Mastering Patient Assignment in Air Transport

Coordination and Resource Management

• The Staging Group is responsible for coordinating resources through staging and grouping.
• The Triage Group organizes the initial triaging of victims.
• The Treatment Group directs personnel to commence treatment on victims or establish a Treatment Area.
• The Transport Group coordinates the transport of all victims from the treatment area(s).
• A Visible Presence Group maintains a presence with a green flashing light.
• The Landing Zone (LZ) Group communicates the number of patients to be transported by air.

Response Levels and Team Requests

• For a MCI Level 3 response, the Incident Commander should consider requesting multiple units including medical and support staff.
• MCI Level 4 responses should assign two MCI Task Forces.
• For MCI Level 4, Suppression Strike Teams are often made up of specialized firefighting units.
• Five area hospitals should be notified during a MCI Level 4 response.

Pediatric Triage and Victim Tagging

• A specialized pediatric triage method is employed for large numbers of pediatric victims.
• Victims tagged in black are designated as deceased or expected to be deceased.

MCI Definitions and Procedures

• A Level 3 MCI is defined as a situation where the number of patients exceeds resources available, requiring outside assistance.
• The MCI procedure aims to outline a clear response to effectively manage mass casualty incidents.
• The first step performed by the first arriving unit in the MCI procedure is to assess the scene and begin triage.

Triage Priorities and Area Assignments

• If the priority is to triage first, personnel should initially focus on identifying and categorizing victims.
• Additional units arriving in the MCI procedure are assigned to specific areas to assist with operations, typically based on the needs of the incident.
• The decision to establish additional GROUPS is determined by the volume of victims and resource requirements.

Victim Assessment and Actions

• For pediatric patients who are not breathing but have a pulse, immediate rescue breathing is recommended.
• If capillary refill time exceeds 2 seconds in adults, this indicates potential poor circulation and a need for urgent intervention.
• An adult victim who is following commands and a pediatric victim who is alert should be tagged and treated accordingly.
• If a victim tagged as BLACK=DECEASED shows signs of life, they should be reassessed and potentially retagged.
• During triage, non-ambulatory victims should be prioritized based on their medical need and viability.

Transport and Hospital Notifications

• Patients requiring air transport should be directed to distant hospitals based on capabilities and distance.
• The transporting unit reports patient condition and required support to MEDICAL CONTROL.
• After receiving transport information, the Transport Officer notifies the appropriate hospital and updates the 'Hospital Capability Sheet'.
• Fire rescue units involved in transportation contact the receiving facility before arrival to provide updates on the patients.
• For a Level 3 MCI, two hospitals should be notified to prepare for incoming patients.
• The Standard Tally indicates the expected number of patients hospitals may anticipate during a MCI, ensuring readiness.