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pen and paper box with the words check, call, care. The three emergency action steps are often represented as the three Cs
Posted on by Mike Figuero PMD

Check, Call, Care: The 3 Basic Emergency Action Steps

TL;DR:

In an emergency, remember the three Cs: Check, Call, and Care. Assess the scene and person, call 911, and provide appropriate first aid, such as CPR. These steps, endorsed by the American Red Cross, can save lives. Get CPR certified to ensure you’re prepared when every second counts.

Check:

  • Ensure the scene is safe
  • Assess the person’s condition
  • Seek consent to assist

Call:

  • Dial 911 immediately
  • Share detailed observations with the operator

Care:

  • Provide first aid based on operator guidance and your training
  • Perform CPR: 30 compressions + 2 rescue breaths
  • Continue care until help arrives

CPR Instructions:

  • Use firm, flat surface
  • Push 2 inches deep, 100–120 compressions/minute
  • Tilt head, seal mouth, give 2 rescue breaths

Certification Encouraged:

  • Get CPR certified through accredited organizations like the American AED/CPR Association.

The importance of knowing how to react during an emergency situation cannot be understated. Of course, this is easier said than done. But if you remember the three Cs of emergency action steps—check, call, and care—you’ll already be better equipped to react during life-threatening conditions like a heart attack, thereby increasing the chances of survival for the person in danger.

What are the three Cs of emergency response? We’ll delve into each one, so you understand how to begin these crucial, basic first aid steps to save a life. This protocol was created by the American Red Cross.

The first C stands for Check. During an emergency, what should you check first?

  1. Checking the scene
    Before doing anything, it’s important to check the situation and your surroundings for safety. Are there any warning signs that could make the current scene worse or more dangerous? Is there anything that could put your safety or health at risk?

    If there are any potential hazards, figure out how to either eliminate or avoid them as best you can. Once you’ve sufficiently scanned and determined the scene to be safe, you may proceed.
  2. Check the person in danger, assess their condition, and determine if they are in need of assistance. Next, it’s time to make a first impression on the person in need of help. Are they injured, bleeding, conscious, alert, and/or breathing at a normal rate? All this information is important to gather to make sure the person receives the care they need.
  3. Seek consent after continuing to check on the person. Before providing any type of first aid, you must seek their consent. Tell them that you are going to help them. If they push you away or indicate that they do not want help, then do not force yourself on them. If they are or become unconscious, consent is implied.

    Check for breathing and take note of their heart rate. Is there blood flowing out? Apply direct pressure to control bleeding if necessary.
First Aid, Emergency Rescue Team Helping Patient in Emergency Situation. Critical Medical Assistance and Rescue Services in Action | Emergency Response Team

The second C stands for Call.

After quickly but thoroughly checking the scene and the person, call 911 or tell someone close by to call 911. Don’t wait a second longer. You must alert medical professionals, especially if the person in question is unresponsive, bleeding, injured, or having trouble breathing.

Put the 911 operator on speaker phone to clearly tell them all the details you’ve observed from the scene and the person in need of help. The operator is trained to provide life-saving advice, such as guiding you on how to perform CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, or make an emergency splint, and more.

What is the third and final emergency action step? The third C stands for Care.

Before the first responders arrive on the scene, you can provide immediate medical assistance based on the 911 operator’s instructions, the person’s condition, and your level of certified first aid training.

Remember, if the victim is an adult, it’s important to call 911 before starting CPR so a 911 operator can help you determine whether this is the right course of action and walk you through what you need to do.

How to Perform CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation can save someone’s life if they stop breathing or their heart stops beating. We’ll walk you through the main steps you should know here. Remember 30 chest compressions and rescue breathing.

  • The first three steps should always be the three Cs of emergency response: check, call, care.
  • Before starting CPR, kneel beside the person and make sure they’re on a flat, firm surface.
  • With your hand on top of their chest, push down hard and fast and let their chest rise to its normal position after each compression.
  • Perform 30 chest compressions, go at least 2 inches deep (or 5.08 cm), push at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute.
  • After 30 compressions, you need to perform rescue breaths by tilting the head of the person slightly to open their airway. Pinch the person’s nose, take a normal breath, and seal your mouth over the person’s mouth with yours.
  • Give two breaths, breathing into their mouth and nose with your mouth with enough air to make their chest rise.
  • Blow into the person’s mouth for about 1 second and listen and feel for breathing.
  • Repeat 30 compressions and 2 breaths, breathing until help arrives or until you notice obvious signs of life such as moving, coughing, breathing normally, crying, etc.

Once help arrives, they will use an AED (automated external defibrillation) device as soon as possible.

Get CPR Certified

It is so important to learn how to properly perform CPR and to receive and/or update your CPR certification.

Sign up for online classes through the American AED/CPR Association and get CPR certified today.