As a Critical Care Transport paramedic for WAY too many years I have intubated many people. Intubations are NOT something the average person wants to "play" with. People, this is DEADLY serious stuff. People DIE if intubations go wrong in the best of circumstances. It takes ALOT of instruction and practice to get to the point that a medical professional is allowed to perform this procedure. If the porcedure fails and the person cannot be intubated the alternative is a tracheostomy, getting their throat cut!
Let me walk you thru two "typical" Intubation scenarios. An endotracheal tube is placed to positively secure a patent airway. This insures that, the person can receive adequate ventilations with oxygen rich air and, even if the patient vomits nothing will get into the lungs.
1) Person is unconscious and unresponsive and not breathing or is not breathing well enough to perfuse the end organs (brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys). He/she has NO gag reflex, this is important. All equipment is assembled and checked for proper operation as the patient is ventilated with a bag/valve/mask (the baggie thingie they squeeze to breath for the patient). The patient is hyperventilated for 30 seconds to 1 minute (18-20 ventilations/minute). The patient is positioned in the "sniffing" position with the head tilted backwards. Towels or a pillow may be placed under the patient's shoulders to more easily facilitate this position. The mouth is opened and the laryngoscope blade is inserted into the space at or just above the epiglottis. The blade is manipulated to open the epiglottis (there are several types and sizes of blades to accomodate diffeences in the anatomy). The vocal chords are visualized and the appropriate size endotracheal tube is inserted into the trachea. In an adult the ET tube has a "cuff", an inflatable balloon near the distal end. The cuff is inflated to fully occupy the space inside the trachea, thus allowing the lungs to be inflated with the bag/valve. The ET tube is then secured to the person's mouth and the person is placed on a ventilator or is manually "bagged". Notice that the person is still unconscious. If the person regains consciousness, the hands and arms might be restrained so that the ET is not pulled out, which is a natural reaction to having a foreign object in the airway.
2) A person is conscious, alert and has a gag reflex but for medical reason must be intubated to secure a positive airway. The person is prepared for a Rapid Sequence Induction (RSI) [rapid sequence is a misnomer since this procedure is not really rapid]. An IV is started and verified for patency. The RSI drugs are drawn up up according to the patient's weight and labeled. The patient is given a sedative, Versed, is the medication of choice here due to its amnesia effects. The procedure is explained a last time to the patient. A very small dose of one paralytic agent is given to eliminate fasiculations, painful muscle twitching similar to cramps. After this the patient is given pain medications. Even though the person is paralysed pain can still be present. Since the patient can't tell you about the pain it has to be managed proactively. Now the person is given a short acting paralytic and is paralyzed thus loosing the gag reflex. The intubation proceeds as in 1 above. If the in tubation is successful the patient is then given a long acting paralyitic and placed on a ventilator. If the intubation was unsuccessful the patient is "bagged" until the short acting paralytic is matabolized and the person is able to move and breath on their own.
Here, let's just stick to inserting tubes into somebody's butt. That's alot more fun.