When responding to a traffic accident with multiple patients, your first action should be to:

The most appropriate initial action in a situation involving a traffic accident with multiple patients is to request additional ambulances. In emergencies with numerous victims, the primary concern is ensuring that adequate resources are available to handle the situation. This often involves assessing the number of patients and their apparent severity of injuries. By calling for additional ambulances early on, you help ensure that all patients can receive timely medical attention.

Initiating this step right away allows for more efficient management of the scene and can improve patient outcomes, as it enables a coordinated response to transport multiple patients effectively. While triaging patients, notifying medical control, and providing immediate care are all important components of a mass casualty incident, ensuring enough transport vehicles are on the scene sets the foundation for efficient care delivery.