What is the primary purpose of the START triage system in disaster response?

• A. Prioritize care based on severity
• B. Determine bed capacity
• C. Train responders
• D. Allocate resources to admin tasks

Answer: (D)

START triage is about quickly sorting injured people by how urgently they need care so responders can direct life-saving efforts to those most likely to survive with immediate treatment. On scene, responders perform a rapid, simple assessment of breathing, circulation, and mental status to place individuals into categories that indicate urgency (those needing immediate attention, those who can wait, and those unlikely to benefit from immediate care). The goal is to maximize lives saved by prioritizing the limited time and resources where they’ll have the greatest impact. This approach focuses on on-scene prioritization of care, rather than determining hospital bed capacity, training responders, or handling administrative tasks.