What should awareness-level rescuers do regarding hazards at a rescue site?

Staying away from hazards and keeping others away is a fundamental principle for awareness-level rescuers. At this level of training, it is critical to recognize the dangers present in a rescue environment without taking direct action to mitigate them. Hazards can include unstable terrain, potential for falling debris, or hazardous materials, and awareness-level rescuers are often not equipped or trained to deal directly with these risks.

By maintaining a safe distance and ensuring that bystanders are also kept at a safe distance, rescuers prevent further accidents and potential injuries. Their role is primarily to observe and communicate rather than to intervene physically in the hazard itself. This approach not only ensures the safety of the rescuers but also enables them to effectively relay information to more specialized rescue teams that can safely manage the hazards.

Engaging bystanders or taking physical action against hazards without proper training and equipment can lead to increased danger for everyone involved. Similarly, marking hazards for visibility or testing physical aspects of hazards require specialized skills and knowledge beyond the scope of awareness training, which focuses on recognizing and reporting hazards rather than actively managing them.