LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Recognize the procedural and precautionary steps that must be taken in various rescue situations.

The procedures you follow in an emergency situation will be determined by the nature of the disaster or emergency you encounter. Some of the more common rescue situations and the appropriate procedures for each are outlined below.

RESCUE FROM FIRE.-If you must go to the aid of a person whose clothing is on fire, try to smother the flames by wrapping the victim in a coat, blanket, or rug. Leave the head UNCOVERED. If you have no material with which to smother the fire, roll the victim over-SLOWLY-and beat out the flames with your hands. Beat out the flames around the head and shoulders, then work downward toward the feet. If the victim tries to run, throw him down. Remember that the victim MUST lie down while you are trying to extinguish the fire. Running will cause the clothing to burn rapidly. Sitting or standing may cause the victim to be killed instantly by inhaling flames or hot air.

CAUTION: Inhaling flames or hot air can kill YOU, too. Do not get your face directly over the flames. Turn your face away from the flame when you inhale.

If your own clothing catches fire, roll yourself up in a blanket, coat, or rug. KEEP YOUR HEAD UNCOVERED. If material to smother the fire is not available, lie down, roll over slowly, and beat at the flames with your hands.

If you are trying to escape from an upper floor of a burning building, be very cautious about opening doors into hallways or stairways. Always feel a door before you open it. If the door feels hot, do not open it if there is any other possible way out. Remember, also, that opening doors or windows will create a draft and make the fire worse. So do not open any door or window until you are actually ready to get out.

If you are faced with the problem of removing an injured person from an upper story of a burning building, you may be able to improvise a lifeline by tying sheets, blankets, curtains, or other materials together. Use square knots to connect the materials to each other. Secure one end of the line around some heavy object inside the building, and fasten the other end around the casualty under the arms. You can lower the victim to safety and then let yourself down the line. Do not jump from an upper floor of a burning building except as a last resort.

It is often said that the "best" air in a burning room or compartment is near the floor, but this is true only to a limited extent. There is less smoke and flame down low, near the floor, and the air may be cooler. But it is also true that carbon monoxide and other deadly gases are just as likely to be present near the floor as near the ceiling. Therefore, if possible, use an oxygen breathing apparatus or other protective breathing equipment when you go into a burning compartment. If protective equipment is not available, cover your mouth and nose with a wet cloth to reduce the danger of inhaling smoke, flame, or hot air.

CAUTION: A WET CLOTH GIVES YOU NOPROTECTIONAGAINSTPOISONOUS GASES OR LACK OF OXYGEN!

RESCUE FROM STEAM-FILLED SPACES.- It is sometimes possible to rescue a person from a space in which there is a steam leak. Since steam rises, escape upward may not be possible. If the normal exit is blocked by escaping steam, move the casualty to the escape trunk or, if there is none, to the lowest level in the compartment.

RESCUE FROM ELECTRICAL CONTACT.- Rescuing a person who has received an electrical shock is likely to be difficult and dangerous. Extreme caution must be used, or you may be electrocuted yourself.

CAUTION: YOU MUST NOT TOUCH THE VICTIM'S BODY, THE WIRE, OR ANY OTHER OBJECT THAT MAY BE CONDUCTING ELECTRICITY.

First of all, look for the switch. If you find the switch, turn off the current immediately. Do not waste too much time hunting for the switch: Every second is important.

If you cannot find the switch, try to remove the wire from the victim with a DRY broom handle, branch, pole, oar, board, or similar NONCON- DUCTINGobject. It may be possible to use a DRY rope or DRYclothing to pull the wire away from the victim. You can also break the contact by cutting the wire with a WOODEN-HANDLED axe, but this is extremely dangerous because the cut ends of the wire are likely to curl and lash back at you before you have time to get out of the way. When you are trying to break an electrical contact, always stand on some nonconducting material such as a DRY board, DRY newspapers, or DRY clothing. See figure 3-26.