In an emergency: stay safe, call, get help

In most emergencies a first aider cannot solve the actual problem themselves: they cannot set a bone or repair a heart. Their job is a different but equally important one – they are the first link in a chain. They recognise the emergency, alert the ambulance service and bridge the time until professionals arrive. The earlier the chain gets going, the sooner professional help is there.

The fixed order exists because stress narrows your thinking. When shocked, many people see only the injured person and forget the traffic behind them or the phone call. A practised sequence – take in the scene, make safe, call, have help fetched, look after the person – works like a handrail you can hold on to. That is why it is practised the same way again and again on courses.

The dispatcher at the other end of the line is your most important partner in this. They are trained people who decide what help is sent and guide you step by step. They handle calls like this every day. So you are not alone once the call is connected.

When you call, three things matter most: where you are, what has happened and how many people are affected. The location is the most important, because without it nobody can set off. So while taking in the scene, look out for street names, house numbers, signposts or striking buildings. German-language courses teach the ‘W questions’ for this: where, what, how many, which injuries, and waiting for questions.

Do not hang up on your own. The dispatcher ends the call once they know everything, and often they even stay on the line to guide you. Switch on the speaker so your hands are free and you can still listen. If several people are around, address one person directly instead of calling into the crowd: “You in the red jacket, call 112!” That way someone really feels responsible.

If a person does not respond, send someone to fetch an AED. An AED is a small defibrillator built for lay people that explains with voice prompts what to do. It is often found in public buildings, stations or workplaces; the dispatcher can often tell you where the nearest one is. After that you stay with the person, talk to them, protect them from cold, wet or heat and watch whether anything changes.

Your own safety comes first – that is not cowardice but common sense. Fire, smoke, a smell of gas, electrical contact, moving water and moving traffic are dangers you do not run into. In such cases you keep your distance, call the emergency number and tell the dispatcher exactly what danger you can see. Fire and ambulance services have equipment and training for these situations.

On the road it helps to make the scene visible as far as you can without danger: hazard lights on, high-visibility vest on, warning triangle set up at a distance. Moving a person out of the danger zone is only right if they are in acute danger and you can reach them without endangering yourself. In the dark a light helps: see and be seen.

If available, wear disposable gloves, especially with blood, and wash your hands afterwards. And allow yourself a break after helping: emergencies are upsetting, even when everything turns out well. Talking about it with people you trust is completely normal and helpful.

Someone collapses in the kitchen at home, an older person falls on the pavement, a car has left the road on a country lane: the situations are completely different, the first steps stay the same. Take in the scene, make safe, call, have help fetched, stay with the person. Precisely because it is always the same, it is worth learning it properly once.

In remote terrain your phone may have no signal. Then it is important to determine your position as precisely as possible and to agree with others who will fetch help. Whenever possible, someone always stays with the injured person. Alpine distress signals or emergency radio can also help; there are separate entries on these.

Sometimes many people are present and everyone just watches. Everyone thinks someone else has already called – this is also known as the bystander effect. Never assume that; ask out loud or call yourself. A duplicate call is far better than none at all.

You do not learn first aid by reading but by doing. A recognised first-aid course, for example with the Red Cross or other aid organisations, lets you try everything under instruction. Refresh it regularly, because guidelines change and practical skills fade.

In everyday life you can build simple habits: in new places, briefly check where exactly you are. Notice where an AED is located in your surroundings. Talk with your family about who does what in an emergency, and make sure children know the emergency number too. Before travelling outside the EU, it is worth checking which emergency number applies there.

And remember the most important sentence from every course: the only real mistake is doing nothing. Nobody expects you to do everything perfectly. If you call the emergency number and stay with the person, you have already done a great deal right.