All are EMS immobilization devices EXCEPT

• A. Stair chair
• B. Backboard
• C. Vacuum mattress
• D. Cervical collar

Answer: (A)

In EMS, immobilization devices are used to prevent movement of the spine and body during transport when a spinal injury is possible. A stair chair is not an immobilization device; it’s designed for fast, seated transport of stable patients and does not rigidly restrict movement of the spine or neck. In contrast, each of the other two devices serves to minimize motion and protect alignment: the backboard provides a rigid support to keep the spine straight, the vacuum mattress molds to the patient’s body and hardens to hold them securely in place, and the cervical collar stabilizes the head and neck to limit cervical movement. Because of that, the stair chair is the exception. It’s used for non-immobilized transport, not for protecting or immobilizing a potential spinal injury.