First Responder Duties Flashcards
What are the two top priorities of first responders?
1) Maintain order
2) Identify & collect evidence
What must the first responder do upon EMS arrival?
Document EMS presence
Why is it important to make sure that EMS correctly cuts a victim’s clothing?
Clothing is evidence, so it needs to be well-handled and as intact as possible
In total, what are the 4 most important things you, as a first responder, should do when with EMS?
1) Collect clothing
2) Package evidence separately
3) Document what EMS does
4) Begin chain of custody
Maintaining order consists of two key actions. What are they?
1) Protecting life
2) Performing a protective sweep
What is the purpose of a protective sweep?
To ensure the absence of additional threats
What are some (3) additional threats to look for when performing a protective sweep?
Perps, animals, and physical hazards
Once life is protected and the scene is safe for other responders, what do you do next?
Protect the integrity of the evidence
Should you protect life or perform a protective sweep first?
Generally, protecting the lives of victims comes first, but the two actions can be interchangeable depending on various factors
Be wary of animals at the scene, for they can alter…
Evidence
What are the 3 types of physical hazards?
1) Biohazards
2) Sharps
3) Chemical hazards
When should you put on gloves?
Once the scene is secured
As a rule of thumb, you should not place your hands…
Where you can’t see
Aside from safety, why should witnesses be removed/isolated from the scene?
To make sure that they’re statements are bias-free
Outside of sensory cues, what 3 things should you document when taking notes?
1) Time(s)
2) Conditions
3) Your actions
What are the sensory cues to make note of?
Sights, sounds, smells, and touch
Give an example of a sight sensory cue.
Lighting condition
Give an example of a sound/auditory sensory cue.
TV volume
Give an example of a smell/olfactory cue.
Decay
Give an example of a touch/tactile cue.
Temperature
When deciding on the perimeter, why should you tape off a large area?
Because you won’t know how far the scene extends, and it is difficult to try & expand that set boundary
What are the two types of perimeter?
Inner and outer
What does the inner perimeter consist of?
All evidence identified in the case
What are 3 purposes of the outer perimeter?
1) Serve as area to stage investigation
2) Store equipment
3) Officer supervision of scene
When establishing a crime scene path for personnel to move through, why should this path be different than the suspect’s path?
To limit the efficacy of Locard’s exchange principle
What 4 things about the personnel entering the inner perimeter should you record in your log?
1) Name
2) Badge #
3) Rank
4) Purpose for personnel entering
List the 4 DOs of the crime scene.
1) Protect life first, physical evidence second
2) Establish perimeters
3) Document & protect fragile evidence
4) Log everyone entering the scene
List the 2 DON’Ts of the crime scene.
1) Don’t move anything unless necessary
2) Don’t hesitate to ask for help
