Search and Rescue Operations

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USC CERT

• Search and Rescue Operations

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Search and Rescue

• In a disaster, CERT teams assist with light
  search rescue
• A team may be assigned to search a particular
  building or area
• LIGHT search rescue
• Heavy rescue (collapsed building) done by
  professionals

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• People trapped after a disaster can survive
  hours or even days
• The more quickly they are rescued the better
  their chance of survival

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Search and Rescue Operations

• Search
• Assess damage/sizeup situation
• Locate victims.
• Document location.
• Rescue
• Extricate victims
• Triage/stabilize
• Move victims
• Mark location as searched

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Objectives Of Search And Rescue

• Rescue greatest number in shortest amount of time
• Rescue lightly trapped victims first
• Always protect rescuer safety

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Decision To Attempt Rescue

• Risk involved to the rescuer
• Most important person is rescuer!
• Greatest good for greatest number of people

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Sizeup

• Assess Damage.
• Analyze Situation.
• Develop action plan.

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Gather facts

• Time of Day/Day of week
• Type of Structure
• Occupancy of Building
• Construction type
• Hazards

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Assess Damage

• Three levels of damage
• Light damage
• Moderate damage
• Major damage

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When to Search Rescue

• LIGHT DAMAGE YES
• MODERATE DAMAGE Cautiously
• HEAVY DAMAGE NO

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LIGHT DAMAGE

• Superficial damage
• Broken windows
• Fallen or cracked plaster
• Minor damage to interior contents
• Few small hairline cracks

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LIGHT DAMAGE

• Locate, triage and remove victims gradually
• Transport victims to field hospital or treatment
  areas

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MODERATE DAMAGE

• Substantial damage in many areas
• Multiple visible cracks in walls
• Substantial damage to interior such as
• many toppled furnishings,
• fallen ceilings

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MODERATE DAMAGE

• Locate, stabilize and immediately evacuate
  victims to a safe area
• Minimize the amount of time spent in the building

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MAJOR DAMAGE

• Major cracks more than 1/8 in loadbearing walls
• Major damage to loadbearing columns or beams
• Large X-shaped cracks in the building exterior
• Building leaning
• Partial collapse

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MAJOR DAMAGE

• Secure the building perimeter
• Vocal triage
• DO NOT enter the building
• Wait for heavy rescue teams

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Single-Family Dwellings

• Wood Frame light damage to masonry/chimneys
• Pre-1940 House may slide off foundation
• Hillside ground failure and considerable damage

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Pre-1933 Unreinforced Brick/Masonry

• Bricks on edge every 5-7 rows
• Expect Heavy Damage unless well reinforced
• Walls collapse first, then the roof

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Tilt-Up Structures

• Expect Heavy Damage
• Lightweight roof construction makes them subject
  to collapse

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Steel Frame High-Rise Buildings

• Usually Light or Moderate Damage
• Structures are reinforced
• Main damage will be
• broken glass
• content movement
• exterior trim/facades

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Search Operations

• Make rescuer safety your primary concern.
• Use a buddy system.
• Be alert for hazards.
• Use safety equipment.
• Rotate teams.
• TeamworkSuccess

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Locating Victims

• Identify VOIDS where victims may be

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Conducting Search Operations
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Pancake Voids
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Conducting Search Operations
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Lean-To Voids
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V Voids
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V Voids
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Individual Voids
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• Individual Voids

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Search Systematically
Call out to victims
Use systematic search pattern
Stop frequently to listen
Triangulate
Mark searched areas/document
Report results
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Call Out to Victims
Anyone that can hear me, come to the sound of my
voice!
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Use Systematic Search Pattern

• Bottom Up/Top Down (multi-story buildings)
• Right Wall/Left Wall

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Listen Carefully

• Stop periodically to listen for taps, movement
  or voices

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Triangulate

• Use flashlights to point towards victim sounds

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Use the Buddy System

• One person stays outside
• Minimum of two enters building

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Use Search Markings
TIME IN 1430 hrs
TIME OUT 1520 hrs
Boxing the X in means dont re-enter.
Gold Team
GAS OFF
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1
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Document Results
Keep complete records both of removed victims and
of victims who remain trapped or dead.
If you dont document it didnt get done!
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Rescue Operations
Primary Functions

• Creating a safe rescue environment
• Lift objects out of the way
• Use tools to remove objects
• Remove debris
• Triaging or stabilizing victims
• Removing victims

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Creating A Safe Environment

• Maintain rescuer safety
• Triage in lightly damaged buildings
• Stabilize and evacuate victims quickly from
  moderately damaged buildings
• Note Never attempt a rescue from a stuck
  elevator

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Removing Victims
Types of victim removal include ...

• Self-removal or assist
• Lifts and drags

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Extrication Method
Depends upon ...

• General stability of immediate environment
• Number of rescuers available
• Strength and ability of rescuers
• Condition of victim

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Lifting/Cribbing
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Lifting/Cribbing

• Lifting using a lever to lift an object.
• Cribbing using boards, blocks etc. to stabilize
  something we have lifted
• Box Cribbing arranging boards in a box
  configuration to stabilize heavy objects

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Lifting/Cribbing
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Moving Victims

• Avoid strength moves
• Think rescuer and victim safety

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Patient Carries
Assist a lightly injured person to walk
REMEMBER Let the walking wounded walk!
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Patient Carries
Use a blanket to drag a victim
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Patient Carries
Use the Chair Carry to move patients through
tight areas
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Two Person Carry
This helps the rescuers maintain good control
over the patient
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Using the Evacu-Trac Chair
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Evaluate Progress Periodically

• Re-evaluate safety of team members
• Re-evaluate resources
• Re-evaluate progress