04-12B Water Rescue Operations SOG PDF

Standard Operating Guideline (SOG) Water Rescue Team Operations Effective Date: 04/01/2024 Procedure Number 04-12B Revised Date: Number of Pages...

Standard Operating Guideline (SOG) Water Rescue Team Operations Effective Date: 04/01/2024 Procedure Number 04-12B Revised Date: Number of Pages 5 1. Overview: This guideline provides operational considerations for the first-arriving SLCFD unit at the scene of a water-based rescue incident. It is not intended to be all encompassing, but rather, provides a general guideline for size-up considerations, tactical assignments, safety priorities and initial actions during the first phases of a water rescue operation. 2. Definitions: A. Downstream Safety. A trained swiftwater rescuer, located downstream of an entry point, who is ready to deploy a rescue device or perform a swiftwater rescue tactic to a victim or rescuer unable to self-extricate from a hazardous environment. B. Flotation Aids. Devices that provide supplemental flotation for persons in the water but do not meet U.S. Coast Guard performance criteria. C. General Area. The area surrounding the incident site whose size is proportional to the size and nature of the incident and, within the general area, access by people, heavy machinery and vehicles is limited and strictly controlled. D. Ice Rescue. Any reconnaissance, rescue, or recovery operation that involves ice-covered bodies of water. Victims can be on the surface of, surrounded by, or below the ice layer. E. Incident Action Plan (IAP). An oral or written plan containing operational period objectives, and the response strategy defined by Incident Command during response planning. It contains general tactics to achieve goals and objectives within the overall strategy, while providing important information on event and response parameters. F. Patient Survivability Profile (PSP). A general assessment of the survivability potential of a patient involved in an emergency incident. Factors may include but are not limited to, the mechanism of injury and/or the nature of the illness, patient down-time, the difficulty of access, the duration of rescue operations, injuries incompatible with life, etc. G. Point Last Seen (PLS). The single point on the surface of the water where a missing or submerged person was last spotted by a reliable witness. H. Reach/Extension Device: Any device for water rescue that can be extended to a person in the water so that he or she can grasp it and be pulled safely without physically contacting the rescuer. I. Reach, Throw, Row, Go: The four sequential steps in water rescue with progressively more risk to the rescuer. Specifically, a “Go” rescue involves physically enter the medium (e.g., in the water or on the ice). J. Recovery Mode. Nonemergency operations carried out by responders to retrieve property or the remains of a victim. The pace and tempo are typically slower than Rescue Mode. K. Rescue Area. Sometimes called the “hot” or “danger” zone, an area surrounding the incident site that has a size proportional to the hazards that exist. L. Rescue Mode. Those activities directed at locating endangered persons at an emergency incident, removing those persons from danger, treating the injured, and providing for transport to an appropriate health care facility. The pace and tempo are typically faster than Recovery Mode. M. Risk/Benefit Analysis: A decision made by a responder based on hazed identification and situation assessment that weighs the risk likely to be taken against the benefits to be gained for taking those risks. 04-12B Water Rescue Operations SOG, Page 1 of 5  N. Shore-based Rescue: Any technique or procedure that provides a means for extracting a person from the water that does not require and member of the rescue team to leave the safety of the shore. O. Sub-Surface Water Rescue: Rescue of a victim who is beneath on the surface of a body of water. P. Surface Water Rescue: Rescue of a victim who is afloat on the surface of a body of water. Q. Swiftwater: Water moving at a rate greater than one knot (1.15 mph). R. Upstream Spotter: An individual with proper alerting equipment tasked with providing notification of impending hazards or changes of conditions that could affect search and/or rescue operations downstream. S. Water-based: Environments in and around water including but not limited to; static water, swift/moving water, floods, ice, surface water, subsurface water, etc. T. Water-bound Victim: A victim who is in the water needing assistance. U. Water Rescue. The application of special knowledge, skills, and equipment to safely resolve unique or complex rescue situations involving water. V. Water Rescue Team (WRT): Members of the SLCFD who are specially trained and currently certified to the NFPA Technician Level (NFPA 1006 and 2500) in surface water rescue, swiftwater rescue, dive rescue and ice rescue, and who currently hold a bid spot at the Water Rescue Station. 3. Guideline: It is the policy of the Salt Lake City Fire Department Water Rescue Team (WRT) to broaden the safety margin of all fire and rescue personnel and to promote operational efficiency by establishing minimum operational guidelines for use during WRT responses that present water-based hazards. All SLCFD WRT personnel shall comply with the following procedures and, where applicable, with: NFPA 2500; NFPA 1500; and NFPA 1006. Failure to observe these guidelines (and all other SLCFD and/or Salt Lake City Corp. policies) may result in death and may render the supervisor (Incident Commander, WRT Captain) and/or SLCFD Member subject to action from the Salt Lake City Corp. and the SLCFD. This may also include civil and criminal penalties as defined by law. A. Water Rescue Incident Priorities: Incident priorities during all SLCFD water-based rescue operations shall be: 1. Life safety of the rescuers and patients. 2. Stabilization of the scene and rescue of the patients. 3. Property conservation. 4. Environmental protection. B. General Safety: Water Rescue operations require Technician Level skills and involve varying degrees of risk. SLCFD personnel should understand the situational hazards and take the appropriate steps to safeguard themselves, their team members, and the public/patients. All SLCFD members, including Water Rescue Team members, shall operate only within their specified/documented level of training. WRT personnel must be 100% proficient in their performance of the skills, processes, and evolutions as described in the SLCFD WRT approved texts and as taught during training. Since the preservation of life is the number one goal, there is little room for error. During all SLCFD water-based rescue operations, Command, in conjunction with the Safety Officer, shall ensure that the following general safety practices are observed throughout the entire operation or incident. 1. The Incident Management System shall be implemented with a visible and strong Command presence. 04-12B Water Rescue Operations SOG, Page 2 of 5  2. A trained and designated Safety Officer (SO) shall be assigned early in the incident. Ideally, this Safety Officer is Water Rescue trained (i.e., Technical Safety Officer – TSO). 3. All personnel shall wear the appropriate level of PPE based on the rescue situation and environment. This may include, but is not limited to: Type V PFD, helmet, whistle, cutting tool, gloves, boots, ice rescue exposure suit/dry suit with appropriate thermal protection, harness, ice awls, etc. 4. Operational Zones shall be established if needed and all nonessential personnel backed away from the rescue scene. Rescues shall wear the appropriate PPE based on their Operational Zone assignment. 5. Command and/or the Rescue Group Supervisor should conduct a Patient Survivability Profile (PSP) and a Risk/Benefit Analysis early in the incident. The decision to run the incident in the Rescue Mode or Recovery Mode, as well as the overall operational strategy, should be clearly defined and communicated to all involved personnel. 6. A trained Rapid Intervention Team (backup personnel) should be in place prior to any rescue attempt or as soon as is practically and logistically possible. 7. Rescuers should work in pairs, with a qualified and equipped backup person for each rescuer where and whenever possible. 8. In Swiftwater, two Upstream Spotters and two Downstream Safeties should be in place as soon as possible and before any WRT member enters the waterway. 9. A Personnel Accountability Report (PAR) system shall be implemented. 10. All hazards shall be identified and minimized/controlled prior to the deployment of rescue personnel. 11. Establish and maintain an effective communication system/plan. 12. All systems, rigging, watercraft, dive equipment, etc. shall be safety checked prior to usage or the deploying of rescuers. 13. Create a rehab plan early and rotate personnel efficiently. 14. Identify an equipment cache and/or staging area. 15. Prepare for decontamination as needed. 16. When necessary, a personnel evacuation signal and plan shall be established and communicated to all operational personnel. C. Operational Goals: The overall operational goals of every water-based rescue operation shall be to safely: 1. Establish Command, implement the Incident Management and Accountability (PAR) Systems. 2. Stabilize the scene (General Area and Rescue Area). 3. Identify, locate and mitigate/minimize hazards. 4. Locate and access the patient(s). 5. Stabilize and extricate the patient(s). 6. Provide medical care for the patients including transport to a medical facility. 7. Terminate the incident. D. Operational Phases and Tactical Procedures: All water-based rescue incidents can be divided into the following Operational Phases, each with its own set of specific Tactical Procedures: Phase I: Arrive, Establish Command and Size-up the Situation Phase II: Pre-Rescue Operations Phase III: Rescue Operations Phase IV: Termination of the Incident 04-12B Water Rescue Operations SOG, Page 3 of 5 All SLCFD WRT responses will progress through the four Operational Phases outlined above. Based on the situation, some phases may be compressed or extended, or even performed simultaneously. It is important to note that Phase I procedures are consistent with every water-based rescue situation. All members of the SLCFD can and should be able to perform Phase I Operations safely and efficiently. Phase I procedures are Awareness Level skills. Phases II-IV require specialty, Technician Level skills/procedures and in turn, are specific to the given operational environment and rescue/recovery situation. Consequently, they are not outlined here within this general SOG. 1. Phase I – Arrive, Establish Command and Size-up Phase I Operations are considered Awareness Level skills and all SLCFD members shall be capable of conducting Phase I operations at the scene of a technical/heavy rescue incident. Upon arrival, the first-in Company Officer shall establish Command, conduct an initial size-up, verify the dispatcher's pre-arrival information, and amend the response as necessary. If the SLCFD Water Rescue Team is not part of the initial dispatch assignment, the IC shall request the WRT as soon as possible to facilitate a timely response. All non-WRT personnel shall only operate at the Awareness Level as defined by the NFPA and the SLCFD. Upon arrival of the WRT, the WRT Officer shall report to Command to receive a situation assessment and assist in the development and implementation of an Incident Action Plan. It is not necessary (or even recommended) that overall incident command be transferred to the WRT Officer. Regardless of “who” takes Command, Rescue Operations, Rescue Group Supervisors and Technical Safety Officers, should be water rescue trained Technicians. a. Primary Assessment The first-due Company Officer should secure the calling party or witness to the accident to determine exactly what has happened. Utilizing witnesses, identify the PLS as precisely as possible. Immediately assess obvious and imminent hazards to rescuers and patients (moving water, ice, steep/sloping/eroding bank, low head dam, etc.). If no witness is present, rescuers may have to look for clues at the scene to determine what has happened (i.e., clothing, equipment/supplies, footprints, etc.). A remote assessment of the area/patient should be done from a safe location or protected position. Command should determine how many patients have been affected. Consider utilizing PD for records search and contacting family and known associates. Command should conduct a Risk/Benefit Analysis and a Patient Survivability Profile. i. Determine how long the patient(s) has been down/trapped, the mechanism of injury, entrapment type, nature of illness, etc. ii. Check with Dispatch for alarm, arrival, and scene times. An early decision must be made as to whether the operation will be run in the Rescue Mode or the Recovery Mode. Announce this decision. Establish communication with the patient and verbal guidance from a safe position if possible. Establish Operational Zones if needed and move all nonessential personnel back away from the rescue scene. If not yet on-scene, update the WRT via the radio or cell phone as to the situation, patient condition, hazards, and any initial actions taken by the first due companies. 04-12B Water Rescue Operations SOG, Page 4 of 5  b. Secondary Assessment Based on the type of response and/or incident, Command and the SLCFD WRT shall follow the appropriate Secondary Assessment procedures as outlined in the SLCFD WRT Initial Arriving Apparatus Command Checklist contained within this document. The Secondary Assessment of Phase I Operations is specific to the incident type and outlined for the following types of situations: Surface (static) Water Rescue Swiftwater Rescue (including Low Head Dams) Ice Rescue Emergency Dive/Subsurface Rescue 2. Phase II – Pre-Rescue Operations The first section of Phase II Operations, Make the General Area Safe, is considered an Awareness Level skill and all SLCFD members shall be capable of making the General Area safe during the initial steps of Phase II Operations at the scene of a water-based incident. If safe and appropriate to do so, Awareness Level trained responders should initiate a Non-Exposed Rescue attempt. This may include: Estimating the speed of flowing water and the possible distance traveled from the PLS. Assigning Upstream Spotters as needed to identify and communicate any dangerous floating debris moving toward the rescue scene. Initiating limited shore-based search effort in safe terrain. Reaching, throwing floatation devices, or lines from a safe position while wearing appropriate PPE (PFD, water helmet, gloves, throw bag: no structural firefighting turnouts). Only certified members of the SLCFD Water Rescue Team shall enter a waterway from by swimming, wading, or by watercraft. 04-12B Water Rescue Operations SOG, Page 5 of 5