Wilderness

Introduction

In 1956,the National Search and Rescue Plan was published. This plan established the United States Air Force as the executive agent for inland search and rescue, covering the continental United States, less the major navigable waterways.

There are four core elements in Wilderness SAR operations:

Locate the victim

Reach the victim

Stabilize the victim

Evacuate the victim

Many times in a wilderness search and rescue, the time is spent in trying to locate the victim. Due to this time in determining the location of the victim, the other areas might have to be reduced for survivability.

There are seven (7) components that are used to complete the elements of a SAR operation:

Pre-planning -The Organization and Management Guidelines. Includes call-out procedures/guidelines and equipment.

Notification -We have to be notified of a problem before we can handle it.

Planning and Strategy -The process of gathering information so that an assessment can be done.

Tactics -Type of response or solution to handle the problem.

Operations -The field phase where the tactical solutions are carried out.

Suspension -Operation is discontinued.

Critique -Evaluation of the participants, methods and strategies.

Valuable resources in wilderness search and rescue:

Search dogs are able to cover a tremendous amount of area in a short period as compared to humans.

Trackers are trained to look for clues and many times familiar with the area.

Aircraft is able to cover a large area and technology allows the crew to search more in depth.

Ground air search specialist.

Rope rescue specialists.

Water rescue specialists.

Trench rescue specialist.

Collapse building search

Calculating search urgency is a tool that can be used to determine the response that is going to be given to a search and rescue. The following factors are taken into consideration: (See search urgency form in handouts)

Subject Profile

Weather Profile

Equipment Profile

Subject Experience Profile

Terrain and Hazards Profile

History of Incidents in this area

Bastard Search

Note: The lower the value of each factor and of the sum of all factors, the more urgent the situation. ( See Relative Urgency Rating Factors Sheet)

There are three broad types of responses used dependant on search urgency.

1. Emergency Response -Based on information, convinced death or serious injury could occur if help does not arrive. Blitz or Hasty Team -minimum number of experienced rescuers that are sent out to locate the victim. This is followed by a support team with additional equipment. The margin of safety is fairly narrow and a perceptible amount of risk involved in the necessary response.

2. Measured Response -based on when appropriate information on hand is insufficient to dictate the exact outline of a search and rescue action plan.

3. Evaluative Response -Occurs when the reported problem is unconfirmed or seems likely to resolve itself.

Lost person(s) report

This goal of interviewing and obtaining information from participant( s) or witnesses is to devise an effective course of action.

Each lost person receives a file.

Part I -Is information that is critical in determining decisions of the initiation phases of a search.

Part II -May be significant later in the mission.

As with any rescue operation rescuers are faced with certain hazards. There are four general hazards associated with wilderness SAR operations:

1. Personal Hazards include blisters, scrapes, scratches, falls, blows, bruises, dehydration, etc.
2. Environmental Hazards include insect bites and stings, poisonous plants, exposure injuries, snow-blindness, altitude illness, lightning, sunburn, dangerous wildlife, etc.
3. Terrain Hazards include cliffs, avalanches, standing water (e.g., ponds, lakes), flat ice (e.g., ponds, lakes), moving water, caves, mines, wells, high winds, snow, coastal white water surf, etc.
4. Man-Made Hazards include booby-trapped stills and labs, hazardous materials dumps, trained attack dogs, etc.

There are four basic means of establishing a probable search area:

1. The Theoretical Method. The probable search area is generated in this method by using tables that express the area as a function of distance traveled by the lost subject. This necessitates a reliable determination of the Point Last Seen (PLS). The area's boundary is a circle drawn on the map centered on the PLS. The length of its radius is the maximum distance the victim could have journeyed in that terrain in the time elapsed since he was last seen.
2. The Statistical Method. Case studies of people in the wilderness provide the data for this method.
3. The Subjective Method. Historical data, intuition, the location of the natural barriers and clues, and consideration of the physical and mental limitations of the victim are taken into account.
4. The Mattson Method. Balances subjective and objective information and uses individual personnel to view their probable search area independently, then combining their percentage of where he/she thinks they are to the rest of the group. The total percentage from all personnel involved is added and the greatest percent is where the search will be started.

Three types of search tactics used to search for the victim(s):

Type I (Detection Phase) -Hasty Teams (Minimum number of experienced rescuers that are sent out to locate the victim

Type II- Open Grid is relatively fast, efficient search of locales of high probability using methods that produce the highest results per hour using search dogs, wide search patterns flow by aircraft, and open grid sweep searches. Which is three to seven searchers widely spaced at approximately 300-600 feet.

Type III -Close Grid is compromised of approximately thirty searchers walking in a line approximately 1 S to 20 feet apart. May be less for evidence recovery .

Initial Tasks of a First-in Company are:

1. Establish Incident Management System

2. Evaluate Search Urgency

3. Obtain Lost Persons Report

4. Determine Type of Response

5. Determine Available Resources

6. Determine Probable Search Area

Relative Urgency Rating Factors Sheet

Lost Person Checklist