What phase of vehicle rescue should occur after stabilization?

The phase that should occur after stabilization is the process of creating access and disentangling victims. Once a vehicle has been stabilized to ensure the safety of both the rescuers and the victims, the next logical step is to create a safe point of access to the vehicle. This is critical because victims often need emergency care, and rescuers must get to them without putting themselves in danger due to the instability of the vehicle.

Creating access can involve carefully cutting away parts of the vehicle or leveraging tools designed for vehicle extraction. Disentanglement refers to freeing the victim from any areas where they may be trapped or pinned, which is essential for providing the necessary medical assistance as quickly and safely as possible.

Identifying possible hazards usually occurs before stabilization, as part of the initial risk assessment that helps in developing an action plan for safety. Conducting assessments also falls within the early phases of a rescue operation, ensuring that the responders know the conditions and complications before engaging in actions like access and disentanglement. Packaging, extricating, and transporting victims typically follows these initial actions, but they cannot occur effectively until access is established and disentanglement is achieved, emphasizing why the creation of access and disentanglement is the correct phase to undertake right after stabilization.