Awareness and First Aid
Accidents frequently happen in remote areas where professional medical help isn’t immediately available. ER24 experts share advice on what to do in different situations.
I’m the first on the scene of an accident
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What information must I give the ER24 operator?
Information saves lives. Our emergency resource officers (EROs) at our Contact Centre will ask you basic questions. Answer as best you can and try to give your exact location. The ER24 crew will be wasting precious time if they need to search for an unclear address or are given incorrect directions, says Sonja Tonkin, Clinical Care Coordinator for ER24.
Try to describe the emergency as clearly as possible. For example, is the person breathing? Are they conscious? Is the scene safe to approach? If you know, provide the patient’s age, medical history, and any medications they’re taking. If the patient can communicate, ask where it hurts – head, stomach, or elsewhere.
Also include details like how many vehicles are involved, how many people are in each vehicle, and their condition. If someone is trapped, rescue teams will know to bring the necessary equipment, such as the jaws of life. If there’s a fatality, the police will need to bring a pathologist.
How can I share my location if I don’t know where I am?
Try to remember the last exit number, off-ramp, or road sign you passed. On major South African national roads, blue route marker boards appear every 200 m. They show the route number (e.g., N3), the specific section (e.g., 10), and the direction (N/S), helping emergency services reach you quickly and accurately.
Another option is to open Google Maps and look for the blue dot, or long-press your location to get the exact latitude and longitude coordinates. You can also look for nearby bridges, specific trees, water towers, or wind turbines that can serve as landmarks.
I’m worried the crashed car will catch fire and explode
Despite what happens in the movies, the chances of a car exploding are very slim,” says Johein Visser, a BLS medic at ER24 Worcester. “Unless there are flames, the car will not immediately explode. If there’s a lot of petrol on the road, and it is safe to do so, cover it with sand to prevent a potential fire.”
I have no first-aid experience and don’t know what to do while waiting for paramedics
Comfort and calm injured people. “If someone is bleeding, apply firm pressure to the wound,” says Visser. “You can use a jersey or T-shirt and press directly on the wound. Also, place traffic cones or triangles up to 100 m away to warn other vehicles of the hazard.”
Visser advises keeping patients as still as possible. “Check for other injured individuals – someone not wearing a seatbelt may have been ejected further from the crash site.”
Should I offer victims water?
No. “If people are badly injured, they might go from the scene of the accident straight into an operating theatre,” says Wayne Hennies, ER24 Limpopo branch manager. No food or drinks are the best.
What to have in your car in case of an emergency
- Disposable latex gloves
- Light or torch
- Small fire extinguisher
- Reflector jacket/belt
- Traffic cone
- Hydrogel burn dressings (e.g. Burnshield).