Question

A car has crashed into a utility pole. The pole has cracked in half and an electrical wire has fallen across the top of the car. Upon arrival, the EMT sees three apparently uninjured people in the car. The EMT's first action should be to_____.

1) Set up flares around the area
2) Direct the car's occupants not to touch any metal in the car and do not attempt to get out
3) Remove the downed electrical wire with wooden implements
4) Notify the utility company of the downed electrical wires and request that the electrical current to the area be turned off immediately

Answer 1

The EMT's first action should be to direct the car's occupants to not touch any metal and to remain inside the car for safety due to the Faraday cage effect.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Emergency Medical Technician's (EMT's) first action should be to direct the car's occupants not to touch any metal in the car and do not attempt to get out. Staying inside the car when an active electrical wire has fallen across it is safest due to the Faraday cage effect provided by the metal body of the car. This effect causes the electrical field to be distributed around the exterior of the car, leaving the interior without an electrical field and protecting the occupants as long as they remain completely inside and don't touch any metal.