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Free NREMT practice questionsFree EMT practice questions · Scene Size-up and Safety

10 free EMT practice questions: Requesting Additional Resources

These are real questions from the same bank the app draws from. Each one is written to the NREMT EMT content specifications and kept inside the EMT scope of practice. Pick an answer and you get the full rationale, including why the other three options are wrong.

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Question 1 of 10

An EMT responds to a third-floor apartment with no elevator for a 61-year-old patient who fell and cannot get up. The patient is alert, reports hip pain, and weighs about 400 pounds (180 kilograms). The stairway is narrow and turns sharply at each landing. Only the two-person crew is on scene. What should the EMT do?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Request additional personnel to assist with the move

Call for more people before you move this patient. This patient weighs about 400 pounds (180 kilograms). The stairway is narrow and turns sharply at each landing. A two-person crew cannot safely control that much weight on stairs like these. If you try, you risk dropping the patient and injuring yourselves. Make the request before the move starts. Once you start carrying the patient down, there is no safe way to stop partway.

Why the others are wrong

Ask family members to help carry the patient down: Family members are extra hands, but they are not trained to lift and carry patients. Carrying a 400-pound patient down a narrow, sharply turning stairway is a hard move even for a trained crew. Untrained family members can get hurt and can drop the patient.

Have the patient walk down the stairs with assistance: Walking with help can work for a patient who is not injured. This patient fell and has hip pain. Walking down the stairs can make a possible hip injury worse.

Move the patient down the stairway on a stair chair: A stair chair is the right device for many stairway moves. Two providers still cannot safely control a 400-pound patient on this narrow, turning stairway, even in a stair chair.

Question 2 of 10

A rural EMS service operates two ambulances, and both are on scene at a community hall where a roof section collapsed. Initial triage identifies two immediate, three delayed, and three minor patients. The nearest hospital is 25 minutes away. What should the EMT request?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Mutual aid from neighboring EMS agencies

Request mutual aid from neighboring EMS agencies. A multiple-patient incident is about the patients compared with the resources you have, not just a headcount. The same eight patients would be routine for a large city system and too many for a two-ambulance service. Both of this agency's ambulances are already on scene. The hospital is 25 minutes away, so each round trip takes about 50 minutes. Two immediate patients cannot wait for an ambulance to come back. More ambulances have to come from outside the agency. Mutual aid agreements are set up for exactly this situation. Make the request now, before the local system is already overwhelmed.

Why the others are wrong

Additional units from the same EMS service: More units from your own service would help if the service had any left. Both of the service's ambulances are already committed on this scene. There is nothing more to call from inside the agency.

A supervisor to respond to the scene: A supervisor does not bring an ambulance. This scene needs more transport, with two immediate patients and both local units already tied up.

Law enforcement to assist with moving patients: Law enforcement can help lift and move patients. The shortage here is ambulances, not hands to move people.

Question 3 of 10

Dispatch sends three ambulances to a reported collision involving a passenger van on a city street. The EMT arrives first, finds one patient with a small forearm laceration, and confirms with the drivers and witnesses that no one else was in either vehicle. What should the EMT do?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Cancel the additional ambulances through dispatch

Cancel the additional ambulances through dispatch. Your scene size-up found one patient with a small forearm laceration. The drivers and witnesses confirmed no one else was in either vehicle. One patient with a minor injury does not need three ambulances. The extra units are still driving to you, and every unit still responding carries a risk of a crash. An ambulance held at this scene is also an ambulance that cannot take the next call. You did the size-up, so you have the information. Call dispatch and release the extra units now. If something changes, you can request them again.

Why the others are wrong

Stage the additional ambulances nearby: Staging nearby fits a scene where you may still need more help. This size-up found one minor injury. Staged ambulances are still tied up and cannot take other calls.

Have the additional ambulances search the area: Searching the area fits a call where a patient may be missing. The drivers and witnesses already confirmed no one else was in either vehicle. Nothing here points to a missing patient.

Assign the additional ambulances to traffic control: These ambulances were sent for patient care. Using them for traffic control keeps them out of service on a job they were not sent for. Release them so they can take the next call.

Question 4 of 10

An EMT crew from a basic life support service is transporting a 38-year-old patient whose generalized seizure has continued without stopping for 9 minutes. The airway is being managed with suction and positioning, and oxygen is being given. The hospital is 30 minutes away. Which additional resource should the EMT request?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · An advanced life support intercept

This patient is in status epilepticus. The seizure has gone 9 minutes without stopping, and status epilepticus is any seizure that runs past 5 minutes. The brain cells keep firing nonstop and use up more oxygen and glucose than the brain is getting. The longer the seizure runs, the higher the risk of permanent brain injury. A benzodiazepine like midazolam, diazepam, or lorazepam is what stops the seizure. None of those drugs are in the EMT scope. Keep managing the airway with suction, positioning, and oxygen, and request an ALS intercept. ALS can meet your ambulance on the way and give the drug without slowing your transport to a hospital that is 30 minutes away.

Why the others are wrong

A second basic life support ambulance: A second BLS ambulance helps when you need more hands to suction or move the patient. The second BLS crew does not carry a benzodiazepine either. More hands will not stop a seizure that has run 9 minutes straight.

Law enforcement for an emergency escort: A law enforcement escort gets you through traffic or crowds faster. Getting to the hospital faster does not stop this seizure. After 9 minutes, this patient needs a benzodiazepine now, and an escort cannot give one.

Air medical transport to the hospital: Air medical is the right call when the ground transport is long or the terrain blocks a ground unit. This hospital is only 30 minutes away by ground. A helicopter takes longer to launch and land than an ALS unit takes to meet your ambulance on the way.

Question 5 of 10

The EMT responds to a call for an injured patient at a residence. The patient's husband is present, appears angry, and is demanding that the EMT not touch the patient. The scene is quiet, no weapons are visible, but the patient has bruising on the arms and neck. What is the EMT's best initial action?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Request police to stage at the scene before approaching the patient

This scene points to domestic violence, and the scene is not safe yet. The husband is angry and demanding that you not touch the patient. There is bruising on the patient's arms and neck. Those bruises fit an assault, and the husband is controlling who gets to the patient. A scene is not safe just because you see no weapons. An angry bystander can turn violent without warning. Scene safety comes before patient care. Request police, stage, and wait for police to secure the scene before you or your partner approach the patient.

Why the others are wrong

Enter the scene, perform your assessment, and notify police afterward if abuse is suspected: Assessing and treating first, then reporting suspected abuse, is the right order once the scene is secure. This husband is hostile and demanding no contact, so the scene is not secure yet. Walking in skips the safety step that has to come first.

Leave the scene immediately and call for fire department backup: Fire department backup is the right call for extrication, hazmat, or extra hands. Fire department backup does not secure a scene with a hostile person. The resource you need is police. Leaving without requesting police abandons the patient and does not fix the safety problem.

Approach the patient directly while documenting the husband's behavior for the police report: Documenting the husband's behavior gives police useful information. Walking up to the patient while he is angry and telling you not to touch her puts you within his reach. The scene has to be under control before you make contact.

Question 6 of 10

The EMT is dispatched to a motor-vehicle collision with multiple patients on a busy highway. The EMT's initial scene size-up reveals four patients with varying degrees of injury, and traffic is still moving past the scene at highway speeds. What should the EMT do?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Request additional ambulances, establish scene safety with hazard control, then begin triage

Traffic is still moving past four patients at highway speeds. An open lane means the scene can still hurt people. You, your partner, and the patients can be struck while you work. If you start care before the hazard is controlled, a rescuer or a walking patient can become a new trauma patient. One crew also cannot manage four patients' airways and bleeding at the same time. Call for enough ambulances to match four patients. Get hazard control between the traffic and the scene, like cones, blocking apparatus, and law enforcement. Then triage to sort out who needs your hands first.

Why the others are wrong

Begin treatment of the most critically injured patient while waiting for additional units: Going straight to treatment fits a call with one patient. This call has four patients and a live traffic lane. If you lock onto the sickest patient, the other three go unassessed. The traffic hazard is still not addressed either.

Wait for fire department to arrive before treating any patients: Fire is needed for extrication or hazmat. Requesting ambulances, controlling traffic, and starting triage do not require fire on scene first. Waiting on one resource stops all the other work.

Transport the first patient immediately to reduce the number of patients at the scene: Transporting the first patient lowers the number of patients on scene. Nobody has triaged yet, so the patient you drive off with may not be the worst one. The other three patients are left behind with no one sorting them.

Question 7 of 10

The EMT responds to a motor-vehicle collision on a steep hillside where one vehicle has left the road and is perched on the edge of a 40-foot ravine, partially off the embankment. The patient appears conscious and alert but is unable to safely exit the vehicle. What is the EMT's best course of action?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Request technical rescue/rope rescue team, establish scene safety, and stage at a safe location uphill

The vehicle is perched on the edge of a 40-foot ravine, partially off the embankment. A vehicle sitting like that is unstable. Any added weight shifts the load, like a rescuer stepping on the frame or a rope pulling from the road. One shift can send the vehicle over with the patient still inside. The patient is conscious and alert, so you have time to do this the right way. Request a technical rescue or rope rescue team, make the scene safe, and stage uphill in a safe spot until they arrive.

Why the others are wrong

Rappel down to the vehicle using climbing gear from the ambulance to reach the patient: Rappelling is a skill for a trained rope rescue technician with rated rope, anchors, and a belay. The ambulance carries none of that gear. Climbing onto the slope above the vehicle adds weight that can tip it over the 40-foot ravine.

Use the ambulance winch to pull the vehicle back onto the road while the patient remains inside: Tow operators and rescue rigs use a winch with a rated line to pull a vehicle back onto stable ground. An ambulance has no winch. Pulling on a vehicle that is already partway off the embankment can pull it over the edge with the patient belted inside.

Coach the patient to carefully exit the vehicle and climb back up the hillside while you stabilize with hand holds: Coaching a patient out works when the patient can move on their own and the ground is stable. The question says this patient cannot safely exit. The only way out is up a steep hillside above a 40-foot ravine. The patient climbing, or you bracing with only your hands, can both go over the edge.

Question 8 of 10

The EMT is called to a residence where a strong smell of natural gas is found inside the home and a patient is complaining of headache and nausea. No one reports a gas leak, but the odor is unmistakable. What should the EMT do?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Do not enter the home; evacuate all occupants, stage outside, and request the gas utility company and fire department

This home is not safe to enter. The smell of natural gas is strong and unmistakable, and the patient has a headache and nausea. Natural gas burns. A home full of gas can ignite from any spark, even a light switch or your radio. Headache and nausea inside a home are also the classic signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Either way, the danger is in the air of this home. A scene you cannot quickly make safe is a scene you do not enter. Stay outside, and have every occupant come out to a safe staging area. Request the gas utility company and the fire department right away. Let them make the home safe before anyone goes back in.

Why the others are wrong

Enter the home quickly, perform a rapid assessment, and move the patient outside for immediate transport: Getting a sick patient out fast sounds like the right move. A home full of gas is a scene that cannot quickly be made safe. A patient inside who needs you is not a reason to enter it. Going in puts you and the patient at risk. Scene safety comes before patient contact.

Advise the occupants to open the windows for ventilation and stay on scene to monitor for worsening symptoms: Opening windows does let some gas out of the home. The occupants stay inside the gas while it clears, and you stay on scene in it too. The smell is strong and the patient already has symptoms. Everyone needs to get out now.

Enter the home to locate the source of the leak and shut off the supply valve to stop the flow of gas: Shutting off the supply valve does stop the gas once someone finds the valve. Finding and closing the valve is a job for the gas utility company or the fire department, not the EMT. Walking through the home looking for the valve can make a spark that sets off the gas.

Question 9 of 10

An EMT responds to a call at a residential address and finds a 32-year-old patient sitting in the front yard with a laceration to the forehead. The patient states, 'I fell,' but the injury pattern suggests blunt force trauma. Shouting and the sound of breaking glass are coming from inside the house. What is the EMT's immediate priority?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Stage at a safe distance, notify dispatch of the scene hazard, and request police to secure the scene before providing care

This scene is not safe. You can hear shouting and glass breaking inside the house. The threat is still going on, and you do not know who is involved or how many people are inside. The laceration is not what decides this call. Walking up to the patient means walking into danger you cannot control. Your safety comes before patient contact when the scene is not secure. Stage at a safe distance, tell dispatch about the hazard, and request police. Once police secure the house, you can provide care.

Why the others are wrong

Enter the house to assess the full scene and determine if other patients require assistance: Going in to check for more patients makes sense when you suspect more victims inside. The shouting and breaking glass tell you the scene is still active and not secure. EMTs are not trained or equipped to step into ongoing violence.

Quickly assess and transport the patient to the hospital before the situation inside escalates further: Fast assessment and transport would get the patient away before things get worse. You still have to walk up to the patient in the yard and treat the patient there while the danger inside is still going on. Both you and the patient are at risk before anyone has made the scene safe.

Provide full assessment and treatment from inside the ambulance while monitoring the house until police arrive: Treating from the ambulance keeps you off the property. The patient is still in the yard, within reach of whoever is inside. You would still be walking up and treating before police secure the scene. Staging means staying away until police have secured the scene.

Question 10 of 10

The EMT responds to a report of a possible drowning at a public beach. Upon arrival, the EMT finds bystanders pointing to an area approximately 150 feet offshore where a swimmer went underwater 20 minutes ago and has not resurfaced. The water is rough with a strong current, and the bottom is not visible from shore. Coast Guard rescue boat is approximately 30 minutes away. What is the EMT's immediate action?

Show the answer and rationale

Correct answer · Request Coast Guard water rescue while establishing scene safety and preparing rescue equipment

Request Coast Guard water rescue now, and get the scene and your equipment ready. The swimmer went under about 150 feet offshore 20 minutes ago and has not come back up. The water is rough with a strong current, and you cannot see the bottom. An EMT without water rescue training should not go into deep or rough water. If you go in, you can become a second victim, and the rescue of the swimmer gets harder. Keep the scene safe, set up your rescue breathing equipment, and be ready to start care as soon as rescuers bring the patient out.

Why the others are wrong

Wade or swim out into the water to search for and retrieve the patient: Swimming out to search is a job for rescuers trained in water rescue. This water is rough with a strong current, and you do not have that training. Going in puts you in danger and does not improve the patient's outcome.

Instruct bystanders to throw flotation devices into the water and hope the patient grabs one: Throwing flotation devices can help a swimmer who is still at the surface. This swimmer has been under the water for 20 minutes and cannot grab anything.

Wait for the Coast Guard since you are not trained for water rescue: Staying out of the water is right, because you are not trained for water rescue. Just waiting delays the response. Request the water rescue right away, and get the scene and your equipment ready while the Coast Guard is on the way.

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