...local emergency personnel before any site work begins and discuss project details, jobsite locations and emergency contact numbers. "Find out the capabil-ity of the local response entity," says Reardon. "If you have serious shortfalls…hammer them out beforehand, not on the day of the event."

Many contractors on small-scale construction projects, especially single-family homes, don’t keep technical rescue gear on hand even though it is relatively inexpensive. Plucking victims out of harm’s way and preparing them for treatment–also called "packaging" in the medical world–is a job better handled by professional responders, Eaker says.

How to Save a Life

Before any work starts, call emergency responders and discuss the project.

Find out what special rescue gear you will need to have available on site.

Develop action plans and train workers on proper use of the equipment.

Give and Take

His advice illustrates a common struggle between workers, who might suddenly be called upon to be heroes, and professional rescuers, who regularly handle life-threatening events. "We don’t mind if they direct us," says Bill Moore, vice president of demolition contractor Brandenburg Industrial Service Co., Chicago. "We just want them to know what’s available and what our equipment can do."

In many cases, construction equipment can come into play during a rescue. But the biggest mistake a contractor can make is to engage it before responders have assessed the risk. "If we have someone buried in dirt, we are going to hand-dig them out," says Eaker. "There have been times when [a backhoe] ripped someone apart accidentally. You can’t tell if you are pulling on the ground or the actual patient."

Adds Reardon: "Many of our people understand the hand signals of crane operators, who can become part of the rescue team working with the incident command system."

Before the South Holland project started in 2002, McHugh had to make sure a backup boom truck would be available with enough line in case the shafts’ dedicated cranes failed. Otherwise, there would be no way to remove people from the tunnels.

Medical Tools

More contractors are equipping themselves with medical tools that were once exclusively used by EMS personnel. Defibrillators, which jumpstart the hearts of patients who have suffered heart attacks, electrocutions or near-drownings, is one popular example, according to the American Heart Association.

Fire and rescue experts say the cost of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) has dropped substantially in recent years, with retail prices as low as $1,000. Contractors say they can get even cheaper with volume purchases.

AEDs are not a legal jobsite requirement but are a "best-practice," says Justin Crandol, director of safety and health for the Associated General Contractors of America, Alexandria, Va.

Defibrillation is not a replacement for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. If an AED is on site but half a block away, CPR can keep a victim alive in the meantime. According to AHA, cardiac patients not given CPR are 7 to 10% less likely to live for every minute that passes before defibrillation. Bystander CPR doubles the chance of survival.