Personal equipment

MINIMUM CLOTHING
• The most important considerations for pre-hospital care
clothing are:
• Personal safety.
• Function and durability.
• Comfort.
• Any ambulance or medical personnel attending the scene
should be equipped with appropriate personal protective
clothing.

Key point
• Individuals who are inappropriately dressed should be denied
access to the site.
• The responsibility for the safety of all Health Service
personnel at the scene is delegated to the Ambulance Safety
Officer.
Function and durability
• Visibility
• A high-visibility reflective jacket or tabard should be worn.
➢ Identification.
• The jacket or tabard should be clearly labelled on the front and back and read ‘Doctor’ or‘Nurse’ for
medical staff.
• Ambulance staff may use ‘Ambulance’ or ‘Paramedic’.

Key point
Standardisation of clothing is important to prevent confusion between
emergency service personnel, and to aid identification from a distance.
➢ Warmth and waterproofing.
➢ Helmet markings and colours.
➢ Protection against injury.
➢ Chemical resistance.
➢ Durability : reinforced at the knee and elbow.
➢ Fire-retardant properties.
➢ Comfort
ADDITIONAL ITEMS:
Mobile telephone, Notebook, Torch, Whistle,
 SUMMARY

• All Health Service staff must adhere to minimum clothing requirements.

• The Health Service commanders (or delegated representative) should refuse

entry to the scene of any personnel who are incorrectly dressed.

• Clothing colours should conform to national standards and conventions in

order to aid recognition and prevent confusion.

• Clothing should be functional, durable, and comfortable, but above all should
provide protection against the predictable hazards.

• The basic requirements may be enhanced by a number of additional items of

personal equipment.
 Medical equipment
Key point
Extra equipment must be provided by both the Ambulance Service and individual medical teams.
• There are five levels of medical intervention at the scene:
1. Triage.
2. Life-saving first aid.
3. Advanced life support.
4. Specialist medical support.
5. Packaging for transport.

Triage:
• Triage labels should be easily and securely attached to the patient, must be marked and colour coded for priority,
must be durable and weather resistant.
Key point
Triage labels are required on each emergency ambulance.

Life-saving first aid:

• The type of equipment used for first aid is similar to that used by the Ambulance Service on a day-to-day basis.
• The principal difference in a major incident is the quantity that will be required.
Key point
First aid requires simple equipment to support life -threatening conditions affecting the airway, breathing, or
circulation.
Advanced life support:

• Advanced life support will predominantly be provided at the Casualty Clearing Station.
• One complete set of equipment for the control of ABC per patient.
• Resupply is simple because the set of equipment can be returned to the equipment vehicle for replenishment once the
casualty leaves the scene.
Specialist medical support

• Medical teams will usually carry their own equipment to the scene, but may make arrangements for it to be stored by the
Ambulance Service in equipment vehicles.
• All the capabilities listed in ‘first aid ’ and ‘advanced aid ’ can also be delivered at the specialist medical level.
Packaging for transport

• Patients must be packaged for transport prior to leaving the scene for hospital and additional equipment
may be required for this.

Rigid spinal immobilisation is required, and particularly where there is a delay in transfer to hospital for
clinical spinal injury, it may be preferable to immobilise the patient within a vacuum mattress rather than on
a long spinal board. This may reduce the likelihood of developing pressure sores.
EQUIPMENT CONTAINERS

• Containers should be easy to carry and keep equipment visible, accessible, and secure.
• Medical team equipment must be checked and serviced regularly.
• Standardisation of equipment allows interoperability between rescuers, and easy resupply.

EQUIPMENT RESUPPLY:
• Each Ambulance Service must plan to rapidly deploy additional equipment to the scene of a major incident;
most have one or more equipment vehicles ( ‘emergency/incident support units’).
In addition to resupply of disposable medical supplies the equipment vehicle is likely to carry:
• Portable shelter, with a heating system in appropriate climates.
• Portable lighting with generator.
• Signs (Casualty Clearing Station, Parking Point, Loading Point, etc.).
• Folding stretchers.
• Blankets.
• Oxygen resupply with multiple valve outlets.

EQUIPMENT OFFICER:
An Ambulance Equipment Officer should be nominated to ensure the appropriate use of stores.
 SUMMARY
• Extra equipment will be necessary to deal with major incidents.

• This equipment is required for triage, first aid, advanced life support, and packaging for
transport.

• The Ambulance Service will usually provide equipment vehicles at the scene and should also
nominate an Ambulance Equipment Officer to coordinate distribution and resupply.

• Medical teams should bring their own specialist equipment to the scene for advanced
procedures.

• Any equipment stored for use in the event of a major incident should be regularly checked,
serviced, and used in practice scenarios by the potential users.

• Equipment resupply may occur from the Ambulance Service, from hospitals, or from
predetermined national stocks.