Which statement best describes a direct victim?

• A. The individual who is immediately affected by the event
• B. May be a family member or friend of the victim or a first responder
• C. Must evacuate their home because of disaster
• D. A group of people who have fled their homes

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is distinguishing who is directly touched by a disaster versus who is affected indirectly. A direct victim is the person who experiences the event’s impact firsthand—injury, danger, or death—immediately during the incident. That immediate contact with the hazard defines them as the direct victim, which is why the statement that describes the individual as “immediately affected by the event” is the best fit.

The other scenarios describe people affected in different ways. A family member, friend, or first responder may suffer emotional, social, or logistical effects, but they are not harmed directly by the event itself in the moment. Evacuation or displacement can involve direct victims, but those options focus on actions or groups rather than the defining relationship to the event’s impact.