interesting scenario question

[ahurst2001]

you enter a burning structure where you find one of your fellow firefighters pinned underneath something. He is conscious and a other than being trapped he appears to be ok. there is also a 2 year old. the 2 year old is not trapped but is unconscious. you can only rescue one. who do you choose?

I said from my EMT training my priority is "you, crew, patient, bystandard" I said i would rescue my fellow firefighter.

I doubt ill encounter this question again but thought i would offer it up for debate...???

[SansMustache]

That sounds like a thinly disguised "What are your priorities" question. Given the choice, definitely go for your crew member. Once he/she's good to go, consider the kiddo if possible... or consider Critical Incident Stress Debriefing if there was nothing either of you could do. :(

[TNFF319]

you enter a burning structure where you find one of your fellow firefighters pinned underneath something. He is conscious and a other than being trapped he appears to be ok. there is also a 2 year old. the 2 year old is not trapped but is unconscious. you can only rescue one. who do you choose?

I said from my EMT training my priority is "you, crew, patient, bystandard" I said i would rescue my fellow firefighter.

I doubt ill encounter this question again but thought i would offer it up for debate...???

What is a bystandard? Jk Get your fellow firefighter. When kids crash, they crash hard. The kid is also subject to thermal insult.

[ffmedcbk1]

Any one think to grab your radio and call for someone to assist? Mayday?

Shelter and vent if possible. And work to free the ff and child for easy extrication to a safe enviorment.

Even if only 4 guys o/s there likely is someone to come in and help.

This then is not a this or that question but the solution is both the ff and kid.

[ahurst2001]

this was my thought after i had left the interview. (hind sight is alwas 20/20... i would be amazing if i could rewind time and do each interview for a 2nd time.. ha).but at the time the given options were one or the other. Now i would say I would use my hand held to call a mayday and have help sent in... then if i still had no option i would save my fellow FF.

Any one think to grab your radio and call for someone to assist? Mayday?

Shelter and vent if possible. And work to free the ff and child for easy extrication to a safe enviorment.

Even if only 4 guys o/s there likely is someone to come in and help.

This then is not a this or that question but the solution is both the ff and kid.

[SansMustache]

The way I read it, it seemed like time was a critical factor. If it was, they probably would've heard and accepted the radio answer and then said "but what if you didn't have time for that" or something. If I can see my crew member pinned but only have time to get to him or the child, explaining the situation on the radio might consume precious seconds. If your partner is uninjured and merely pinned, it's possible that you an free up that resource during those few seconds and be on the kid in another few.

I haven't been in this situation or anything close to it yet so take that with a grain of salt, but I have been asked something similar by the dept I'm starting with soon and they kept me within the strict confines of the question, which in this case is, "Who do you choose?"