P1258794047OKBXS

1

WATER RESCUE
ARE YOU READY?
2
Water Rescue Awareness
3
WHO SHOULD HAVE TRAINING?

• Anyone who works on, around, or near water
• Fire Departments
• EMS
• Police

4
WHO SHOULD HAVE TRAINING?

• Municipal employees
• Road crews
• Utility workers
• Outdoor professionals
• Other

5
SOURCES OF WATER EMERGENCIES

• Moving water
• Floods
• Flash flooding
• Ice rescue

6
SOURCES OF WATER EMERGENCIES

• Residential
• Industrial
• Ponds/lakes
• Rivers and streams
• Mud

7
FLASH FLOOD DROWNING

• Flash floods
• 1 weather related killer in the U.S. source
  NOAA
• Over 50 occur in vehicles
• 2nd highest was walking into or near flood waters

8
DID YOU KNOW?

• Most cars can be swept away in 18-24 of moving
  water.
• Turn Around, Dont Drown NOAA public safety
  campaign

9
Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death
in America
10
DROWNING FACTS

• In 2000 3,281 unintentional drownings in U.S.
• (Does not include boating related
  incidents)
• Approximately 9/day
• 2001 Males accounted for 78 of drownings
• For every child who drowns 3 received emergency
  care for non-fatal submersion injuries
• 40 required hospitalization

• Source Water Related Injuries Fact Sheet -
  CDC

11
AGE
12
HAS YOUR AGENCY PLANNED FOR WATER EMERGENCIES?
13
Fixed Facilities, are we ready
14
(No Transcript)
15
Katrina Operational Impacts
All While Keeping An Eye On Rita
16
Boat Ambulances
17
BOATING INJURIES FATALITIES

• Most common causes of boating fatalities
• Capsizing and Falls Overboard 57
• Most common boats involved in fatalities
• Open Motorboat 16 feet or less
• Canoes/Kayak

Source Boating Statistics 2003 - USCG
18
BOATING INJURIES FATALITIES

• 86 where not wearing a PFD
• Approximately 416 lives could have been saved if
  PFD had been worn

Source Boating Statistics 2003 - USCG
19
SELF RESCUE
20
WHAT FACTORS SHOULD AN AGENCY CONSIDER WHEN
PLANNING FOR A WATER EMERGENCY?
21
PLANNING

• By focusing on planning and practice, rescuers
  can prepare for the dangers and difficulties
  associated with water emergencies.

22
PLANNING

• Personnel
• Equipment
• Training
• Survey waterways
• (evaluate areas of past accidents first )
  
• Seasonal and environmental changes

FACTORS TO CONSIDER
23
PLANNING

• Site access
• Agency cooperation
• Community education
• Standard Operational Guidelines (SOGs)
• Other

FACTORS TO CONSIDER
24
Search Challenges Hailing Method ?
25
Special Needs
26
WHAT TYPE OF HAZARDS COULD YOU FIND ON A RIVER?
27
WATER HAZARDS

• Natural
• Swift water
• Poor visibility - night
• Undercuts (rocks and banks)
• Shore line conditions

28
WATER HAZARDS

• Natural
• Cold water
• Water depth
• Geological river features
• Strainers
• Weather

29
WATER HAZARDS

• Man Made
• Intake pipes
• Man hole covers
• Low head dams
• Roads and bridges
• Pollution

30
TYPES OF WATER EMERGENCIES

• Single victim
• Multiple victims
• Entrapments
• Vehicle
• House
• Natural
• Recreational
• Boating
  Accidents
• Swimming

31
TYPES OF WATER EMERGENCIES

• Hazardous materials
• Swift water
• Flash flooding
• Ice
• Homeland Security/WMD
• Criminal
• Suicide

32
WHAT TYPES OF WATER EMERGENCIES COULD OCCUR IN
YOUR COMMUNITY?
33
Release of impoundments
34
WHAT TYPE OF HAZARDS DO YOU SEE WHEN DRIVING DOWN
A CITY STREET?
35
(No Transcript)
36
Hazards
37
Hazardous Materials
38
Hazards
39
Louisiana - Potential Vectors
40
Other Issues
41
WHY DO RESCUERS DROWN?
42
RESCUERS DROWN

• Reasons
• Not wearing PFD
• Overestimate skill
• Underestimate power and dynamics of water

43
RESCUERS DROWN

• Reasons
• Inadequate training
• Lack of equipment
• Insufficient backup
• Underestimate cold water

44
FIRE FIGHTER FATALITIES RANKED BY CAUSE (1995
2004)
441
320
Drowning - 6th
95
23
22
14
13
48
Source NFPA Dr. Rita Fahy
45
DYNAMICS of MOVING WATER
46
Outside Bend
Inside Bend
River Left
River Right
Helical Flow
Laminar Flow
River Current
47
Strainer
48
Undercut Rock
49
Eddy
Eddy Line
50
Pillow
51
Upstream "V"
52
Downstream "V"
53
Horizontal Line
Low-Head Dam
54
Boil Line
Outwash
Backwash
55
Hydraulic/Hole
56
Standing Wave
57
Water Rescue programs are based upon the acronym
S.A.F.E. R.E.S.C.U.E.
58
S.A.F.E.

• Self rescue skills mastered
• Adequate backup critical
• Follow the Rescue Sequence
• Equipment use practiced

59
R.E.S.C.U.E.

• Rescue Recovery approached with distinction
• Evaluate personal and team ability
• Stress planning practice
• Cooperation between all involved in the rescue
  operation
• Understand POWER of moving water
• Environmental conditions complicate the rescue

60
Life Safety

• Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)
• Five different types
• USCG Approved
• III and V
• Inflatable not appropriate for moving water
• Design considerations
• proper size
• visibility
• pockets
• whistle, knife, carabineer

61
HOW DO YOU PROPERLY DON A PFD?
62
Personal Equipment

• Wet suits
• provides short term protection
• Dry suits
• variety of types
• may insulate / may provide contamination barrier
• Exposure/immersion or ice rescue suits
• not recommended for moving water
• Helmet and eye protection, clear and tinted
• protection top, back, and sides
• Hands - gloves
• Feet - foot wear

63
Personal Protection

• Durable and provide maximum protection
• Dress in layers
• Withstand weather conditions
• Not restrict performance
• Inner (silk or polypro)
• Middle (wool or polyester)
• Outer (coated nylon or breathable fabric)

64
SELF RESCUE

• Self rescue position when floating in moving
  water
• Allows rescuer to evaluate downstream hazards
• On your back
• Feet pointed downstream and at the surface
• When going over a vertical drop, form a ball
• Exception would be if encountering a strainer

65
SELF RESCUE

• Never attempt to stand
• possible foot entrapment
• Utilize dynamics of moving water to ferry
• Move across current (eddy hop)
• Angle head and body towards destination
• Point head in direction of travel
• Backstroke and kick hard

66
SELF RESCUE

• If you choose to swim aggressively
• Skill is physically demanding
• Rescuer must know personal strengths and
  limitations
• Requires more power
• Used to reach eddy, shore or avoid a strainer
• Roll over on stomach and swim aggressively to
  target
• Entering an eddy, combine a barrel roll to cross
  the eddy line

67
STRAINER SELF RESCUE

• Avoid if at all possible
• Exception to self rescue position
• Rotate and roll onto stomach
• Keep feet at surface during rotation
• Pick point to engage strainer
• Swim head first as hard as you can
• Grab strainer
• Pull self over ( must be fast )
• Assume self rescue position or stay on top of
  strainer

68
MOVING WATER CROSSINGS

• Factors to consider
• water depth
• current speed
• rescuer strength and size
• hazards below crossing
• Two types of crossings
• single rescuer crossing
• multiple rescuer crossing

69
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARRIVE ON THE SCENE
FIRST?
70
FIRST ON SCENE

• Ensure 911 activation
• Ensure personal safety don personal flotation
  device (PFD)
• Customize with
• Whistle
• Knife
• Two locking carabineers
• Wear appropriate protective clothing and helmet
• No Turn Out Gear!

71
FIRST ON SCENE

• Communicate with individual
• Whistle/hand signals/bull horn/lights
• Keep individual calm
• Do they have a cell phone?
• Keep individual from entering the water

72
FIRST ON SCENE

• Consider shore-based rescue techniques
• Reaching and throwing techniques
• Never have a person leave a safe location without
  a PFD

73
FIRST ON SCENE

• Obtain information
• Secure and control bystanders and witnesses
• Complete Missing Persons Description Form
• Determine PLS/LKP
• Pick points and mark shoreline
• Monitor water level
• Place stick at shore line
• Pick point on a fixed object (i.e. vehicle wheel)

74
9-1-1 INFORMATION

• Nature of the emergency
• Brief description of what you observe
• Number of individuals
• Point Last Scene (PLS)/Last Known Point (LKP)

75
9-1-1 INFORMATION

• Exact location
• Address/Road
• River/lake/access/name
• Shore (river right or left)
• Distance from a known point
• GPS location

76
9-1-1 INFORMATION

• Scene hazards
• Known visible
• Potential
• Rising water
• Hazmat/pollution
• Utilities (electrical/gas)
• Provide a call back number and only hang up after
  instructed by 9-1-1 dispatch

77
WHAT SHOULD I DO UNTIL HELP ARRIVES?
78
ACCIDENT SCENE CONSIDERATIONS

• Ensure scene safety
• Wear PPE
• NO TURN
• OUT GEAR!!!!
• Establish
• Command
• Safety officer
• Accountability system

79
ACCIDENT SCENE CONSIDERATIONS

• Assess victim and water
• Follow BSI precautions
• (Body Substance Isolation)
• All flood victims
• are considered
• contaminated

80
S.O.G.

• Agency developed guidelines identify
• PPE
• Training standards
• Level of urgency (low/moderate/high)
• Rescue vs. recovery guidelines
• Zones
• Hot/warm/cold (10, 15, 25 feet)

81
S.O.G.

• Agency developed guidelines identify
• Rescue techniques and equipment
• Visual, audible and radio communication
• Backup (mutual aid)
• Accountability
• Other

82
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESCUE AND RECOVERY
OPERATIONS?
83
RESCUE VS. RECOVERY

• Individuals have been successfully revived after
  being under water for over one hour
• Keep track of time individual has been underwater
• Helps determine rescue vs. recovery mode

84
RESCUE vs RECOVERY

• Influencing factors
• Number one consideration - individual team
  safety
• Utilize judgment and experience, not compassion
• Evaluate team experience and training Can they
  handle the rescue ?

85
RESCUE vs RECOVERY

• Influencing factors
• Complexity of the rescue
• Length of submersion
• Equipment availability
• Victim condition / of victims
• Location of victim
• Water and environmental conditions

86
PROVIDE WATER SAFETY EDUCATION TO YOUR COMMUNITY
87
COMMUNITY EDUCATION

• Present water safety programs to community groups
• Post warning signs
• Develop public service announcements (PSAs) for
  local media sources
• Use national events i.e. National Safe Boating
  Week

88
WHAT ARE THE NATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR WATER RESCUE?
89
NFPA 1670

• National Fire Protection Association
• Established guidelines to identify minimum
  knowledge and skills rescue personnel should have
• Three levels
• Awareness
• Operations
• Technician

90
Awareness Level

• Minimum capability
• First on the scene
• Hazard recognition
• Personal protection (you and others)
• Activate the Emergency Response System
• Gather data
• Generally not considered rescuers

91
Operations Level

• Capability of hazard recognition
• Equipment Use
• Effectively support and participate in a
  technical rescue incident
• Usually under the supervision of technician-level
  personnel

92
Technician Level

• Capability of hazard recognition
• Equipment Use
• Techniques to safely and effectively coordinate,
  perform, and supervise a technical rescue incident

93
Direct Contact Rescue
94
(No Transcript)
95
EBOR

• 16 hours
• Training includes
• Boat Selection
• Outfitting Equipment
• Boat Handling
• Moving-Water Tactics
• Boat Rescue Techniques

96
(No Transcript)
97
WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT THE TRAINING?
98
Training Requirements

• Students must be prepared to engage in strenuous
  activities in extreme weather and water
  environments
• Must be in good physical condition
• Must be able to swim

99
Training Requirements

• At least 18 years of age
• Not have a medical condition that could
  foreseeably jeopardize his/her safety during
  participation or be aggravated by participation

100
PROGRAM REVIEW

• Increase knowledge of water emergencies
• Identify risks and hazards associated with water
• Protect yourself and others
• Know what to do when first on scene

101
PROGRAM REVIEW

• Activate the EMS system and provide essential
  information
• Recognize the importance of water rescue planning
  and SOGs
• Distinguish the difference between rescue vs.
  recovery
• Flood Emergency Response Guidelines

102
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
103

• PA Fish Boat Commission
• SWIFTWATER
• Rescue Training
• Courses
• For the Emergency
• Responder

104
Last resort..... self rescue!
105

WATER RESCUE
ARE YOU READY?