Severe burns and chemical exposure — emergency ambulance
Sterile burn dressings, fluid resuscitation and airway care for inhalation injury — routed to a burns unit, not just the nearest hospital.
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While the ambulance is on its way
- 1
Call now. Say what caused it.
Flame, hot liquid, chemical or electrical, roughly how much of the body is burnt, and whether they breathed in smoke or fumes. That decides the vehicle, the crew and the hospital.
- 2
Stop the burning. Cool with running water.
Cool the burn under clean running water for about twenty minutes. Never ice. Remove rings, bangles, watches, belts and any clothing that is not stuck to the skin, because swelling comes fast. For a chemical, brush off dry powder first, then flush with running water while protecting your own hands. For electrical, switch off the supply before touching the person.
- 3
Cover loosely. Put nothing else on the skin.
A clean non-fluffy cloth or cling film laid on loosely. No toothpaste, oil, butter, ash, turmeric or ointment — they trap heat, raise the infection risk and have to be scraped off before the burn can even be assessed. Keep the rest of the person warm, give nothing by mouth, and follow the dispatcher.
Call immediately if you see any of these
- —Burns to the face, neck, hands, feet or genitals
- —Soot around the nose or mouth, a hoarse voice, or coughing black sputum
- —Any difficulty breathing after a fire in an enclosed space
- —Burns that go right around a limb or the chest
- —Skin that is white, leathery, charred or numb rather than painful
- —A burnt area larger than the palm of the patient's hand
- —Any chemical or electrical burn, however small it looks
- —Burns in a child, an elderly person or someone with diabetes
Do not drive the patient yourself if an ambulance is on the way. A moving ambulance can begin treatment; a private car cannot.
What arrives when you call
Sterile burn sheets and dressings
Clean, non-adherent coverings applied with no home remedy underneath, so the burns unit receives a wound it can assess rather than one it has to clean first.
Fluid resuscitation
Large-bore IV access and warmed fluids started en route, calculated against the burnt area and the patient's weight. In a significant burn, fluid started early changes the next forty-eight hours.
Airway equipment for inhalation injury
High-flow oxygen and advanced airway equipment on board. Airway swelling after smoke or fume inhalation can close it with little warning, so it is managed early rather than watched.
Pain management under protocol
Burns hurt more than almost any other injury. Analgesia is given under medical protocol on the way, not left until the hospital.
Decontamination kit and crew protection
For chemical exposure, irrigation equipment and protective gear for the crew. A rescuer who becomes a second casualty helps nobody.
From your door to the hospital bed
Assigned in 60 seconds
The vehicle is matched to the mechanism described on the call, and for an industrial incident with several casualties, more than one is sent.
Scene safety and decontamination first
For chemical and electrical incidents the crew makes the scene safe and decontaminates before loading. Moving a contaminated patient into a sealed cabin spreads the exposure to everyone in it.
Burnt area estimated, fluids started
The crew estimates the percentage burnt, starts fluids and pain relief, and keeps the patient warm while the burn itself stays cooled — the two are managed separately, because a large burn loses body heat fast.
Routed to a burns unit
A significant burn needs a hospital with a burns unit, not the nearest emergency room. Going to the closest door and transferring afterwards costs the time twice over.
Pre-alert and bed-to-bed handover
Mechanism, estimated area, airway status and fluids given are passed ahead so the unit is ready, and handover is completed at the bed with documentation for the family — and for the workplace record where the injury happened at work.
Burns and Chemical Exposure
Questions people ask on the call
What should I put on a burn?
Cool running water, and nothing else. No toothpaste, oil, butter, ash, turmeric or ointment. Those trap heat in the wound, raise the infection risk, and have to be scraped away at the hospital before the burn can even be assessed.
Should I use ice on a burn?
No. Ice causes further tissue damage and can drop body temperature dangerously in a large burn. Use clean running water at normal cool tap temperature for about twenty minutes, and keep the rest of the patient warm while you do it.
A chemical splashed in the eye — what do we do?
Flush the eye continuously with clean water, from the inner corner outward, and keep flushing until the crew arrives. Irrigation time matters more than anything else here. Do not rub the eye, and bring the chemical container or a photograph of its label.
When does a burn need a burns unit rather than a local hospital?
Burns to the face, hands, feet or genitals, burns that circle a limb, deep or large-area burns, any inhalation injury, and all chemical and electrical burns. The crew makes that call on scene and routes accordingly, with the unit pre-alerted.
Do you handle industrial and workplace burn incidents?
Yes, including multi-casualty incidents at plants and industrial estates. We send the number of vehicles the scene needs, decontaminate where the exposure requires it, and provide the documentation an employer and an insurer will ask for afterwards.
Is the fare higher for an emergency at night?
No. The published rate for the vehicle class and distance applies at every hour of every day, the total is stated on the call, and the receipt itemises what was charged.