Required to evacuate a injured person from an emergency scene to a location of safety.- Manual carries are tiring for the rescuer and involve the risk of increasing the severity of the casualty's injury.
- Choose the evacuation techniques that will be least harmful, both to rescuer and the victim.
- Causalities carried carefully and correctly handled, otherwise their injuries may become more serious or possibly fatal.
- Situation permitting, evacuation of a casuality should be organized and un-hurried.
- Each movement should be performed as deliberately and gently as possible.
Victim Drag and Carry Techniques
Tied-Hands Crawl
The tied-hands crawl may be used to drag an unconscious casualty for a short distance.
- It is particularly useful when you must crawl underneath a low structure, but it is the least desirable because the casualty's head is not supported.
- Use a triangular bandage, a torn shirt, etc to tie the casualty's hands together and place them around your neck. This way you can move a person much heavier than yourself.
One Person Arm Carry
Single rescuer to lift a victim safely by arm carries. Rescuer holding the victim around the victim’s back and under the knees.
One Person Pack-Strap Carry
This method is better for longer distances to lift a victim safely.
- Place both the victim's arms over your shoulders.
- Cross the victim's arms, grasping the victim's opposite wrist.
- Pull the arms close to your chest.
- Squat slightly and drive your hips into the victim while bending slightly at the waist.
- Balance the load on your hips and support the victim with your legs.
Fire Man Carry
This technique is for carrying a victim longer distances. It is very difficult to get the person up to this position from the ground. Getting the victim into position requires a very strong rescuer or an assistant.
- The victim is carried over one shoulder.
- The rescuer's arm, on the side that the victim is being carried, is wrapped across the victim's legs and grasps the victim's opposite arm.
Two Person Carry(by arms & legs)
- Rescuer 1 squats at the victim’s head and grasps the victim from behind at the midsection.
- Rescuer 2 squats between the victim’s knees, grasping the outside of the knees. o Both rescuers rise to a standing position.
Chairs Carry
This is a good method for carrying victims up and down stairs or through narrow or uneven areas.
- Pick the victim up and place them or have them sit in a chair.
- The rescuer at the head grasps the chair from the sides of the back, palms in.
- The rescuer at the head then tilts the chair back onto its rear legs.
- For short distances or stairwells, the second rescuer should face in and grasp the chair legs.
- For longer distances, the second rescuer should separate the victim's legs, back into the chair and, on the command of the rescuer at the head, both rescuers stand using their legs.
Ankle Pull
The ankle pull is the fastest method for moving a victim a short distance over
a smooth surface. This is not a preferred method of patient movement.
- Grasp the victim by either ankles or pant cuffs.
- Pull with your legs, not your back.
- Keep your back as straight as possible.
- Try to keep the pull as straight and in-line as possible.
- Keep aware that the head is unsupported and may bounce over bumps and surface imperfections.
Shoulder Pull
The shoulder pull is preferred to the ankle pull. It supports the head of the v
ictim. The negative is that it requires the rescuer to bend over at the waist while pulling.
- Grasp the victim by the clothing under the shoulders.
- Keep your arms on both sides of the head.o Support the head.
- Try to keep the pull as straight and in-line as possible.
Blanket Drag
This is the preferred method for dragging a victim from confined area
- Place the victim on the blanket by using the "logroll" or the three-person lift.
- The victim is placed with the head approx. 2 ft. from one corner of the blanket.
- Wrap the blanket corners around the victim.
- Keep your back as straight as possible.
- Use your legs, not your back.
- Try to keep the pull as straight and in-line as possible
Two Handed Seat
This technique is for carrying a victim to the longer distances and can support an unconscious victim. - Pick up the victim by having both rescuers squat down on either side of the victim.
- Reach under the victim's shoulders and under their knees.
- Grasp the other rescuer's wrists.o From the squat, with good lifting technique, stand.
- Walk in the direction that the victim is facing.
Four Handed Seat
This technique is for carrying conscious and alert victims to moderate distanc
es. The victim must be able to stand unsupported and hold themselves upright during transport.
- Position the hands as indicted in the graphic.
- Lower the seat and allow the victim to sit.
- Lower the seat using your legs, not your back.
- When the victim is in place, stand using your legs, keeping your back straight.
Three Person Carry
This technique is for lifting a patient into a bed or stretcher, or for transporting to short distances
- Each person kneels on the knee nearest the victim's feet.
- On the command of the person at the head, the rescuers lift the victim up and rest the victim on their knees.
If the patient is being placed on a low stretcher or litter basket:
- On the command of the person at the head, the patient is placed down on the litter/stretcher.
If the victim is to be placed on a high gurney/bed or to be carried:
- At this point, the rescuers will rotate the victim so that the victim is facing the rescuers, resting against the rescuers' chests.
- On the command of the person at the head, all the rescuers will stand.
- To walk, all rescuers will start out on the same foot, walking in a line abreast.
Improvised Stretcher
This technique requires two poles/pipes strong enough to support the victim's weight and at least two shirts.
- While the first rescuer is grasping the litter poles, the second rescuer pulls the shirt off the head of rescuer one.
- All buttons should be buttoned up with the possible exception of the collar and cuffs.
- The rescuers then reverse the procedure and switch sides.
Blanket Stretcher
This technique requires two poles and a blanket.
- Place the blanket down on the ground.
- Place one pole approx. 1 foot from the middle of the blanket.
- Fold the short end of the blanket over the first pole.
- Place the second pole approx. 18 inches or 2 feet from the first (this distance may vary with victim or blanket size).
- Fold both halves of the blanket over the second pole.
