During an incident, what is the primary purpose of triage?

• A. Determine vehicle speed
• B. Adjust radio frequencies
• C. Schedule crew shifts
• D. Prioritize patients to maximize survivability

Answer: (D)

During an incident, triage is about quickly sorting patients to decide who needs immediate care and who can wait, with the goal of saving as many lives as possible given limited resources. This means focusing on the severity of injuries and the likelihood of benefit from treatment right now, so the most urgent patients receive attention first. It’s about maximizing survivability, not about how fast a vehicle is moving, changing radio frequencies, or assigning crew shifts. Triage uses fast, at-scene assessments to categorize patients and allocate life-saving interventions where they can do the most good, and it can adapt as conditions and resources change.