Primary triage occurs:

• A. In the field at the scene
• B. In the hospital emergency department
• C. On arrival at the appropriate treatment area
• D. After decontamination

Answer: (C)

Triage is the rapid sorting of patients to identify who needs immediate life-saving care during a mass-casualty incident. The moment that best fits primary triage is when patients arrive at the appropriate treatment area, because this is where responders have the necessary personnel and resources to perform a quick, focused assessment and assign priorities for immediate versus delayed care. This setup allows the most critically injured to be moved into immediate treatment right away, rather than waiting for hospital-level triage, decontamination, or longer evaluations. The field assessment or scene sorting is still part of the overall process, but the formal initial categorization that guides subsequent care flow typically occurs as patients enter the treatment area.