When encountering any casualty on the street, you should follow DRSABCDE order:

​Danger​

Response

Shout for help

Airway

Breathing

Circulation

Disability

Exposure​

If casualty does not have pulse and breathing, proceed with:

• CPR

• Defibrillator​​​​​​​​​​

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DRSABCDE

Danger: Ensure personal safety

Before giving first aid, always check your surroundings for danger.

1. Identify Hazards

​Look for risks such as:

• Oncoming traffic, fire, unstable structures

• Sharp objects, toxic fumes, weapons

• These may have caused the injury or can cause further harm.​

2. Take Action (If Safe)

• Move the casualty away from the hazard if they can move safely

• Remove the hazard only if it’s safe for you

• Ensure the casualty is in a quiet, safe spot away from danger and crowds​

3. If the Scene is Unsafe

Examples: Presence of fire, drowning, pinned under a heavy object

• Do not enter

• Call emergency services (Police or SCDF) immediately

• Monitor from a distance and udpate information and observations to responders​

4. Protect Yourself

Use gloves and a mask if available, especially around blood or bodily fluids​

5. Consider the Mechanism of Injury

Based on what happened, anticipate possible injuries (e.g. spinal injury from a fall)

 

Reminder: Your safety comes first—never help unless it’s safe to do so.

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Response: 

Check for casualty’s responsiveness, using AVPU:

Alert: The casualty is alert and conscious: The casualty looks at you

spontaneously when approached.

Verbal: The casualty responds to verbal stimulation: The casualty replies

you when you ask “Sir, what happened to you?”, “Sir, are you okay?”

Pain: Perform a trapezius to check if the casualty responds to painful

stimulus.

Unresponsive: Squeeze. The casualty will most likely grunt shrug their

shoulders.​ The casualty is completely unresponsive is when the casualty does not respond to any of the above.

 

Shout for Help:

If there are passersby present, have them call the emergency response line. If not, spend some time calling the ambulance. 

• If you are from Singapore, call 995.

• If you are from Vietnam, call 115.

• Or call the emergency line in your nation. Find the emergency lines for ASEAN countries here.

When calling,

• Provide details on location, phone number, number of casualties, chief complaint (what happened)

• The emergency response team will ask for more details if needed

• AED – Have a nearby AED brought to the casualty (assign a bystander)​

​

*When in doubt, call the ambulance 995 (applicable in Singapore) as soon as possible. This is to ensure that professional help arrives timely and minutes can be the differentiating factor between life and death.​​​

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Airway:

• If casualty is conscious, check if casualty is able to speak without any hoarseness of voice or stridor (high pitched sound).

• If casualty is unconscious, open the airway (head tilt chin lift/jaw thrust for casualty with suspected spinal injury).

​

Breathing:

• If casualty is conscious, check if casualty is speaking in full sentences and if there is any wheezing present.

• If the casualty is unconscious, perform a head tilt chin lift (if no spinal injury) and look for any chest rise movements for no more than 10 seconds.​

​

​Circulation: 

Check casualty’s pulse (rate, strength, rhythm)

• Strong and bounding pulse → normal

• Weak and rapid pulse → shock

There is no need to measure exact pulse rate for now.​​

​

1. CPR:

• Place the heel of one hand in the center of the chest (on the lower half of the sternum).

• Place your other hand on top, interlock your fingers, and keep arms straight.

• Push down hard and fast. Yet ensure chest rise fully after each push down of CPR.

• Depth: 4-6 cm (about 2 inches).

• Rate: 100-120 compressions per minute.

• Allow the chest to fully recoil after each compression.

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​Things to take note for CPR: 

• 30 chest compressions followed by 1 time checking for breathing.

• Continue CPR until help arrives or the patient starts breathing again.

• If you are physically unable to continue, think of the casualty's life and DO NOT give up.

     

2. Defibrillator: Have a nearby AED brought to the casualty,

• If there is another person around, ask him/her to get the AED.

• If you are alone, only get the AED if it is visible or nearby. NEVER leave the casualty alone.

Follow the instructions of the AED carefully.

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Disability: (oriented/confused)

• Ask the casualty “What is your name?” “What time is it?” “Where are you right now?”

• Casualty is able/unable to respond to time, place, and person.

 

Exposure:

• Is there any reason from the mechanism of injury that leads you to suspect there’s limb or life threatening injury?

• Ask the casualty: “Do you still feel any pain anywhere?”

• Ask for consent from casualty to lift up shirt, roll of sleeves and check if there is any injury visible.

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