Jones and Bartlett Firefighter II Practice Test

When dealing with a technical rescue incident, the priority is to control hazards and stabilize the scene so rescuers and victims aren’t put at additional risk. Once that stability is in place, the next step is to gain access to the victim. Access means creating a safe route to the person so you can reach them, assess their condition, and determine the best way to begin the rescue without compromising the already stabilized conditions. Without access, you can’t evaluate injuries, plan the proper extrication, or apply any needed first aid.

After you’ve opened a path to the victim, you’ll move on to the actual rescue operations—extrication, packaging, and transport—as well as ongoing assessment and documentation as the operation unfolds. Evacuation and more formal documentation aren’t the immediate next action when you’re still trying to reach the patient; access comes first to enable everything that follows.