🩹 Basic first aid in emergencies

Before acting

• •Call (or have someone call) 911 before starting to help.
• •Make sure the area is safe for you: do not become another victim.
• •Do not move a seriously injured person unless they are in immediate danger (fire, collapse).

Bleeding

• •Press directly on the wound with a clean cloth, without letting go, for at least 10 minutes.
• •If the cloth soaks through, do not remove it: add another on top and keep pressing.
• •Raise the injured limb above the heart if there is no fracture.
• •Only use a tourniquet if bleeding is massive and does not stop with pressure: note the time you applied it.

Unconscious person

• •Check for breathing: watch the chest for 10 seconds.
• •If they are breathing, place them on their side (recovery position) and watch them until help arrives.
• •If they are not breathing, start compressions in the center of the chest: hard and fast, about 100–120 per minute, without stopping until help arrives or the person responds.

⚠️ Never give liquids to an unconscious or semi-conscious person. They can choke.

Fractures and trauma

• •Do not try to straighten a deformed limb.
• •Immobilize the area with what you have (boards, rolled magazines, cloth) without squeezing too hard.
• •Apply local cold (never ice directly on skin) for pain and swelling.
• •If you suspect a neck or back injury, do not move the person and wait for rescuers.

People trapped in rubble

• •Do not move large debris on your own: it can collapse onto the victim or onto you.
• •Mark the spot, talk to the person to keep them conscious, and alert rescuers (911 or 166).
• •Rhythmic tapping on pipes or structures helps teams with listening equipment locate victims.