Transcript Search and Rescue Ground - Chatham Emergency Management …

SEARCH AND RESCUE
Land/Wilderness
Ben Morse
SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION CHIEF
SAVANNAH FIRE & EMERGENCY SERVICES
GEORGIA SEARCH & RESCUE TEAM
COORDINATOR
Search and Rescue
Land/Wilderness
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Methodology
– Terminology
– Search Techniques
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Two Types of Searches
– Land/Wilderness
– Urban Searches
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Geo-referencing
Search and Rescue
Terminology
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Search Areas
– Assigned by Incident Command
– Map
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Search Grids
Labeled
Map issued to each Team
Point Last Seen (PLS)
– Point on map where victim was last seen
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by a witness
Positive ID!
Trailhead, hunting camp, office space, work area, etc…
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Age, experience, physical fitness, how long ago sighted
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– Place to focus search around
– clues to how large search area will be
Search and Rescue
Terminology
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Last Known Position (LKP)
– During a search clues will turn up
– When they are solid enough to be reasonably certain that
the search victim left it
 Since LKP more recent than PLS
– New starting point for search
– General direction of travel
– Approximate speed of travel
Search and Rescue
Terminology
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Probability of Detection (POD)
– Likelihood of finding search subject in:
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Given search area
With technique used
Different search techniques yield different POD’s
– Coin reported in Sand Box
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Each search technique has a “probability of detection”
– More thorough: higher POD/longer it takes to search
same area
– Managing a Search is a balance of POD and Search Time
Search and Rescue
Land/Wilderness Search
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Equipment
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Maps
Handheld GPS
Compass
Suitable clothing
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Weather / Environment
– Communications with aircraft
– Food, water, first aid, etc….
– ATV’s
Search and Rescue
Land/Wilderness Search
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Search Techniques
– Bastard Search
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Look in obvious places/assume victim not lost
What the searchers call the person after crawling through
woods, etc… then finding him eating popcorn and
watching baseball
– Example: boy goes hunting and doesn’t return by dark
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Searchers called out
Boy returns home in wee hours
In reality, hunting story was fabricated to get out of chores
and spend day with Sally
Search and Rescue
Land/Wilderness Search
– When suspected – assign a team to do a hasty
search of likely places the person would go
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Considerations
– Intelligence
Latest info of plans of person
 Where they were going
 Who are the friends
 Recently made friends
– Speed
 Use radios & vehicles so planners can rule out areas
 Talk to the couple in the tent next door
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Was there an argument earlier in the day
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Leave a note on the car, etc…
Search and Rescue
Land/Wilderness Search
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Containment Search
– When search team arrives they have a PLS of victim
– Determine max area based on PLS
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How fast person walking
How long since last seen
Wind up with a circle with PLS at the center
– Direction unknown
– Make containment the top priority
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It limits your search area
– Anyone can do it
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Straight roads – two or three searchers
Even two sides of area helps
Must be vigilant – 100% that no one gets by them
Run rehab for those in deeper searches/report in by radio
regularly
Search and Rescue
Land/Wilderness Search
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Hasty Search
– 10 to 12 highly trained searchers dropped in to
virgin area
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Goal: move quickly, look for clues or lost person
Purpose: Bring a rapid end to the search
Almost slow jog, check areas person may be injured or
resting
Not directed – team has free reign
– Slow down for point search; pass open areas very rapidly
– Speed requires trained rescuers who know to look for clues
 Footprints, broken branches
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POD based on skill of rescuers and search area
Search and Rescue
Land/Wilderness Search
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Grid Search
– Typical line of searchers walking through woods
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Searchers in straight line moving slowly and
deliberately
Maintain spacing with searchers on sides
– Do not take the path of least resistance (thorn bush)
– Seldom find victim, but typically find clues
– Sometimes used to give people something to do in very
large searches
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Spacing – pack of cigarettes
Search and Rescue
Land/Wilderness Search
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Choke Point Search
– Use based on lost persons skills, and the terrain
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Large river with few bridges
– Typically not very useful where lost person is
trying to evade searchers
– Can be handled by less experienced/physically fit
teams
Search and Rescue
Land/Wilderness Search
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Track Trap Search
– Natural or man-made “traps” that capture
evidence of a lost persons passing
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Footprints in sand
Clothing caught in thorn bushes
– Where frequent lost persons are
reported,(National Parks) SAR teams build track
traps out of sand on major trails
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Track traps are raked smooth, then checked frequently
Tracks are compared to those of the lost person
Geo-referencing
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Do we need to have all Searchers
using the same system,
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Air
Ground Teams
Incident Command
Others…
Should they all at least
understand the playbook?
Geo-referencing
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Latitude / Longitude
United States National Grid
Global Area Referencing System
Lat/Long
Lat / Long
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Keeping it simple~ for Catastrophic Incident
SAR, the commonly described “Latitude and
Longitude”describes what a SAR responder
will use on a standard chart/map and what
is displayed in a GPS receiver.
Lat:
Long:
31.9794 North
81.1k685 West
Lat/Long
USNG
United States National Grid (USNG):
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Ground-based grided coordinate system
based on Universal Transverse Mercator
(UTM) System.
Basic unit of measure is the meter; positions
reported as distance north from equator and
distance from the zone central meridian.
Purpose: provide a seamless, standardized ref
system for nationwide use during times of
crisis.
US National Grid
Global Area Reference System
(GARS):
Georeferencing during a
Catastrophic Event
NSARC Georeferencing Matrix: Catastrophic
Incident SAR
Georeference System User
Land SAR Responder(2)
Aeronautical SAR Responders(3)
Air Space Deconfliction(4)
Land SAR Responder/
Aeronautical SAR Responder
Interface (5)
Incident Command:
Air SAR Coordination
Land SAR Coordination
Area organization and
accountability (6)
USNG
Lat/Long
DD-MM.mmm (1)
Primary Secondary
Secondary Primary
N/A
Primary
Primary Secondary
GARS
Secondary Primary
Primary Secondary
Secondary Tertiary
N/A
N/A
Primary
N/A
Tertiary
N/A
N/A
Georeferencing during a
Catastrophic Event
The Footnotes
1.
2.
During CIS operations, Lat/Long will be in one
standard format: DD-MM.mmm.
Land SAR Respondersmustuse USNG; however, a
good familiarity with lat/long is necessary to
ensure effective interface between Land and Air
SAR Responders.
Georeferencing during a
Catastrophic Event
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5.
6.
Air SAR Responders will use lat/long.
Air space deconfliction: only in Lat/Long.
Air SAR Responders working with Land SAR
Responders have primary responsibility of
coordinating SAR using USNG(Both need to
know USNG and Lat/Long.).
GARS (Global Area Reference System):
used for CIS response leadership
situational awareness.
Georeferencing during a
Catastrophic Event
Catastrophic Incident defined:
 any natural or manmade incident, including
terrorism, that results in extraordinary levels
of mass causalities, damage, or disruption,
severely affecting the population,
infrastructure, environment, economy,
national morale, and/or government
functions
Lat/Long –USNG -GARS
Matrix is for NSARC member agency
SAR Responders
NSARC won’t impose georeferencing
standards on volunteer, local, or State
SAR Responders; however:
Need to be aware of what to expect
when a Catastrophic Incident is
declared and NSARC member agencies
conduct SAR operations.
Lat/Long –USNG -GARS
Matrix will be implemented when a
Catastrophic Incident occurs.
(As defined in the NRF)
Questions?