Mission-Specific Competencies: Victim Rescue and Recovery

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Objectives (1 of 4)

• Describe tactical considerations such as attempting to make a rescue without the proper PPE or without backup personnel, or deciding whether a rescue attempt has a good chance of success

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Objectives (2 of 4)

• Describe entry team and backup team responsibilities

• Describe the difference between ambulatory and nonambulatory victims, and considerations for each

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Objectives (3 of 4)

• Describe the difference between rescue mode and recovery mode

• Describe considerations in providing medical care and/or decontamination to victims during rescue mode or recovery mode

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Objectives (4 of 4)

• Describe the equipment needed for search, rescue and recovery operations

• Describe the assists, lifts, and carries commonly used during rescue operations

• Describe the benefits of sheltering-in-place

• Describe the process of triage

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Protecting Life (1 of 2)

• Responder’s job is to protect life

• Risk to responder may outweigh benefit

• Decision based on– Sound information– Training– PPE and enough trained personnel

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Protecting Life (2 of 2)

• May have to attempt rescue without resources– Without adequate training– Without proper PPE (or any PPE)

• Making a victim rescue is a choice– Choose wisely

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Tactical Considerations (1 of 3)

• First, ensure enough responders are on scene.

• Do not attempt a rescue alone.

• Take time to size up the scene and understand the hazards present before responding.

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Tactical Considerations (2 of 3)

• Generally at least five responders are needed.– Two on entry team– Two on backup team– One to staff emergency decontamination

• Victim viability is an important factor.

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Tactical Considerations (3 of 3)

You should not attempt to make a rescue alone.

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Entry Team

• Two or more appropriately trained responders

• Proper level and type of PPE

• Equipped with radio communications

• With appropriate tools

• Operating under direction of supervisor

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Entry Team Responsibilities (1 of 4)

• Reconnaissance

• Mapping

• Search and rescue

• Triaging victims

• Directing victims out of contaminated environment

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Entry Team Responsibilities (2 of 4)

The START triage method.

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Entry Team Responsibilities (3 of 4)

• Non-line-of-sight situations– Require searching before rescue

• Ambulatory victims (able to walk)

• Nonambulatory victims (unable to walk)

• Carrying adult victims is physically taxing

• Decontamination necessary for all victims

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Entry Team Responsibilities (4 of 4)

Decontamination is necessary for all victims when a chemical exposure is suspected or confirmed.

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Triage (1 of 3)

• Essential at all mass-casualty incidents

• Rescue live victims with best chance of survival

• Pointless to rescue the dead– Dead are recovered later

• Follow AHJ-approved triage method

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Triage (2 of 3)

• START (Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment) system

• Assesses:– Breathing rate– Pulse rate– Mental status

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Triage (3 of 3)

• Use color-coding system to classify victims

• Shows priority for treatment and removal– Red-tagged victims are first priority– Yellow-tagged victims are second priority– Green- or black-tagged victims are lowest

priority

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Rescue Mode (1 of 2)

• Victims are present

• Victims determined to have good chance of survival

• Rescue as quickly as possible

• May transition to recovery mode

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Rescue Mode (2 of 2)

Victims with a good chance of survival are rescued as quickly as possible.

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Recovery Mode

• No chance remains of rescuing victims alive

• Systematic search

• Removal of bodies

• Decontamination may still be necessary

• Evidence collection

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Medical Care

• Generally not rendered during rescue mode

• Decontamination required

• Medical care outside the hot or warm zone

• No absolutes—always exceptions

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Backup Team (1 of 2)

• One person for each entry team member

• Dressed in same level of PPE

• Staged at same access point

• Ready to deploy in seconds

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Backup Team (2 of 2)

One backup entry team member should be provided for each entry team member.

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Emergency Decontamination (1 of 2)

• Rapidly removes bulk of contamination

• Removal of clothing

• Dousing of victim

• Addressing contaminated runoff if there is time

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Emergency Decontamination (2 of 2)

Emergency decontamination involves the immediate removal of contaminated clothing.

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Search, Rescue, and Recovery

(1 of 2)

• Time-consuming

• Dangerous

• Labor-intensive

• Stressful

• PPE causes physical problems

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Search, Rescue, and Recovery

(2 of 2)

• “Work smarter, not harder.”

• Primary team could pass on information to secondary team

• Each incident has unique factors

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Search, Rescue, and Recovery Equipment (1 of 3)

• Wear full PPE, and SCBA if necessary

• Carry proper rescue supplies and tools– Portable radio– Hand light or flashlight– Forcible-entry (-exit) tools– Thermal imaging devices (if available)

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– Long rope(s) in some cases– Tubular webbing or short rope (16–24 feet)

• For victims:– Rescue sleds (see next slide), stretchers– Evacuation chairs, spine boards– Wheeled carts

Search, Rescue, and Recovery Equipment (2 of 3)

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Search, Rescue, and Recovery Equipment (3 of 3)

Responders using a rescue sled to extricate a victim.

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Search, Rescue, and Recovery Safety Tips

• Work from a single plan

• Maintain radio contact with IC

• Monitor environmental conditions

• Adhere to personal accountability system of AHJ

• Stay with a partner

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Rescue Methods

• Assists, carries, drags– Should be practiced ahead of time

• Direct or remove victim to safe area

• Use safest means of egress

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Sheltering-in-Place

• Sometimes safer to shelter than remove

• Conscious victim

• Located in adequately protected part of building

• When not feasible, rescue is required

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Exit Assist

• One-person walking assist

• Two-person walking assist

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Victim Carries

• Two-person extremity carry

• Two-person seat carry

• Two-person chair carry

• Cradle-in-arms carry

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Emergency Drags (1 of 2)

• Clothes drag

• Blanket drag

• Standing drag

• Webbing sling drag

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Emergency Drags (2 of 2)

• Fire fighter drag

• Emergency drag from a vehicle

• Long backboard rescue

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Summary (1 of 2)

• Rescue feasibility is not exact science• Rescue attempts should be based on

sound information, good training, adequate PPE, and enough available personnel

• Reasonable expectation of a positive outcome is important

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• Team of five trained responders (not including supervisor) is recommended

• Use assists, carries, drags to aid victims• All on scene should know when incident

switches from rescue to recovery mode• A decontamination plan must be in place

Summary (2 of 2)

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