Upon arriving at the scene of a motor vehicle crash, after parking the ambulance at a safe distance, what is the first action you should take?

• A. Put on high-visibility safety vests.
• B. Assist with vehicle stabilization.
• C. Report to the incident commander.
• D. Quickly begin the triage process.

Answer: (A)

The first thing to focus on is scene safety and your own visibility. When you arrive at a motor vehicle crash, you must quickly establish a safe working environment by making sure other responders and drivers can see you. Putting on high-visibility safety vests immediately accomplishes this, signaling that there are responders on scene and reducing the risk of being struck by passing vehicles. Once you’re visible and steered clear of traffic hazards, you can move on to other critical actions like stabilizing the vehicle, reporting to the incident commander, and starting triage as protocols dictate. These later steps depend on first ensuring you are safe and easy to see at the scene.