In the first of three articles on prehospital care, Tim Kilner considers scene safety when delivering emergency care in the pre-hospital environment. Photographs by K Porter

Of the 291 A&E departments in the United Kingdom, 121 (41.6 per cent) report to provide an A&E flying squad (1). A number of these teams have established a national reputation, while in other areas a flying squad is a purely hypothetical concept. Between these two extremes arc a number of teams with variable operational experience and suboptimal preparation for this role.