S4.7 Oriented vs split Search

Oriented vs. Split Search

• Searching from the front door is accepted as the gold standard for residential primary searches.
• Hasty search and VES may be used in certain scenarios

TIC Lead Search

• The officer remains at the door and directs firefighters where to search while using the TIC.
• A thermal imaging camera (TIC) is a line-of-sight tool, and the officer must be out in front and lead from different positions throughout the house.
• It also has limitations in its functions and our understanding of the technology.

Oriented Search

• From Chief Skip Coleman (Toledo, Ohio).
• It is an officer-led search, with the officer determining the areas to search and then having the firefighters search those areas.

Stay on the Wall, Search Train

• Some say the "Stay on the Wall, Search Train" is not an effective way to search.
• Understanding and definitions can vary leading to debates.
• Approaches to search may seem conflicting like republicans and democrats
• An easier way to differentiate between the two is to compare them to Junior Varsity and Varsity Football teams

Differences in Search

• Oriented and split searches share a consistent set of rules and the same objective.
• The level and speed at which they play the game are what differs
• In search, the big difference is how closely the searchers stay together and how much direction is needed to be given.

Responsibilities

• When a crew is assigned a task, the officer or senior man directs the crew how to complete the task.
• They must report back to the IC whether the benchmark has been completed, unable to complete, or if more resources are needed.
• The junior member is often the "worker bee", spending the majority of his or her effort on the task.

Officer Responsibilities in Search

• Responsible for getting the task done
• Directing the order of areas to be searched
• Assuring thoroughness (all areas get searched)
• Setting the tempo
• Maintaining accountability
• Finding a way out when a victim is found or once the search is done.

Firefighter Responsibilities in Search

• Being accountable to be sure each room searched was searched completely
• Report and remove any victims to his/her officer
• Knowing where they are in the building in relation to the officer.

The Oriented Search

• Good when searching from the front door if there can only be one search team.
• If the hose-line is already in place, follow the line to the fire to assure it is in place.
• This is because the oriented search team typically enters from the front door which gives easy access to the whole house.
• The majority of victims are found between the front door and fire and then the bedrooms.
• Search from the front door puts the searchers in the best position to find victims.

Priorities of Search Area

• Areas where victims are in the most danger
• Areas where they are most likely to be.
• On the fire floor, go to the fire and then search out from there.
• When not on the fire floor, the search should start at the point of entry.

Search Progression

• Clear the fire room, then move to the bedrooms
• Clear front door to the fire (36% of victims)
• Clear the bedrooms (45-55% of victims).
• Oriented search clearly defines the focus of the searchers into two areas:

Officer:

• Leads the search and drops member into room to be searched while he/she decides where to search and sets the tempo.
• Responsible to set priority on what needs to be searched first and next, and to assure all areas searched.
• Responsible to maintain orientation
• Plan exit if victim found
• Coordinate with attack and IC
• Watch out for crew safety and to maintain crew integrity.

Firefighter/Searcher:

• Leaves striking tool at door.
• Searches from front door while officer locates fire
• Follows direction of officer and gets dumped into rooms as crew moves through house.
• Searches with hands
• Maintains tool or leaves tool at doorway of specific room being searched.

Officer Lead Benefits

• Better allows them to control the tempo of the search.
• Most often times the officer has more experience which equals being able to quickly recognize situations and what actions must take place.
• Recognizing allows them to get directions to the firefighter.
• This leads to delay and an opportunity for misinformation if the firefighter must relay info to the officer
• By leading, they can set the pace and reduce the amount of communication that is needed.

Officer Activity

• Get a look for Life, Fire and Layout and move towards the fire.
• Confirm attack team has enough hose and water is on the fire
• Confirm the fire area has been searched.
• Search officer should search the fire room while the firefighter searches outside of the fire room if it needs searching

Search Team Actions

• If any areas need addressed, they should be before the search team moves on.
• If the fire area has been searched by the attack team, then the search team must be sure to come back and get a secondary once the rest of the building has been searched.
• Move towards the bedrooms to begin their search if no other option
• Once the bedrooms are all clear the search team should systematically search back towards the front door.
• Search team can report where the fire is to the attack team.
• Goal is to get to the bedrooms as quickly as possible after fire area has been searched

Search Team Formation

• Move in a line and offset to cover more ground as they move towards the bedrooms, do not search large area
• Once the bedrooms have been identified the oriented man literally dumps the searcher into the room to be searched.
• Then he quickly TIC's behind the searcher to call out layout and any victims.
• As the searcher searches, searches the common areas nearby, watches out for their safety and changing fire conditions but most importantly, identifies the next area to be searched.
• The role is to direct the search and maintain an overall big picture mindset.
• Goes in each room and completes the search.

Search Customization

• If the conditions are mild, then the firefighters can be further apart (voice or visual) and can "split search" or leapfrog rooms.
• The oriented man DOES actively search.
• If the conditions are bad or the searcher is new, the oriented man may choose to stay closer to the firefighter.
• In an area that bedrooms are clustered together the oriented person can search the hall and the bathroom while waiting for the searcher to finish the bedrooms.
• Maintain orientation, this allows the searcher to concentrate solely on the search.
• Searcher can search the room as fast as possible, knowing that someone is in the hall, within voice contact looking out for them.

Search Tools

• The searcher can leave the halligan at the door to the bedroom he/she is in, allowing searcher to use both hands to better identify objects in the room.
• Officer/Oriented man is close by and can bring it up if needed

Search Tasks

• The searcher must check behind doors, under beds, above beds (to check for presence of bunk beds) and in closets.
• Not necessary to search walls unless you are specifically looking for a window to open or to use for egress.

Staying Together

• OSHA says we need to stay in contact one of three ways (since they are in a hazardous environment).
  • Voice
  • Visual
  • Touch
• Two things will dictate which method the searchers choose to stay in contact are:

Fire Conditions:

• The worse the conditions, the closer the searchers will want to stay together.
• The better the conditions are then the further they can safely be from each other.
• If the goal is to search quickly this is best done if searchers can spread out.

Training Level:

• If two seasoned firefighters are working together and have for a while, then they are likely to know what each other is going to do and search further apart from each other.
• If an officer has a new firefighter, then he will likely stay close to him/her so that the officer can keep a close eye on the new firefighter.

Split Search

• The goal is to quickly locate and remove victims.
• As members gain experience, spread out further apart.
• As members spread apart, search moves from an oriented search to a split search.
• officer or senior member is still responsible for all the tasks previously mentioned.
• Still responsible for all what is listed above however in split search they may be able to do those things and be able to search as well.
• Conditions and experience allow for this which will allow for the search to be completed faster-which is the goal.

Splitting the Space

• Medical calls are good opportunities to practice splitting the space.
• Once the patient has been taken care of step back and have a quick talk on how you'd split the space.
• Some options for splitting depending on the layout are:
  • Master bedroom and other bedrooms
  • Left and right house split
  • Left and right hall split
  • Leap frog rooms

Split Search Benefits

• Getting a chance to talk about allows for less guessing on the fire ground.
• In split searching, its not uncommon for both members to carry a bar.

Search Conclusion

• When we debate which is better-an oriented search or a split search we miss the bigger picture.
• Both have their place and both are similar in how they are completed.
• The main difference is how closely the searchers stay together and how much direction is needed to be given.
• The worse the conditions the tighter the crew stays.
• The better the conditions the further away they can get to speed up the search.
• The more familiar the crew is with each other and the more trained and seasoned they are, the further they can spread out from each other.
• The ultimate goal of the search is to quickly locate and remove victims, you can do this quicker the further apart we are.
• Understand roles, understand when can and should spread out and get those searches done quickly!