CERT Triage & Mass Casualty Incidents 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'START' stand for in the START triage system used by CERT?
- Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment (Correct answer)
- Standard Triage And Response Team
- Systematic Triage And Resource Tracking
- Sequential Triage And Rescue Techniques
Correct answer: Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment
START stands for Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment, a rapid sorting method designed to quickly categorize victims in mass casualty incidents.
Question 2: In CERT triage, which color tag is assigned to victims with immediate, life-threatening injuries who have a good chance of survival with prompt care?
- Red (Correct answer)
- Yellow
- Green
- Black
Correct answer: Red
Red tags designate 'immediate' priority victims — those with life-threatening conditions who are likely to survive if they receive treatment quickly.
Question 3: What color tag in CERT triage is used for victims who are deceased or whose injuries are so severe that survival is unlikely even with treatment?
- Black (Correct answer)
- Red
- Yellow
- Green
Correct answer: Black
Black tags designate 'expectant' victims — those who are deceased or have injuries so catastrophic that survival is not expected given available resources.
Question 4: In START triage, a respiratory rate greater than how many breaths per minute places a victim in the immediate (red) category?
- 30 breaths per minute (Correct answer)
- 20 breaths per minute
- 25 breaths per minute
- 15 breaths per minute
Correct answer: 30 breaths per minute
A respiratory rate exceeding 30 breaths per minute indicates severe respiratory distress, which places the victim in the immediate (red) category under START triage.
Question 5: What does a GREEN tag indicate in CERT triage?
- Minor injuries; the victim can safely delay treatment (Correct answer)
- Serious but not immediately life-threatening injuries
- Immediate life-threatening injuries requiring prompt care
- The victim is deceased or unlikely to survive
Correct answer: Minor injuries; the victim can safely delay treatment
Green tags identify 'minor' victims — those with minor injuries who are ambulatory and whose treatment can be safely delayed without risking their survival.
Question 6: In START triage, if repositioning the airway does not result in breathing, what tag should be assigned to the victim?
- Black (Correct answer)
- Red
- Yellow
- Green
Correct answer: Black
If a victim does not breathe after the airway is repositioned, they are tagged black (expectant/deceased) because further intervention is not feasible during mass casualty triage.
Question 7: What is the FIRST action a CERT member should take upon arriving at a mass casualty scene to begin START triage?
- Direct all walking wounded to move to a designated safe area (Correct answer)
- Check each victim's pulse before doing anything else
- Administer CPR to all unresponsive victims immediately
- Establish radio contact with the incident commander
Correct answer: Direct all walking wounded to move to a designated safe area
The first step in START triage is to call out for walking wounded and direct them to a safe area, which instantly identifies and separates the 'minor' (green) category from more critical victims.
CERT Triage & Mass Casualty Incidents 1
What does 'START' stand for in the START triage system used by CERT?