When handling a medical emergency involving multiple victims, what is a crucial first step?

In a medical emergency involving multiple victims, the most crucial first step is to call for help and assess injuries. This action is vital because it ensures that additional resources and support are summoned immediately. The need for professional medical assistance can be critical, especially in situations with multiple victims where injuries can vary significantly in severity.

Assessing the injuries helps to prioritize care based on the severity of each victim's condition, often following the principles of triage. By calling for help right away, you can ensure that medical professionals are on the way, allowing for a more comprehensive and timely response to the emergency. Additionally, your quick assessment can identify which victims need immediate attention and which may be stable enough to wait for assistance.

Looking at the other options, delegating tasks without assessment could lead to confusion and potentially harm victims who may require immediate intervention. Providing care to the most visible injuries only could overlook critical but less obvious injuries, and collecting personal information is not necessary until medical care is being provided, which takes priority in an emergency situation. Therefore, the approach of calling for help and assessing injuries establishes a foundation for effective emergency response and patient care.