First Aid and Emergencies · Lesson 1 of 11 · 12 min

Before you help: danger, calling 998 and the primary survey

In an emergency, the first two minutes are about staying safe, getting professional help on the way and finding out what is wrong. This lesson gives you a calm, repeatable order of actions so you never freeze.

Danger first: keep yourself safe

St John Ambulance's first rule is to always make sure the area is safe before you approach: if you get hurt, there are now two casualties and one fewer helper.
Scan for traffic, fire or smoke, electricity, deep water, gas smells, falling objects or an aggressive person before you move in.
On UAE roads, the government portal advises that for a minor accident with no injuries you move the car to the shoulder and wait at least 15 metres away; if anyone is injured, leave the vehicles where they are until the ambulance arrives.
For a fire, the UAE portal says leave immediately using the marked exits, do not use lifts, and do not go back inside until police or Civil Defence say it is safe.
If you have disposable gloves, put them on before touching blood or wounds.

UAE emergency numbers to save today

Ambulance: 998.
Police: 999.
Fire (Civil Defence): 997.
Coastguard: 996. Find and Rescue: 995. Electricity failure: 991.
The UAE portal also lists the Abu Dhabi AD999 app and the Dubai DCAS app, which can be used to request an ambulance and share your location.
UK first aid guides tell you to call 999 or 112. In the UAE, use 998 for a medical emergency.

What to tell the 998 operator

Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services (DCAS) staff advise giving a precise location: area, street, a nearby landmark, building name, floor and room or flat number, 'not just the name of a building'.
Say what type of incident it is: for example a fall, a fire, a road accident or a health problem such as someone collapsing and not breathing.
Say how many people need help.
Describe how badly each person is hurt and whether they are conscious (awake and responding).
Put the phone on speaker so your hands are free, and follow the call handler's instructions, as St John Ambulance advises; they can talk you through CPR and tell you where the nearest defibrillator is.

The primary survey: DR ABC

St John Ambulance's primary survey is a quick check for life-threatening problems in a fixed order: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation.
Response: kneel by the person's chest, gently shake their shoulders and ask loudly, 'Are you OK?' If they open their eyes or react in any way, they are responsive; if not, treat them as unresponsive and act quickly.
Airway: place one hand on the forehead and gently tilt the head back, then use two fingers of the other hand to lift the chin.
Breathing: keeping the airway open, look for chest movement and listen and feel for breath on your cheek for no more than 10 seconds.
Occasional slow, noisy gasps (agonal breathing) are not normal breathing and can be a sign of cardiac arrest.
Circulation: check for severe bleeding and control it with firm direct pressure.

Act on what you find

Unresponsive and not breathing normally: call 998, start CPR straight away and send someone for a defibrillator (AED). See lesson fa-03.
Unresponsive but breathing normally, with no severe bleeding: put them in the recovery position and call 998. See lesson fa-02.
Life-threatening bleeding: control it with direct pressure before anything else, and get someone to call 998.
Shout for help early. A bystander can make the call, fetch an AED or meet the ambulance at the building entrance while you stay with the casualty.
Once life-threatening problems are dealt with, St John Ambulance moves on to a secondary, top-to-toe survey to look for other injuries.

Practise in real life

Tick each one off when you have done it.

Save 998, 999 and 997 in your phone under a clear name, and check that family members have them too.
Practise saying your home address the way DCAS asks for it: area, street, landmark, building name, floor and flat number. Time yourself: aim for under 20 seconds.
Walk through DR ABC out loud with a friend or family member lying on the floor (without actually tilting hard or pressing), so the order feels automatic.

Remember

Danger first: never become a second casualty.
In the UAE, call 998 for an ambulance; 999 is police and 997 is fire.
Give a precise location, not just a building name.
DR ABC: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing (no more than 10 seconds), Circulation.
Gasping is not normal breathing: treat it as cardiac arrest.

Note: This lesson is general information, not a substitute for a certified first aid course with hands-on practice. In the UAE, the Emirates Red Crescent runs first aid training (for example with universities), and in 2022 Abu Dhabi Police's Directorate of Emergency and Public Safety offered CPR, basic life support and AED courses through the TAMM portal for people over 16; check current dates and fees directly, or look for an accredited provider near you. Most step-by-step guidance here comes from UK bodies (St John Ambulance, NHS, British Red Cross), which say 'call 999 or 112'. In the UAE, 999 is police: for a medical emergency call 998 (ambulance), as listed on the UAE Government Portal. The DCAS calling tips come from a Gulf News interview with DCAS staff (updated April 2023). St John Ambulance writes the survey as DR ABC; some courses say DRABC or DRSABCD (adding Send for help and Defibrillation). The order of actions is the same.

Check yourself

1. Which number should you call for an ambulance in the UAE?

2. According to St John Ambulance, how long should you spend checking whether someone is breathing?

3. What does the 'D' in DR ABC stand for?

4. DCAS advises that when you call an ambulance, your location should include:

5. An unresponsive person is making occasional slow, noisy gasps. What should you assume?