Indian Society for Trauma and Acute Care (ISTAC®)

TRAUMA FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAMME (TFRP)



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INDIAN SOCIETY FOR TRAUMA AND ACUTE CARE (ISTAC)

TRAUMA FIRST RESPONDER PROGRAMME

TFRP

Empowering Bystanders · Saving Lives

1. The Critical Need for TFRP in India

1 life / 2 min

Lost to Road Traffic Injuries in India

30% fewer deaths

With prompt bystander intervention

India suffers an enormous and growing national burden from trauma, specifically Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) - with one life being lost every 3 minutes.

Formal pre-hospital services (paramedic ambulances) are still evolving, leaving lay bystanders as the true first links in the chain of survival.

Robust medical literature confirms that prompt bystander or lay first responder intervention results in an immediate 30% reduction in trauma mortality.

2. Core Course Highlights & Key Differentiators

Video-Based Training

High-fidelity indigenous video modules before hands-on drill iterations, demonstrating precisely calibrated psychomotor skills under real-world pressure standardizing response techniques across all student backgrounds.

The SCAT Algorithm

ISTAC TFRP makes trauma first responder care simple through the SCAT mnemonic:
Scene Safety · Call for Help · ABC · Transport

Systematic Communication with Healthcare Providers

Responders master clear, objective reporting algorithms (such as the LIONEL standard) to relay critical structural injury parameters, active interventions, and precise location tracking to emergency dispatchers and incoming trauma teams.

The Universal Airway Threat in Trauma

Intense focus on simple airway maintenance - manual clearing using the scissor technique, single-responder mini log-rolls for passive emesis drainage, and manual alignment without compromising spinal stability.

Spinal Motion Restriction (SMR)

Mandatory SMR protocols at every operational link of the victim approach to prevent irreversible secondary spinal cord injuries.

Aggressive Hemorrhage Control

Immediate, singular focus on mechanical life-saving maneuvers: continuous direct pressure, structural compression bandages, and tourniquets.

Vehicle Extrication

Easy techniques for safe extraction of trapped victims from crushed vehicle frames.

Low-Resource Operational Adaptability

Zero reliance on commercial medical kits. Participants master utilising everyday items - shawls/belts as makeshift tourniquets, bricks/sandbags for neck stabilization, wooden logs/cardboard for splinting.

Injury Prevention Focus

One dedicated lecture introducing the concepts of Injury Prevention and Good Samaritan Law.

Highly Interactive, Small-Group Pedagogy

Maximum 50 participants per session to safeguard a direct, hands-on, face-to-face training environment using Peyton's approach ('see one, hear one, tell one, do one').

Deliberate Omission of Standard CPR: Unlike standard first aid packages, TFRP explicitly excludes routine CPR. Clinical data shows a complete lack of survival benefit for trauma patients under hemorrhagic shock if compressions are performed prior to physical hemorrhage control - priorities are strictly re-aligned.

3. Who is this Programme For?

  • Educational Cohorts: School students (10th standard and above) and college/university groups
  • Industrial & Factory Workforces: Field personnel, factory laborers, and agricultural workers exposed to high-risk occupational injuries
  • Emergency & Uniformed Services: Police officers, traffic authorities, fire service personnel, security teams, and armed forces units
  • Civic Youth Organizations: NCC Cadets, scout groups, and local community volunteers
  • Allied Healthcare Professionals: Paramedics, non-clinical hospital support staff, administrative workers, and nursing staff
  • High-Exposure Public Transit Operators: Auto-rickshaw operators, public bus drivers, commercial truckers, and high-frequency motorists

4. Structured Course Components & Schedule (Half Day)

Duration Activity / Component
10 mins Pre-Test Evaluation - Baseline cognitive multiple-choice screening via digital Google Forms (QR codes) or printed sheets
1 Hour Didactic Interactive Lectures & Video-Based Overviews - Introduction to Trauma (15 mins) · Injury Prevention and Safety (20 mins) · Trauma First Responder Skills (25 mins)
~150 mins Skill Stations - 3 concurrent stations, 50 mins each

Station 1: Scene Safety, Call For Help, Airway & Breathing - manual in-line neck stabilization, brick/cloth framing, oral clearing (scissor technique), mini log-rolls, two-person helmet removal

Station 2: Circulation & Hemorrhage Management - pulse checks, direct pressure, wound packing, compression bandaging, tourniquet application, low-resource limb splinting

Station 3: Transportation & Vehicle Extrication - safe vehicle extrication, single-person collar-pull dragging, 4-person log rolling, synchronized 6-person lifting and carrying
30 mins Scenario-Based Team Training - immersive crash scene simulation with trapped victims; real-time SCAT algorithm, scene safety, priority interventions, and emergency dispatch coordination
15 mins Post-Test & Feedback Form Processing
TRAUMA 2026 - ISTAC Annual Conference

5. Estimated Programme Cost Structure

The Society does not charge for disseminating the programme. If the centre has the space and manikins/volunteers, the primary cost would only be for refreshments/meals for participants and other consumables. The initial 1-2 programmes will require an ISTAC promulgator to train the trainers and provide organisational hand-holding. Travel and stay for the promulgators for these initial programmes are to be borne by the organising institution.

Interested in organising the ISTAC TFRP for your institution, outreach activity, CME or conference?

Contact us at:

info@traumaindia.org