The process of directing responders to return to their facilities when work at a disaster or mass-casualty incident has finished, at least for those particular responders.

Secondary Containment

An engineered method to control a spilled or released product if the main containment vessel fails.

Hazardous Material

Any substance that is toxic, poisonous, radioactive, flammable, or explosive and causes injury or death with exposure.

Material Safety Data Sheet

A form, provided by manufacturers and compounders (blenders) of chemicals, containing information about chemical composition, physical and chemical properties, health and safety hazards, emergency response, and waste disposal of a specific material; also known as a safety data sheet (SDS).

Planning

In incident command, the position that ultimately produces a plan to resolve any incident.

Disaster

A widespread event that disrupts community resources and functions, in turn threatening public safety, citizens’ lives, and property.

Closed Incident

An incident that is contained; all casualties are accounted for.

Rehabilitation Area

The area that provides protection and treatment to firefighters and other responders working at an emergency. Here, workers are medically monitored and receive any needed care as they enter and leave the scene.

Emergency Response Guidebook

A preliminary action guide for first responders operating at a hazardous materials incident in coordination with the US Department of Transportation’s labels and placards marking system. Jointly developed by the DOT, the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico, and Transport Canada.

Morgue Supervisor

In incident command, the person who works with area medical examiners, coroners, and law enforcement agencies to coordinate the disposition of dead victims.

Command

In the NIMS, the position that oversees the incident, establishes the objectives and priorities, and develops a response plan.

START Triage

A patient sorting process that stands for Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment and uses a limited assessment of the patient’s ability to walk, respiratory status, hemodynamic status, and neurologic status.

Command Post

The designated field command center where the incident commander and support staff are located.

JumpSTART Triage

A sorting system for pediatric patients younger than 8 years or weighing less than 100 pounds (45 kg). There is a minor adaptation for infants because they cannot ambulate on their own.

Rehabilitation Supervisor

In incident command, the person who establishes an area that provides protection for responders from the elements and the situation.

Bulk Storage Containers

Any container other than nonbulk storage containers, such as fixed tanks, highway cargo tanks, rail tank cars, totes, and intermodal tanks. These are typically found in manufacturing facilities and are often surrounded by a secondary containment system to help control an accidental release.

Triage

The process of establishing treatment and transportation priorities according to severity of injury and medical need.

Liaison Officer

In incident command, the person who relays information, concerns, and requests among responding agencies.

Operations

In incident command, the position that carries out the orders of the commander to help resolve the incident.

Carboys

Glass, plastic, or steel containers, ranging in volume from 5 to 15 gallons (19 to 57 L).

Cylinders

Portable, compressed gas containers used to hold liquids and gases such as nitrogen, argon, helium, and oxygen. They have a range of sizes and internal pressures.

Unified Command System

A command system used in larger incidents in which there is a multiagency response or multiple jurisdictions are involved.

Chemical Transportation Emergency Center In incident command, the position in an incident responsible for accounting of all expenditures.

An agency that assists emergency responders in identifying and handling hazardous materials transport incidents.

Finance/administration

In incident command, the position in an incident responsible for accounting of all expenditures.

Incident Command System

A system implemented to manage disasters and mass-casualty incidents in which section chiefs, including finance/administration, logistics, operations, and planning, report to the incident commander.

Nonbulk Storage Vessels

Any container other than bulk storage containers, such as drums, bags, compressed gas cylinders, and cryogenic containers. These hold commonly used commercial and industrial chemicals such as solvents, industrial cleaners, and compounds.

Hazardous Material Incident

An incident in which a hazardous material is no longer properly contained and isolated.

Toxicity Levels

Indicates the risk that a hazardous material poses to the health of an individual who comes into contact with it.

Triage Supervisor

In incident command, the person in charge of the incident command triage sector who directs the sorting of patients into triage categories in a mass-casualty incident.

Decontamination Area

The designated area in a hazardous materials incident where all patients and responders must be decontaminated before going to another area.

Intermodal Tanks

Shipping and storage vessels that can be either pressurized or nonpressurized.

Drums

Barrel-like containers used to store a wide variety of substances, including food-grade materials, corrosives, flammable liquids, and grease. May be constructed of low-carbon steel, polyethylene, cardboard, stainless steel, nickel, or other materials.

Treatment Supervisor

In incident command, the person, usually a physician, who is in charge of and directs EMS providers at the treatment area in a mass-casualty incident.

Bills of lading

The shipping papers used for transport of chemicals over roads and highways; also referred to as freight bills.

Hot zone

The area immediately surrounding a hazardous materials spill or incident site that endangers life and health. All responders working in this zone must wear appropriate protective clothing and equipment. Entry requires approval by the incident commander or other designated officer.

Treatment Area

The location in a mass-casualty incident where patients are brought after being triaged and assigned a priority, where they are reassessed, treated, and monitored until transport to the hospital.

Transportation Area

The area in a mass-casualty incident where ambulances and crews are organized to transport patients from the treatment area to receiving hospitals.

Staging Supervisor

In incident command, the person who locates an area to stage equipment and personnel and tracks unit arrival and deployment from the staging area.

Container

Any vessel or receptacle that holds material, including storage vessels, pipelines, and packaging.

Secondary Triage

A type of patient sorting used in the treatment area that involves retriage of patients.

Rescue Supervisor

In incident command, the person appointed to determine the type of equipment and resources needed for a situation involving extrication or special rescue; also called the extrication officer.

Mass-Casualty Incident

An emergency situation involving three or more patients or that can place great demand on the equipment or personnel of the EMS system or has the potential to produce multiple casualties.

Extrication supervisor

In incident command, the person appointed to determine the type of equipment and resources needed for a situation involving extrication or special rescue; also called the rescue officer.

Placards

Signage required to be placed on all four sides of highway transport vehicles, railroad tank cars, and other forms of hazardous materials transportation; the sign identifies the hazardous contents of the vehicle, using a standardization system with diamond-shaped indicators.

Open Incident

An incident that is not yet contained; there may be patients to be located and the situation may be ongoing, producing more patients.

National Incident Management System

A Department of Homeland Security system designed to enable federal, state, and local governments and private-sector and nongovernmental organizations to effectively and efficiently prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause, size, or complexity, including acts of catastrophic terrorism.

Public Information Officer

In incident command, the person who keeps the public informed and relates any information to the media.

Freight Bills

The shipping papers used for transport of chemicals along roads and highways; also referred to as bills of lading.

Transportation Supervisor

In incident command, the person in charge of the transportation sector in a mass-casualty incident who assigns patients from the treatment area to waiting ambulances in the transportation area.

Primary Triage

A type of patient sorting used to rapidly categorize patients; the focus is on speed in locating all patients and determining an initial priority as warranted by their conditions.

Termination of Command

The end of the incident command structure when an incident draws to a close.

Freelancing

When individual units or different organizations make independent and often inefficient decisions about the next appropriate action.

Warm Zone

The area located between the hot zone and the cold zone at a hazardous materials incident. The decontamination corridor is located in this zone.

Joint Information Center

An area designated by the incident commander, or a designee, in which public information officers from multiple agencies distribute information about the incident.

Mutual Aid Response

An agreement between neighboring EMS systems to respond to mass-casualty incidents or disasters in each other’s region when local resources are insufficient to handle the response.

Personal Protective Equipment Levels

Indicates the amount and type of protective equipment that an individual needs to avoid injury during contact with a hazardous material.

Single Command System

A command system in which one person is in charge; generally used with small incidents that involve only one responding agency or one jurisdiction.

Casualty Collection Area

An area set up by physicians, nurses, and other hospital staff near a major disaster scene where patients can receive further triage and medical care.

Control Zones

Areas at a hazardous materials incident that are designated as hot, warm, or cold, based on safety issues and the degree of hazard found there.

Cold Zone

A safe area at a hazardous materials incident for the agencies involved in the operations. The incident commander, the command post, EMS providers, and other support functions necessary to control the incident should be located in this zone. Also referred to as the clean zone or the support zone.

Incident Commander

The individual who has overall command of the incident in the field.

Special Atomic Demolition Munitions

Small suitcase-sized nuclear weapons that were designed to destroy individual targets, such as important buildings, bridges, tunnels, and large ships.