In a mass casualty incident, what key assessment should be performed initially?

In a mass casualty incident, the primary focus is on triaging patients efficiently and effectively to prioritize care based on the severity of their injuries. Tagging patients is a crucial initial assessment method that allows responders to categorize individuals based on their need for care, using a color-coding system (often red for immediate, yellow for delayed, green for minor, and black for deceased). This process helps ensure that resources are allocated to those who require urgent attention, thereby maximizing the chances of survival for the greatest number of individuals.

While checking vital signs, performing head-to-toe assessments, and establishing the mechanism of injury are all important in treating individual patients, they are not practical as the first steps in a chaotic environment with many casualties. The immediate priority is to quickly identify who needs help first, making tagging a critical step in the triage process during a mass casualty situation.