--- title: The 7 Airway Management Tools Every EMS Provider Must Have in the First-In Bag description: Here are the top 10 airway management tools every EMS provider must have in their first-in bag. image: https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/Airway_Management_Tools_Every_EMS_Provider_Must_Have_in_the_First-In_Bag_.jpg --- [![dark-header.jpg](https://blog.sscor.com/hs-fs/hub/212347/file-1107077240.jpg?width=940&name=file-1107077240.jpg "dark-header.jpg")](https://www.sscor.com/) ## **Thank you for visiting the SSCOR Blog.** Whether you're in a Hospital or EMS setting, this is the place for you. We'll share information on current industry news, tips, as well as the latest and greatest in SSCOR products. Our hope is that this blog is not only informative but a collaborative and open forum for you to share your thoughts on developing opportunities and challenges within your profession. Subscribe. Share your thoughts. Enjoy. -SSCOR Team   # [The 7 Airway Management Tools Every EMS Provider Must Have in the First-In Bag](https://blog.sscor.com/the-10-airway-management-tools-every-ems-provider-must-have-in-the-first-in-bag) Posted by [Sam D. Say](https://blog.sscor.com/author/sam-d-say) Apr 2, 2026 8:00:00 AM 4 min read - [![LinkedIn Social Icon](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/142915/file-2628248555-png/images/icons/linkedin-small.png) ](https://blog.sscor.com/the-10-airway-management-tools-every-ems-provider-must-have-in-the-first-in-bag#) 0 - [![Facebook Social Icon](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/142915/file-2623658044-png/images/icons/fb-small.png) ](https://blog.sscor.com/the-10-airway-management-tools-every-ems-provider-must-have-in-the-first-in-bag#) 0 ![Airway_Management_Tools_Every_EMS_Provider_Must_Have_in_the_First-In_Bag_](https://blog.sscor.com/hubfs/Airway_Management_Tools_Every_EMS_Provider_Must_Have_in_the_First-In_Bag_.jpg)  You are about to head out on a call for a 65-year-old man who is reported to be suffering from sudden respiratory distress. Few details are known about this man’s medical history, so you aren’t entirely sure what you are about to encounter. You grab your First In bag, knowing that your airway management tools mean you’re well–prepared for any airway emergency.    You arrive at the residence and find the gentleman unconscious. A family member states he was able to assist him to the ground. The victim is breathing shallowly. He is observed to be obese with a short neck.   ## **Which Tools Do You Pull Out of Your Bag and Why? ** ### **1. Portable Suction** The priority in any respiratory emergency is to clear the airway. A head tilt and chin lift maneuver is used to open the airway. You use your [portable suction device](https://www.sscor.com/EMS_suction_products.html) to remove some mucus that has pooled in the oropharynx. No vomit or blood is seen. ### **2. Pulse Oximeter** You quickly slip a pulse oximeter onto his index finger to get a baseline oxygen saturation. You note that his lips look pale and his hands are cool and clammy. The oximeter reads 90%. ### **3.Nasopharyngeal (NPA) and Oropharyngeal Airway (OPA) ** A patent airway needs to be maintained, so you reach for your airway adjuncts. You determine that your victim does not have a gag reflex and select an OPA. You open the victim’s mouth and insert the OPA upside down, rotating it 180 degrees when it reaches the back of the mouth. The OPA is advanced until the flange reaches the victim’s front teeth. Oxygen is delivered to the victim via a non-rebreather mask. [![New: Determining the Contents of Your First-In Bag: What Every Paramedic Should Consider. Free Guide & Checklist](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/bb7f2de5-6d9a-4d03-ab05-2f80845478d7.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/bb7f2de5-6d9a-4d03-ab05-2f80845478d7)   ### **4. Bag-Valve Mask** Then you note that the victim has stopped breathing. You use your [bag-valve mask](https://blog.sscor.com/predictors-of-difficult-bag-mask-ventilation) to begin ventilating the victim. Keeping the airway open utilizing a jaw thrust and creating a good seal around the mask, the victim’s chest is seen to rise and fall. Each ventilation is delivered with a long inspiratory time. His color begins to improve, and his oxygen saturation increases to 95%. Meanwhile, your partner starts getting the intubation supplies ready. - Laryngoscope - Endotracheal tube (ETT) - Endotracheal tube introducer (ETI) Since the [victim is obese](https://blog.sscor.com/unique-airway-difficulties-and-needs-to-consider-when-treating-obese-patients), he is placed in a “stacking” position, using some folded towels under his shoulders and head to raise the tip of the chin just higher than the chest. With the laryngoscope, you try and visualize the vocal cords. Suction is used again to clear the airway. The airway is hard to visualize, so you insert an ETI in the middle of the larynx past the base of the epiglottis. An 8.0 ETT is inserted over the ETI, and the ETI is removed. Ventilations are resumed using the bag and oxygen, but the victim’s chest wall is not moving. Oxygen saturation is dropping. ### **5. End-tidal Carbon Dioxide monitor (ETCO2)** The ETCO2 monitor is connected to the ET tube. No color change is seen with ventilation. ### **6. Stethoscope** You auscultate the victim’s chest wall with your stethoscope and verify the absence of bilateral breath sounds. Moving air is heard over the epigastric region. The ETT is improperly placed in the esophagus. You remove the ETT and resume bag-mask ventilation. ### **7. Supraglottic airway device (SAD)** Since the victim is determined to be a difficult intubation, you decide to use an SAD. Now, you witness good chest rise and fall. Bilateral breath sounds are auscultated, and the victim’s oxygen saturation rises to 97%. The patient is then prepared for transport to the nearest hospital. [![New: Ultimate Guide To Purchasing A Portable Emergency Suction Device](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/212347/55c49bab-8acd-48d9-a274-d480a9b3e678.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/212347/55c49bab-8acd-48d9-a274-d480a9b3e678) ### **The Importance of Critical Thinking Skills** When on an emergency call, an EMS provider needs to use critical thinking skills to make fast decisions about the best treatment options for the patient. Every second is important, and you need to have the necessary tools within your reach. Careful consideration of [which airway management tools](https://blog.sscor.com/why-your-ems-squad-should-care-about-portable-suction) you include in your first-in bag can determine whether or not resuscitation is successful.   *Editor's note: This blog was originally from August 2024. It has been re-published with additional up to date content.* Topics: [Emergency medical suction](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/emergency-medical-suction), [Airway management](https://blog.sscor.com/topic/airway-management) ![Author Photo](https://blog.sscor.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SDS2-648378-edited.jpg?width=70&name=SDS2-648378-edited.jpg) ## AboutSam D. Say Sam D. Say is owner and CEO of SSCOR, Inc., a medical device manufacturer specializing in emergency battery operated portable suction devices for the hospital and pre-hospital settings. Mr. Say has been involved in developing product for healthcare providers for over 35 years. His passions include contributing to the management of the patient airway and providing solutions that save lives in difficult conditions. 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