Underwater Search and Recovery Team (USRT).pdf

BOCA RATON POLICE SERVICES DEPARTMENT Standard Operating Procedure 46.13 UNDERWATER SEARCH AND RECOVERY TEAM Revised: December 28, 2011 I. PURPOSE: The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure is to define the responsibilities and procedures for the operation of the Department’s Underwater Se...

BOCA RATON POLICE SERVICES DEPARTMENT Standard Operating Procedure 46.13 UNDERWATER SEARCH AND RECOVERY TEAM Revised: December 28, 2011 I. PURPOSE: The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure is to define the responsibilities and procedures for the operation of the Department’s Underwater Search and Recovery Team (USRT). II. POLICY: The primary responsibility of the Underwater Search and Recovery Team will be search and recovery, but rescue missions may be undertaken when necessary. The USRT will provide trained SCUBA divers for the recovery of drowning victims, evidence, and property lost in the underwater environment. The USRT will perform searches within the jurisdiction of the City of Boca Raton and other areas upon receipt of a request for mutual aid. III. DEFINITIONS: Diver: Full-time Department personnel who are temporarily assigned to the USRT to perform team functions. Personnel are qualified and certified SCUBA divers who are able to perform any search and recovery function under most circumstances. Search and Recovery: A coordinated effort to locate individuals or evidence in bodies of water. Team Commander: Department member that is responsible for the overall command of the team and direct supervision of the Team Leader. The Team commander is also responsible for ensuring that all team members receive sufficient training and certification. Team Leader: A diver designated by the Team commander or the senior diver on scene in the Team commander’s absence. IV. ASSIGNMENT: A. The USRT will be composed of full-time personnel temporarily assigned from their duties to perform underwater functions on a call-out basis. B. The assignment to and the operation of the USRT will require intensive and continual training. Effective: June 18, 2002 Revised: December 28, 2011 Underwater Search and Recovery Team SOP No. 46.13 Page 1 of 8 C. The Boca Raton Police Services Department’s USRT will select prospective members using the Transfer Selection Board process for specialty teams as outlined in the Agreement between the City of Boca Raton and the FOP. D. Minimum requirements for application: 1. Applicant must have completed probation. 2. Applicant shall have and maintain a minimum of an “Exceeds Expectations” evaluation. 3. Applicant must be in excellent physical condition and have an employment record that reflects a history of good health. Use of sick time will be reviewed. 4. Applicant must be current on Department physical fitness tests. 5. Applicant’s employment history should show evidence of being a “team player.” 6. The distance of the applicant’s residence from the Department may be a consideration for selection. 7. Applicant shall be willing and able to respond to call outs. 8. Applicant shall have no less than a basic open water certification from a nationally recognized dive organization, e.g., PADI, NAUI, etc. 9. Applicant must be willing to dive in hazardous conditions such as nighttime, heavy seas or currents, black water, etc. 10. Applicants will be required to pass a swim, drown proofing retrieval, and basic SCUBA skills tests and will be required to negotiate an underwater obstacle course. E. Specialized tests: 1. Refer to Appendices A and B, IADRS Annual SCUBA Skills Evaluation and IADRS Annual Watermanship Test for testing criteria. 2. Obstacle course: series of projects designed to determine the applicant’s problem-solving skills in an underwater environment. 3. The course will vary in an effort to mimic conditions that the applicant may face during assignment to USRT and will be supervised by USRT members at all times. V. TEAM DUTIES AND JOB DESCRIPTIONS: A. Any USRT member may be called on to hold one or more of the following positions during operations: Effective: June 18, 2002 Revised: December 28, 2011 Underwater Search and Recovery Team SOP No. 46.13 Page 2 of 8 1. The USRT commander shall be in charge of all operations, oversee all training and non-emergency dives, approve equipment purchases by the equipment technician, and prepare the annual budget and monthly training and gear inventory report. 2. The Team leader will be in command of the dive scene, oversee the safety of all personnel, formulate the dive plan, and record all information and reports for the dive(s). The Team leader will be designated by the Team commander or by the senior diver at the scene in the Team commander’s absence. 3. The line tender will be solely responsible for contact with and directions to the diver down, communication with the diver through standardized line signals or communications equipment and tracking the location of the diver and the area(s) searched. 4. The line tender will tie knots in the line for distance measurements and provide the Team Leader with the measurements for documentation. 5. The safety diver’s function during a dive is to be fully suited and prepared to assist the diver should a recovery be made or an emergency arises. 6. A team diver is a qualified and certified SCUBA diver who is able to perform any search and recovery function under most circumstances. a. A team diver will conduct searches until relieved by the Team leader or he/she elects to be relieved due to other conditions. b. Team divers will attend all mandatory training unless excused by the Team commander. 7. The equipment technician will be designated by the Team commander and will oversee the order and maintenance of the USRT diving equipment, prepare monthly and annual reports on equipment condition and USRT gear inventory to include the team’s vehicle, inspect and organize team gear after every use, and conduct routine maintenance. a. Any outside service or repair will be requested through the Team Commander. b. Any gear related safety problems will immediately be reported to the Team Commander and the item in question will be removed from service until repairs are made. VI. TRAINING: A. Training will be continuous; however, a minimum of 16 hours a month will be mandated unless otherwise directed by the Dive Team commander. Effective: June 18, 2002 Revised: December 28, 2011 Underwater Search and Recovery Team SOP No. 46.13 Page 3 of 8 B. All divers will attend mandatory training unless authorization is given by the Dive Team commander to miss a training session. VII. OPERATIONS: A. When an incident occurs for which the USRT is needed, the Team commander will be notified and informed of the circumstances. 1. The Team commander will initiate a team call out and direct the team to report to a specific location. Specific duties will be assigned and the dive will be set up. 2. The Team commander will decide when and how the dive will occur. In his/her absence, the senior USRT member will assume the responsibility. B. Rescue Mode: 1. The USRT will operate in rescue mode for the first hour of response to a possible drowning/emergency. 2. Each situation will be evaluated and the duration of the rescue mode will be modified to fit the operation’s parameters. 3. The safety of the diver(s) will surpass any effort to rescue a victim and will be the number one concern of the Dive commander/Team leader during all diving operations. C. Recovery mode: 1. Non-emergency dives will be conducted during daylight hours whenever possible. 2. Risk/benefit factors will always be considered and discussed by the team members before the dive occurs. Should unacceptable risks exist, the dive will not take place. 3. Divers and the Team leader will be responsible for collecting and documenting crime scene evidence, recording location measurements and other facts pertinent to the investigation. 4. The line tender will preserve the distance to the recovery site and the fixed point on shore if applicable. 5. The Team leader will collect all information and complete reports, supplements and dive log reports. 6. The Team leader will coordinate with other agency components for efficient operation. a. The components may include investigative personnel, marine unit, crime scene, public information office, other agencies and citizens. Effective: June 18, 2002 Revised: December 28, 2011 Underwater Search and Recovery Team SOP No. 46.13 Page 4 of 8 b. If additional resources are needed, the Team leader may request assistance from other agencies (such as the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Marine Patrol, etc.) through the chain of command. D. First responder responsibilities at the dive scene: 1. Any officer who responds to a water-related incident (e.g., boating accident, car in a canal, drowning, etc.) where the officer deems that a life is in immediate danger, should request that the dive team be notified to respond and keep in mind that time is of the essence in these situations. a. Officers at the scene should detain any witnesses and maintain the immediate area as a crime scene. b. If upon an officer’s arrival to a water-related incident it is found that no lives are in danger, but the officer feels that the situation requires the response of the dive team, the officer should advise his/her supervisor of the situation. The supervisor will notify Communications regarding a dive team call out. 2. The first dive team member arriving at the scene will obtain as much information as possible from officers and witnesses, act as the Team Leader, and take charge if a diver is required to enter the water until the Dive Team commander arrives on the scene. 3. Due to the inherent risk involved in dive operations, the Team Leader and/or any diver may refuse to perform a mission or cancel a mission in progress when such action can be justified by risk vs. benefit considerations. a. The diver’s right of refusal to perform a mission or cancel a mission will be respected. b. If a pattern arises in which the diver fails to perform dives considered routine, the Dive Team commander may take appropriate action to correct the situation to include dismissing the diver from the team. 4. The minimum safe team will be three divers when in a recovery mode. a. The Team Leader may deviate from this only in extreme situations and only when the risk is extremely low and the benefits extremely high. b. The first priority in any mission is the diver’s safety. 5. Team members will at all times conduct themselves in a respectful and professional manner on scene and particularly when in the presence of family and friends of victims. 6. The USRT members will perform any other duties assigned by the Dive Team commander. Effective: June 18, 2002 Revised: December 28, 2011 Underwater Search and Recovery Team SOP No. 46.13 Page 5 of 8 VIII. HEALTH HAZARDS: A. Due to the nature of the environment in which members of the USRT must operate, it is impossible to predict which bodies of water contain health hazards. B. When a hazardous body of water is identified, USRT members will take all precautions to prevent injury. 1. Using the risk/benefit factor, the Team commander will consider his/her options from the use of dry-suits and full-face masks, to not performing the dive. 2. Prior to any dive, the diver must have had proper training in the use of the equipment. 3. Should a USRT member enter the water where a possible health hazard could exist, the diver should consider seeking an examination at the Boca Raton Community Hospital particularly of the ears, eyes, nose, and throat. At the immediate conclusion of the dive, proper Notice of Injury procedures will be adhered to. IX. RECORDS: A. The Team leader or his/her designee will record all missions on the Dive/Mission Log and complete all appropriate Department reports. B. The purpose of the log is to ensure that the mission is adequately documented and that all safety aspects are thoroughly covered. C. If a mission is cancelled or a diver refuses to perform a mission, the reasons and details will be included in the Team leader’s report. X. USRT VEHICLE: A. PURPOSE: 14.02 1. The USRT vehicle is used to transport the USRT and all search and rescue equipment to a dive operation. 2. The equipment technician is responsible for the maintenance of the search and rescue equipment and the USRT Vehicle. B. USE, MAINTENANCE, AND OPERATION: 1. Use and maintenance of the USRT vehicle is governed by Department policy for marked police vehicles. Effective: June 18, 2002 Revised: December 28, 2011 Underwater Search and Recovery Team SOP No. 46.13 Page 6 of 8 2. The USRT commander or his/her designee shall be responsible for the condition, maintenance and monthly inspection of the USRT vehicle. It is the responsibility of the USRT commander or designated Team leader to ensure that the USRT vehicle is delivered to a dive scene operation in an expedient manner. 3. The USRT vehicle shall be at the scene of all callouts. 14.02 4. Only USRT members shall operate the vehicle. 14.02 5. The USRT vehicle may be used as a command post, or to deploy officers when necessary. 14.02 C. EQUIPMENT: 14.02 1. The USRT vehicle shall contain the following equipment at a minimum: a. Search ropes b. Metal detector c. Underwater camera d. Underwater communication set e. Rigid search grid f. Body bag g. Pelican floats h. Ladder i. Underwater Remote Operated Vehicle j. Lift bags k. Side scan l. Floating search area markers m. Personal flotation devices n. Dive flag o. Traffic cones p. Flares q. Crime scene tape. Effective: June 18, 2002 Revised: December 28, 2011 Underwater Search and Recovery Team SOP No. 46.13 Page 7 of 8 XI. UNIFORMS: A. Team uniforms shall consist of the Class C uniform and equipment as outlined in Departmental Standards Directive 26.100 Appearance of Personnel. B. Team members may choose to wear either the issued black Taclite pants or issued black Taclite shorts. C. Team members shall wear the issued USRT Team Class C black polo shirt. D. shirt. For training or callouts, the polo shirt may be replaced with the issued grey USRT Team t- Approved: Daniel C. Alexander Chief of Police Effective: June 18, 2002 Revised: December 28, 2011 Date: Underwater Search and Recovery Team SOP No. 46.13 Page 8 of 8