By Adam Thompson, MS, EMT-P; and James Augustine, MD
In the aftermath of mass casualty incidents, bystanders play a crucial role in ensuring safety and providing aid before emergency responders arrive. Recognizing this need, Adam Thompson, MS, EMT-P, developed a Bystander Action Guide to help educate the public on how to respond effectively after an attack or large-scale emergency.
This infographic outlines a step-by-step process that prioritizes personal safety, emergency notification, triage and basic life-saving measures.
The guide emphasizes key actions such as moving to safety, calling 911, assessing the scene for hazards and providing aid where possible. It also highlights the importance of protecting oneself, uniting families, communicating with rescuers and practicing self-care in the aftermath of an incident.
This tool serves as a practical resource for the public, ensuring that those on the scene can take meaningful steps to improve outcomes while awaiting professional responders.
Communicate to your community
What do you do when you witness a terrible event?
Assess your safety and the safety of those around you. Consider the ABCs of threat assessment:
- A – Air. Are there toxic products around you?
- B – Building. Can the structure collapse or harm you some other way?
- C – Cars/Crowds. Are you in the path of oncoming vehicles? Are you in danger of being trampled?
- D – Destructive weapons. Are you at risk from an attacker?
- E – Electricity. Are you at risk of electric shock?
- F – Fuel/Fire. Are you at risk of being burned?
Act quickly:
- Move yourself and other victims away from ongoing threats to as safe a place as possible.
- Make sure someone calls 911 and reports what is occurring.
- Triage the injured or ill people around you. Who needs your attention first? Quiet is bad, as the patients most seriously injured cannot scream or call for help.
- Put on any kind of gloves that you can to protect your hands and allow you to work quickly and safely.
Begin to treat victims:
- Stop the bleed. First try direct pressure. Use a tourniquet if bleeding will not stop from an extremity.
- Breathe for a patient that is having trouble breathing. You don’t have to perform mouth-to-mouth breathing. Use your hand to seal the patient’s mouth and breathe into your hand.
- Perform chest compressions at 100 beats per minute.
- Burns need to be cooled and cleaned. Only cool the burn. Keep the rest of the patient warm.
- Gather families together as quickly as possible. That will help professional rescuers gather needed information about their family member who is a patient.
- Communicate with the rescuers when they arrive, so they know what you did.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Adam Thompson, MS, EMT-P, is the division chief for the Office of the Medical Director at Lee County EMS, where his innovative leadership has advanced EMS education and training. As a senior EMS educator, he is known for bridging theory with practice and for his influential work on The Resuscitationist YouTube channel, a trusted resource that delivers cutting-edge insights to EMS professionals nationwide. In addition, his book, “Mastering EKG Rhythm Interpretation”, serves as a key reference for practitioners looking to enhance their clinical skills. Through these initiatives, Thompson continues to shape the future of EMS education and improve patient care.
James Augustine, MD, is the medical director at Lee County EMS.
EMS1 is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.