At crash scenes, any undeployed airbag is commonly referred to as a "loaded" bag. We know from real-world experiences of fellow rescuers that loaded airbags can be deployed unintentionally by the actions that we take as a vehicle is pried and cut open. If a loaded side airbag were to deploy during an extrication, for example, the inflated bag could strike and injure a responder or suddenly inflate against a patient at a critical moment. As emergency responders, the quick visual scanning of a vehicle to determine that front and side-impact airbags are present within the crashed vehicle is critical. Responders not only must visually locate the airbags, they must determine if the bag is deployed or loaded.

Airbag Locations
Before we explain a recommended procedure to use to identify where airbags are, let's review possible airbag locations. Airbags can be found at the driver's steering column, below the column at the driver's knees, in the dash on the passenger's side, in the driver and passenger-side front doors, within the outer edges of the driver and passenger's front seats, in the driver and front passenger roofline/A- and C-pillar area and, for rear-seat occupants, along the outboard edges of the rear passenger seats or rear doors on both sides of the vehicle. Just think Ð if it were possible for one vehicle to have an airbag in every possible location, we'd encounter 15 different bags! If they all deployed at once, the occupants would feel like they're in a bag of marshmallows during the crash.

Airbag ID Locations
Through the 1999 model year, it has held true that every airbag in a vehicle is indicated by the appropriate airbag ID. Remember, our goal is to quickly look for these airbag IDs as we size-up the collision vehicles. Potential places to look within a vehicle where you may find an airbag ID includes:
• Steering wheel horn button area (driver's front airbag systems).
• Front dash near the glove compartment (passenger front airbag systems).
• Dash below the driver's knees (Kia's knee airbag).
• In armrest area of front or rear door panels (door-mounted side-impact airbags).
• Outer edges of front or rear seats (seat-mounted side impact airbags).
• Top of A-pillar (BMW's Head Protection System side-impact airbags).
• B-pillar (good location for factory-installed adhesive airbag advisory labels).
• C-pillar (Audi's side-impact airbag system in rear seats).
• VIN plate along the driver's side of the dash at windshield (frontal and side- impact airbag systems).

Airbag Scanning
This new process of scanning for airbag IDs allows the rescuer to follow a systematic method of looking for and locating airbag IDs as well as the individual airbags themselves. Similar to an EMS responder learning to conduct a primary and secondary survey of a patient, airbag scanning allows the responding firefighter, EMS provider or extrication technician the ability to survey the vehicle without fear of missing any critical IDs in the process.

As you quickly scan the vehicle to determine if airbags are present, remember the location and status of each airbag as it is pinpointed. Always complete a full scan regardless of the discovery of airbags at any one location. In a real-world crash response, airbag scanning begins after it is determined that it is safe to work around, touch and enter the crashed vehicle. For our training purposes, we will learn how to scan on a late-model vehicle that has not been involved in a crash scenario. This allows us to focus exclusively on the steps required to master this new skill.

These protocols are written for a four-door sedan situated on level ground. (The sales lot or showroom of a new car dealership is an excellent location for this training.) Once you become comfortable with airbag scanning, the procedure can be applied to vehicles other than sedans and can be used successfully at real-world responses as well.

Procedural Guide for Airbag Scanning:
Front & Roofline

• 1. Approach the selected training vehicle from the driver's side:
– a. Open driver's front door.
– b. Inspect edge of driver's door near Nader latch mechanism (look for factory-applied adhesive airbag system decals). Figure #1 in Diagram
– c. Inspect inside of door trim panels along armrest for "SRS" letters imprinted in material (indicates presence of door-mounted side-impact airbags). Figure #2
– d. Visually scan outside edge of seatback, starting at top headrest area and scanning to bottom hinge area (search for seat-mounted side-impact airbags). Figure #3
– e. Scan lower edge of seat cushion and seat trim material beginning at hinge and progressing to front edge of seat. Figure #4
– f. Scan along rocker channel (panel) and seat-adjustment track from front of seat edge back toward base of B-pillar. Figure #5
– g. Scan B-pillar from bottom to roofline with special attention near latch/lock mechanism (common location for factory-applied adhesive airbag decals). Figure #6
– h. Scan across vehicle to inside trim at top of A-pillar on opposite side of vehicle (BMW's Head Protection System "HPS" button at top of A-pillar). Figure #7
– i. Scan from passenger's side to driver's side across dashboard and steering column (dual front driver and passenger airbags). Figure #8
– j. At driver's instrument panel, look below column for possible knee-airbag system (Kia knee-airbag system). Figure #9
– k. Scan along driver's side of dash along base of windshield area until VIN plate is located at base of left A-pillar. Figure #10
– l. Scan VIN plate for airbag ID (SRS ID near VIN plate or small windshield decal). Figure #11
– m. Scanning is now complete for all front and front/side-impact airbag systems.
– n. Note any deployed or loaded airbags discovered during scanning.

Procedural Guide For Airbag Scanning: Rear
NOTE: The only rear-seat side-impact airbag system currently available is provided in selected 1998 and 1999 model year Audi sedans. Audi rear-seat airbag ID labeling consists of a cloth tab sewn into seatback cushion and two-color adhesive labels applied to the C-pillar below the door-latch mechanism.

Complete rear airbag scanning procedures are introduced at this time in anticipation of future side impact airbag systems that may be installed in rear door, seat or roofline locations.

• 2. Move to rear door on the driver's side of the vehicle:
– a. Open rear door.
– b. Inspect edge of door near Nader latch mechanism (factory-applied adhesive side-impact airbag IDs).
– c. Inspect inside of door trim panels along armrest for SRS letters imprinted in material.
– d. Scan outside edge of seatback, starting at top and scanning to bottom hinge area (side-impact airbag IDs).
– e. Scan lower edge of seat cushion and seat trim material beginning at hinge and progressing to front edge.
– f. Scan along rocker channel (panel) from front of seat edge toward base of C-pillar.
– g. Scan C-pillar from bottom to roofline with special attention near rear door latch/lock mechanism.
– h. Scanning is complete for rear outboard passenger side-impact airbag systems.

Recommendations
Upon completion of airbag scanning, report your findings on the presence of airbags, their locations and their deployed or loaded status to your crew leader, operations officer, command and the EMS sector officer as described in your department's incident command guidelines. Practice this scanning sequence on a training vehicle until you can assure yourself that you are systematically looking at all possible airbag ID locations. Once comfortable and proficient in this process, full front and rear scanning should be completed within an elapsed time of 30 seconds.