The EMS responder who becomes a victim is no help to anyone. That axiom is the basis of this new column, which will focus on aspects of scene and provider safety, as well as patient safety issues. This month's installment discusses five key scene-safety tenets; for others, see www.emsresponder.com. Please send ideas for future columns to nancy.perry@cygnusb2b.com.

     As EMS providers, we must put our own safety at the forefront of our minds on each and every call. We need to use every tool available to us: the radio, to ask dispatch for more details en route; our eyes, to check for signs of danger when we get there; and our intuition, perhaps the most powerful and underused tool of all. Read on for some rules to help make sure you go home safe after every shift.

1. Be prepared
     Half of scene safety takes place before you go on shift. In fact, it started in your training, when your instructors drilled the concept home and made it second nature. You also need to be physically ready to run a call. Were you up late last night? Do you make exercise a part of your routine, so you can defend yourself if needed? Are you drinking enough water?

     You should also put some thought into what type of uniform you wear. If you can choose between a jumpsuit and a two-piece, they both have safety pitfalls that need to be weighed. The two-piece uniform makes us look more like police officers (especially when wearing a badge), but they're easier to move around in should you need to fight. A jumpsuit is more comfortable, and you look less like PD, but it's harder to wrestle with your patient, and where it goes, you go.

     What you carry on that uniform can be just as important. If you carry shears/scissors, do you tuck them in the back of your pants, where anyone can grab them as a weapon? Is your stethoscope around your neck, so it can be grabbed to choke you?

     Finally, always carry a flashlight and your handheld radio. Walking into a dark room leaves you vulnerable. So does leaving your radio in the rig. You should also always know your exact location, in case you need fast PD response.

2. Look, listen and feel is not just for breathing
     What do you see and hear? How are the cars parked in front of that residence? Are they askew, like someone got there in a hurry? Are there broken windows, as if from a fight? Is there yelling, or is it silent? Are the hairs on the back of your neck standing up? If so, there's probably a reason for it.