START Triage
START Triage (which stands for Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) is a quick method used by emergency responders to sort and prioritize patients during major emergencies or disasters. It's like a sorting system that helps responders quickly determine who needs immediate care when there are many injured people. Emergency workers use this method to evaluate patients in 60 seconds or less using simple yes/no criteria, categorizing them by colored tags (red for immediate care, yellow for delayed care, green for minor injuries, and black for deceased). This system is widely used in emergency services, hospitals, and disaster response situations.
Examples in Resumes
Trained 50+ emergency response team members in START Triage protocols
Implemented START system during city-wide disaster response exercise
Led START Triage assessments during multi-casualty incident response
Typical job title: "Emergency Response Personnel"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Emergency Response Personnel
Professional Organizations
Job Boards
Training Resources
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How would you implement START Triage protocols in a large-scale emergency situation?
Expected Answer: Should discuss coordination of multiple teams, resource allocation, communication systems, and adapting protocols based on the specific emergency situation. Should mention experience managing complex incidents and training others.
Q: Describe a time when you had to modify START Triage protocols to handle an unusual emergency situation.
Expected Answer: Should demonstrate decision-making abilities, leadership skills, and ability to adapt standard protocols while maintaining effectiveness in unique circumstances.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What are the four START Triage categories and how do you determine them?
Expected Answer: Should explain the red, yellow, green, and black tags, their meanings, and the specific criteria used to assess patients and assign categories quickly and accurately.
Q: How do you handle emotional stress when performing triage in mass casualty situations?
Expected Answer: Should discuss coping strategies, maintaining professional focus, and balancing emotional impact with effective decision-making.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What are the basic steps in performing START Triage assessment?
Expected Answer: Should describe the basic assessment sequence: ability to walk, respiratory rate, perfusion, and mental status, and how these determine triage categories.
Q: Why is the 60-second rule important in START Triage?
Expected Answer: Should explain that quick assessments are crucial in mass casualty situations to help the most people possible, and understand the importance of not spending too much time with individual patients during initial triage.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic START Triage protocols
- Patient assessment fundamentals
- Understanding of triage categories
- Basic emergency response procedures
Mid (2-5 years)
- Efficient triage decision-making
- Team coordination during emergencies
- Advanced patient assessment
- Emergency scenario management
Senior (5+ years)
- Mass casualty incident management
- Training and supervision of teams
- Protocol development and implementation
- Multi-agency coordination
Red Flags to Watch For
- Unable to quickly assess and categorize patients
- Lack of experience in high-stress situations
- Poor understanding of basic triage protocols
- Inability to work in team emergency response settings
Related Terms
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