Which of the following actions should be prioritized first when a person is unresponsive and not breathing?

In a scenario where a person is unresponsive and not breathing, the most critical first step is to call for help. This action ensures that professional emergency medical assistance is on the way while you address the situation. Activating the emergency response system is essential, as it allows for rapid intervention, which is crucial in cases of cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.

Notifying others or calling for emergency assistance also allows the rescuer to focus on providing immediate care without delay. This step can occur simultaneously with other life-saving measures in some circumstances, but initiating the call early is a key step in the chain of survival.

While assessing the situation, checking for a pulse is important, but the priority guidance emphasizes calling for help first. Initiating chest compressions is vital for providing manual circulation, but without activating emergency services, the person may not receive advanced care promptly. Performing rescue breaths is also necessary in certain scenarios, but those actions follow once the emergency services have been alerted. Thus, the first priority is to ensure help is on the way while maximizing the likelihood of survival through subsequent appropriate actions.