Ground Vehicle Search Techniques

1
Ground Vehicle Search Techniques

• Developed as part of the National Emergency
  Services Curriculum Project

2
Sectors of Observation

• Team members without specific duties are assigned
  an arc to watch for clues
• Driver, navigator, communicator, and other
  members with specific duties to perform should
  not be assigned sectors to observe

3
Sectors of Observation
4
Six rules of Sector Observation

• Scan the entire sector
• Left to right
• Right to left
• Near to far
• Far to near
• Observe vehicle safety
• Wear your seat belt
• Dont distract or startle the driver

5
Six rules of Sector Observation Continued

• Dont distract other team members except to
  verify a clue or target
• Be clue-conscious - not just target focused
• Tell the driver if he or she is driving too fast
  for you to adequately search your area
• If you see a clue or the objective, tell the team
  leader, but dont shout or startle the driver

6
What Might You Spot?

• Missing person
• Vegetation disturbance indicating someone
  entering or leaving the woods
• Dropped clothing or equipment
• Potential witnesses
• Missing persons vehicle
• The missing person!

7
What Might You Spot

• Aircraft
• Some of the same items as missing person if a
  pilot is attempting to walk out
• Smoke, scavengers
• Broken tree top vegetation
• Wreckage or pieces of debris
• Smell of burning oil and fuel
• A survivor

8
Other Possibilities

• A vehicle search team can be part of a
  confinement approach if there are roads defining
  the search area
• Continual patrols may spot a victim attempting to
  walk out
• Visibility may attract witnesses that could
  provide information
• Vehicle search on the way into a search area.

9
Vehicle Search Tasks

• Ground Team Member
• O-0402 Employ Vehicular Scanning Techniques

10
QUESTIONS?
THINK SAFETY!