Page 15 - Participant Manual

Box 1-3. Signs of an Emergency

Unusual Sounds Unusual Odors

■ Screaming, moaning, yelling or calls for help ■ A foul or unusually strong chemical odor

■ Sudden, loud noises such as breaking glass, The smell of smoke
crashing metal or screeching tires ■
■ A change in the sound made by machinery or ■ The smell of gas
equipment
■ An unrecognizable odor
■ Unusual silence
■ An inappropriate odor (e.g., a sickly sweet odor
Unusual Sights on a person’s breath)

■ A stopped vehicle on the roadside or a car Unusual Behaviors
that has run off of the road
■ Confusion in a person who is normally alert
■ Downed electrical wires
■ Sparks, smoke or fire ■ Unusual drowsiness
■ A person who suddenly collapses or is lying ■ Personality or mood changes (e.g., agitation in
motionless a person who is normally calm, irritability in a
person who is normally pleasant)
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■ Signs or symptoms of illness or injury, such as
profuse sweating for no apparent reason or an
uncharacteristic skin color

Many different fears and concerns can cause a person to hesitate to respond in an emergency.
Understanding these fears and concerns can help you to overcome them:

■ Being uncertain that an emergency actually ■ Being afraid of giving the wrong care or
exists. Sometimes people hesitate to take action inadvertently causing the person more
because they are not sure that the situation is harm. Getting trained in first aid can give you
a real emergency and do not want to waste the the confidence, knowledge and skills you need
time of the EMS personnel. If you are not sure to respond appropriately to an emergency. If
what to do, err on the side of caution and call you are not sure what to do, call 9-1-1 or the
9-1-1 or the designated emergency number. designated emergency number and follow the
EMS dispatcher’s instructions. The worst thing to
do is nothing.

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