12. Search and Rescue.pdf

Policy Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District 527 Fire Services Manual Search and Rescue 527.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE: This policy describes the District's expectations of its employees when performing search and rescue operations, to ensure that all members are fully capable of functioning in...

Policy Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District 527 Fire Services Manual Search and Rescue 527.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE: This policy describes the District's expectations of its employees when performing search and rescue operations, to ensure that all members are fully capable of functioning in their capacity. 527.2 POLICY: It is the policy of the Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District to identify the expectations required of its members when performing search and rescue operations, in order to provide efficient and quality services to the community and to provide for the safety of its members. 527.3 PROCEDURE: (a) Search and rescue operations should be performed according to an efficient, wellplanned procedure, which has included the safety of search crew personnel. (b) The object of the search effort is to locate possible victims, not create additional ones by neglecting the safety of the search crew. Prior to entering the search area, all search team members should be familiar with a specific search plan including the overall objective, a designation of the search area, individual assignments, etc. This may require a brief conference among crew members before entering the search area to develop and communicate the plan. (c) Wherever possible, individual search activities should be conducted by two or more members. (d) Company officers must maintain an awareness of the location and function of all members within their crew during search operations. (e) A brief look around of the floor below the fire may provide good reference for the search team, as floors in multi#story occupancies usually have a similar layout. (f) Whenever a search is conducted that exposes search crews to fire conditions (particularly above the fire floor) the search team should be protected as soon as possible with a charged hose line in order to ensure a safe escape route. (g) If search personnel are operating without a hose line, lifelines should be used when encountering conditions of severely limited visibility. (h) Firefighting is inherently dangerous with the amount of heat, toxic gases and obscuring smoke increasing as more and more products made of synthetic materials are found everywhere from dwellings to general businesses and vehicles. Even so, great strides have been made in recent years with regards to firefighter safety. Much of this has not been due to improved technology and equipment as much as it has been an improvement in training, organization, and a conscientious effort to work safer. Accountability tags, staying with your crew and other such practices may seem to be inconvenient, but they are for our safety and need to be followed. Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/05/22, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District Search and Rescue - 1 Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District Fire Services Manual Search and Rescue (i) Staying home may be the safest practice, but ours shall be that we will aggressively attack the fire in the pursuit of saving lives and protecting property. But we shall include ourselves in the equation of "Is the risk worth the gain?" Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2023/05/22, All Rights Reserved. Published with permission by Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District Search and Rescue - 2