Site Security and Rescue Operations Theory

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Site Security and Rescue Operations Theory

• Developed as part of the National Emergency
  Services Curriculum Project

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Mission of Civil Air Patrol Ground Teams

• To find, identify, and render lifesaving first
  aid while safeguarding and assisting authorities.

• Safeguarding is the procedures or actions taken
  to preserve evidence at an accident/crime scene
• When a missing person is found dead, the site
  should be treated as a crime scene
• Assistance to Law Enforcement officials is
  outlined in CAPRs 60-3 and 900-3

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NTSB Accident Guidelines

• Rescuing survivors is a priority to scene
  preservation

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NTSB Guidelines Continued

• Guard the wreckage from further damage

• Nobody should be allowed inside the wreckage area
  except those personnel necessary to survivor
  removal, fire fighting, and the possible removal
  of mail and cargo when it could possibly be
  further damaged
• Items removed from the wreckage must be kept
  locally for examination by NTSB or accident
  investigators
• Drawings and photographs should be taken of the
  entire crash area, documenting actions on site

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NTSB Guidelines Continued

• Advise the county coroner or medical examiner of
  the situation

• Fatalities should be held for autopsy and
  toxicological exams PRIOR to post mortem actions
• CAP members should not remove the deceased
  without the proper federal, state or local
  authority. It is not recommended that younger
  cadets or those that may be otherwise naive or
  new to the situation be involved in victim or
  survival removal

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NTSB Guidelines Continued

• Identify the position of fatalities, especially
  if they must be moved to get to survivors

• Try to photograph the original position of
  deceased occupants prior to removal from
  wreckage, but remember not to interfere with
  victim removal to get to survivors.
• Tag or otherwise identify the location of each
  body, making note of the location in the
  wreckage, or on the ground

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NTSB Guidelines Continued

• News media coverage
• Accredited news media may be permitted to enter
  and photograph the wreckage area as long as the
  wreckage and scene is not disturbed, and
  extrication is not interfered with

• Remember that CAP personnel cannot physically
  restrict entry according to regulation
• Make Law Enforcement personnel aware of this, and
  if not immediately available notify intruders of
  statutes and take their picture for records

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NTSB Guidelines Continued

• Notify the local authorities, NTSB, and the FAA
  if they have not been already
• Local law enforcement may not know who to contact
  at the FAA
• NTSB may not send anyone it could be handled by
  the FAA who will forward their investigative
  results to NTSB for final analysis

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NTSB Responsibilities

• Determine the probable cause of the accident
• Publicly report all civil aircraft accidents in
  the United States of America

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DOs from the NTSB

• Make sketches or drawings and take pictures
• Record major disturbances to the scene that you
  cause

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DOs from the NTSB Continued

• Tag disturbed and/or altered items with the
  following
• Name Organization of person tagging item
• Telephone number of contact (Mission Base or
  Incident Commander)
• Date of action taken
• Time action was taken
• Brief description of action taken

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DONTs from the NTSB

• DON'T
• Disturb switches or aircraft controls
• Remove fatalities (Unless federally authorized)
• Disturb the scene, unless necessary to preserve
  life
• Take souvenirs

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CAP Ground Team Actions

• CAP ground teams should only take those actions
  necessary to
• Save lives
• Protect the public
• Protect the wreckage from further damage
• What does wreckage look like? A sample is on the
  next slide.

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CAP Ground Team Actions Continued

• The first team to arrive at the site of a small
  aircraft accident should break up into three sub
  teams to secure it
• Leader Team
• Medical Team
• Hasty or Support Team

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Leader Team

• Ground Team Leader
• Supervises all actions
• Ensures actions taken are within regulations,
  standards, and safety margins
• HAZMAT Rule of Thumb
• Security Zones (See next slide)

• Responsible for the following of NTSB rules at
  the accident or local laws and regulations at the
  site of missing person found dead (could be a
  homicide)

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HAZMAT Safety Zones
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Leader Team Continued

• Team Communications Officer
• Maintains communications with mission base via
  relay or direct transmission
• Remains in contact with hasty team and incoming
  support teams

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Leader Team Continued

• Runner/Log Person
• Makes drawings or sketches and/or takes pictures
  of the scene to note initial positions, and
  changes made to preserve life (See next two
  slides)

• Record the position of all aircraft switches,
  knobs and instruments or survivors equipment
  upon arrival at the scene, and changes made
  during extrication
• Coordinate incoming personnel, ensuring that
  order is maintained
• If the agency responsible for air crashes or
  police agencies are on the scene, they will most
  likely handle site management, photos, etc.

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Recommended Minimum Photos Taken at Crash Site

• Take Photos in a logical order
• Photograph perishable evidence early (ice melting
  off of the wings, victims moved to get at
  survivors, etc.)

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Recommended Photos Continued

• The same principles applied to aircraft
  photography can be applied to taking photos of a
  missing person site

• If taking photos at night or in poor lighting
  conditions, use a flash if at possible and/or add
  light with flashlights
• Keep a log of photos taken, in order noting
  anything out of the ordinary

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Medical Team

• Head Medic
• Responsible for all members coming in contact
  with the victims or survivors to include the wear
  of proper medical protective gear, and proper
  treatment

• Responsible for requests for evacuation and
  extrication of victims, survivors, personnel and
  equipment
• Responsible for the accounting of all passengers
  that were supposed to be aboard or missing
  persons part of party being searched for

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Medical Team Continued

• 2 to 3 Support Medical Personnel
• Perform lifesaving first aid under the direction
  of the Head Medic

• Report any hazards or problems with the wreckage
  that may endanger rescue personnel or survivors
  further. It should be noted that all personnel
  need to be situationally aware, but these few
  members of the team will most likely be the ones
  hurt if not careful

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Hasty or Support Team

• Made up of the assistant team leader, a
  communicator, and a first aider or other team
  personnel depending on the tasks assigned by the
  team leader

• May do a hasty search of the area for any missing
  passengers
• May set up a perimeter around the site and
  control incoming personnel
• May aid in the extrication of survivors

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Scene Management

• Once the proper authorities arrive on scene
  (varies from state to state) they will assume
  control of the scene.

• Offer help- but they may or may not need it.
• You may brief the authorities on scene
  information, but maintain possession of your
  logs.
• Authorities may request copies of mission
  documentation through CAP HQ.

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Position Importance

• All of the positions referenced in the previous
  slides are important, and nobody should feel
  degraded if not in a leadership position

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Site Security Tasks

• Ground Team Member
• O-0801 Man a Surveillance Post
• Ground Team Leader
• O-0802 Plan and Organize Site Surveillance
• O-0803 Supervise a Site Surveillance Shift
• O-0804 Sign over a Site

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QUESTIONS?
THINK SAFETY!