How should a Lifeguard Supervisor respond to a multi-victim water incident?

• A. Wait for EMS to arrive before initiating any actions
• B. Activate EAP, assign roles, prioritize victims, coordinate with backups and EMS, communicate clearly, and document actions
• C. Handle one victim at a time without assigning roles
• D. Ignore other victims until a supervisor arrives

Answer: (B)

In a multi-victim water incident, quick, coordinated action is essential. Start by activating the Emergency Action Plan to mobilize the full response and the necessary resources. Assign clear roles immediately so there’s an incident command structure—someone leading the overall response, a secondary rescue team, a patient-care lead, shore support, and a safety officer watching for risks to rescuers and bystanders.

Prioritize victims by urgency and likelihood of rapid improvement, ensuring those in immediate danger receive attention first while still arranging additional rescues as needed. Coordinate with backups and EMS to keep operations synchronized, share the workload, and ensure smooth handoffs when medical care is handed over. Clear, concise communication is crucial; establish a single point of contact for updates and use standard language to convey victim status, locations, and needs. Document actions, times, decisions, and patient status to support medical handovers and after-action review.

Delays, handling one victim without roles, or waiting for someone else to lead can allow the situation to deteriorate and endanger more people.