Triage Codes
Obijohn...your description of the yellow code is incorrect.
The color codes are from the Statewide START Triage System (Simple Triage and Rapid Transport)
Black--Dead or Dying--Nothing can be done for them
Red--Immediate Transport--Can be saved if immediate transport/interventions take place
Yellow--Delayed (Most of your patients will fit into this category)--can wait an hour or two for transport--typically has stable vital signs/mental status, but is unable to ambulate on their own.
Green--Minor--As stated before, the walking wounded. Most likely will not die and do not necessarily require ambulance transport.
http://www.citmt.org/start/flowchart.htm Shows a good overview of the flow chart for an MCI.
Typically, if you can keep them from freaking out, the first thing you need to do on scene of a MCI is tell everyone who is injured but can walk to congregate in a safe place. Then, you begin your triage of the ones who can't walk. Checking RPM (Respirations, Pulse, Mental Status) will help determine their priority. Each patient should take less than 30 seconds to triage.
In Lancaster County, we have MCI Levels--
MCI Level I--4-6 Patients
MCI Level II--7-20 Patients
MCI Level III-->20 Patients.
I believe that this doesn't follow NIMS guidelines (for the hospitals), so they may be flip-flopped eventually.
We don't use terms like Code 99 or Code Blue. A Cardiac Arrest in Lancaster County is a "Full Code."
We're all over the board on what we call dead patients on the radio. Some say "Category Black," some say "DOA."
We use the Clawson Priority Dispatch System in Lincoln.
Alpha Response--Non-life threatening, low priority. All units respond non-emergency.
Bravo Response--Non-life threatening, but a little more serious. First Responders respond lights and siren, Medic Unit responds non-emergency
Charlie Response--Potentially life threatening. All units respond emergency.
Delta Response--Life threatening. All units respond emergency.
Echo Response--Circling the drain. All units respond emergency.
Omega Response--Interfacility Transfer, non-emergency.
Omega-Delta Response--Interfacility Transfer, emergency.
Typically, first responders will remain on the original call, regardless of priority code (unless they're going on an Alpha, and an Echo kicks in).
Unless it is a Delta or Echo response, ambulances respond to the call, but if a higher priority call comes in while enroute, they will divert to the higher priority call. This prevents units from responding on an Alpha Ankle Injury and missing a Delta Respiratory Distress to which they are closer. You will often hear units shuffling themselves on the radio to take a higher priority call. Dispatch, at this time, doesn't do the shuffling/diverting. I think that will eventually be the case when we get AVL's...but right now they are told to "read what's on the screen." The providers in the field do what they can, but it's imperfect.
