Experts advise good Samaritans on what they should do if they want to help

THOUSAND PALMS, Calif. (KESQ) – After a fiery crash that News Channel Three was first on scene at Tuesday night, one witness recounts that victims were screaming, "Help! Help!"

First responders make it clear: it's important to help, but assess the situation first. Don't become a victim yourself.

"If a vehicle is on fire and somebody is trapped inside, it's really tough because you don't want to put yourself in harm's way. But all of us want to help other humans," Battalion Chief Brandon Rigaud of the Cathedral City Fire Department says.

Alex Hernandez, a paramedic and instructor at College of the Desert's Public Safety Academy, explains, "Let's say that someone goes into a river and they're being taken down the river. Your inclination might be to jump in and start helping them. However, now we just have two patients in the river."

First responders say the best course of action is to call 911 and provide dispatchers with as much information as possible. Those dispatchers can also instruct you to assist or stay away, especially if the situation is dangerous for bystanders.

Don't assume another bystander already called emergency services, so call if you can. They also say emergency personnel can determine the severity of an emergency based on the number of 911 calls they receive.

If a person is trapped in a vehicle, emergency personnel also say the best practice is not to move anyone inside. Instead, leave it to trained professionals who know how to properly move the injured.

"Our fire captains, fire engineers and firefighters are also paramedics. And that allows them to have the specialized training to know how to perform those actions properly," Chief Rigaud explains.

But if victims are in immediate danger (like if they are trapped in a vehicle that is on fire), Chief Rigaud says it's best to try to extinguish the fire, open a door, or break a window to help the person escape.

Aside from car crashes, officials say good Samaritans are needed to assist in situations like medical emergencies, too. For example, Hernandez says people often call 911 to report cardiac arrests, but fail to do anything else.

Before paramedics arrive on scene, they urge you to start chest compressions by performing "Hands Only CPR." Hernandez explains, "But in a situation like cardiac arrest, if someone doesn't do chest compressions prior to our arrival, that could literally make the difference between someone living and dying. You have about a four minute window. And if someone doesn't do chest compressions, what will happen is, more than likely, is that the person could be brain dead."

The Cathedral City Fire Department says it offers a CERT Program (Community Emergency Response Team), which helps train civilians on important first aid skills, like stopping bleeding, CPR, and more. It also helps train them for major disaster response to disasters like earthquakes. You find out more on Cathedral City's website.