International Search and Rescue Response Guidelines

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Preparedness Phase
• Activation Phase
• Operations Phase
  • Search Strategy
  • Search Plan
  • Search Group Composition
  • Resource Utilization
• Reassignment/Stand Down Phase

Search operations require the close interaction of all SAR Team components for the detection and location of victims. The SAR Team must have the capability to conduct three primary types of search operations: physical, canine and electronic.

The SAR Team Search Group is usually one of the first operational entities assigned on a disaster site. They must be capable of operating in an unstable environment and changing conditions and be able to communicate with the local population and other response teams.

These resources must be trained and equipped to conduct immediate search operations in the disaster environment. Their ability to detect and locate victims set the stage for successful victim survivability.

Training Requirements

General requirements:

Trained in structures and victim marking procedures.

Hazardous materials awareness.

Cultural awareness.

Basic knowledge of structural engineering.

Trained to act in the physical search.

Trained in safety hazard identification.

Trained in the use of personal protection equipment.

Must be physically fit.

Besides general SAR skills, search personnel must be specially trained for tasks to be performed:

Physical search:

Reconnaissance.

Surveillance and interviews.

Familiar with standard search pattern techniques.

Electronic search:

Handling of advanced electronic search devices under difficult conditions and the interpretation of findings.

Specialized training in assessing voids.

Canine search:

The canine and handler should be trained and certified to national or INSARAG standards to work in the disaster environment involving detecting and locating victims in collapsed structures.

It is essential that each response team have sufficient number of trained canines to meet operational requirements needed for working multiple work sites, extended deployments and for the need to verify scent sources.

To ensure readiness, the following issues need to be accomplished well in advance to any response activation:

• Required inoculations are current.
• Process for obtaining short notice health certificates.
• Process for obtaining affected country-specific inoculations.
• Provisions are in place to acquire food needed for deployment.

Specific equipment and materials are necessary to fully support a Search Group. This equipment should be segregated and receive priority consideration when equipment stock is being moved to an assigned location so a Search Group may be deployed. The following equipment and supplies, as a minimum, are required:

• Electric hammer drills and hand tools.
• Electronic viewing equipment (search cam, fiberoptic, etc.).
• Electronic listening devices (acoustic, seismic, etc.).
• Atmospheric monitoring equipment (flammable, toxic, oxygen-deficient).
• Marking materials (spray paint/marking tape, etc.).
• Alerting devices (bull horn for hailing, aerosol horns for emergency signaling).
• Medical pack (medical doctor or paramedic backpack).
• Personal gear - per person (safety equipment, food, water, etc.).

Activation Phase

There are special canine requirements that are necessary for activation. A mechanism must be in place to make the determination of mission acceptance. This includes:

Conducting a health check exam.

Ensuring current health certificate.

Ensuring specific immunization for affected country.

Ensuring adequate food stock for mission duration.

Canine support equipment including crates and harnesses.

Ensuring canine are inspected for hygiene/cleanliness.

When initiating the operations phase, it is vital to develop a process that defines the proper sequence of events for the search operation. This process includes the following:

Search Strategy

This involves developing a process for detecting and locating the greatest number of victims in the shortest amount of time.

There are two basic types of search strategies:

Initial search (less in depth, more rapid). This is composed primarily of physical and/or canine search operations.

Main search (thorough). This would be composed of in-depth search operations with electronic equipment supported by canine and physical elements.

Search prioritization is based on:

Type and size of occupancy.

Number of potential victims.

Condition of structure(s).

Time of day of occurrence post event.

Safety and security considerations.

Work area accessibility.

Local information.

Availability of resources.

Limitation of resources.

Search Plan

A search plan will ensure that all the Search Group's efforts are brought to bear in a systematic and coordinated manner, utilizing the most up-to-date intelligence about victims and buildings combined with trained and briefed search personnel. This includes:

Development of a search plan based on the results of:

Area assessment - a broad reconnaissance of an assigned area.

Structures triage - an assessment of hazards and a prioritization of potential victims of the involved buildings/structures.

The search plan should include:

Search objectives and priorities.

Strategies and tactics.

Resources assigned.

Available maps/drawings.

Safety and security considerations.

Coordination and communication issues.

Implementation of the search plan would include:

Briefing all personnel.

Deploying search personnel.

Evaluating for operational effectiveness.

Revising the plan as appropriate.

Search Group Composition The SAR team is composed (generically) of three functional components as well as a management component supported by the safety/security, information and planning, liaison and public information functions.

Personnel tasked with implementing the objectives of the search plan should consist of core and support elements which are carrying out the search on site.

The core functional elements of the search component are:

Management

Canine search

Electronic search

Physical search



The support elements must be in close proximity and in constant communications with the core elements. This consists of:

Rescue personnel.

Safety personnel.

Structures engineer.

Hazardous materials personnel.

Medical personnel.

Resource Utilization

The combined use of physical, canine and electronic search tactics will enable the Search Group to focus emphasis on the most important rescue opportunities. If the rescue and support functions are not used to their specifications, they should also be used in the search operation (physical search). To ensure effective resource utilization, the following should be considered:

Once an assigned area or work site (i.e., group of buildings, single building or separate section within a building) has been determined or assigned, the various search tactics should be determined.

The physical search capability may be used in the initial search where personnel are deployed over and around a collapse site.

• These personnel can make separate visual assessments in voids and confined spaces for detection or location of victims.
• They may also be used in a coordinated fashion as listeners.
• A bull horn or hailing device would be used to provide direction to trapped victims. The area is then quieted and the personnel listen and attempt to pinpoint the location of the noise or reply.

The canine search capability may be used for the initial search of an area to detect and locate victims, since one team can cover a significant area in a short amount of time. In the main search, it may be used as a confirmation.

The electronic search capability may be used to detect and locate victims primarily during the main search, however they may be used in the initial search to explore open voids.

• Electronic search operations are usually more site-specific and longer in duration than other search operations.
• Once a reliable indication of the general location of a victim(s) is made, the use of the electronic viewing and acoustic (listening) equipment may prove useful in precisely determining the exact location and orientation of the victim(s).

SAR Team Rescue personnel may be used to assist Search personnel with safety assessments at collapse sites, gaining access to difficult areas, deploying equipment, etc.

It is important to ensure the close interaction of the SAR Team technical component with the Search Group to provide initial assessments of building stability, hazard identification and safety-related issues. In addition, recurring assessments should be performed throughout the operations.

An important consideration in the mid- to latter stages of a mission is the need to reassess previously searched structures.

• If the profile of a building has been significantly reduced because of debris removal by heavy equipment or secondary collapse, it may become necessary to treat the structure as a new opportunity, and repeat the various search operations.

Canines need to be continually evaluated for hydration, fatigue, haz mat exposure, health concerns and cleanliness.

Prior to being released from the disaster and before starting the demobilization process, the canines should be evaluated for the following:

Inspection for injuries.

Decontamination and bathing.

Successful completion of a veterinary medical exam, if possible.

Fatigue, etc.