Interfacing with other Departments on a Search

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Interfacing with other Departments on a Search

• Minnesota Wing Air Branch Director Course

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Overview

• Coordinating with the Planning Section
• Coordinating with the Communications Unit

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An org chart to start
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What is the Planning Section?

• The Planning Section Chief - (PSC), a member of
  the General Staff, is responsible for the
  collection, evaluation, dissemination and use of
  information about the development of the incident
  and the status of resources. Information is
  needed to
• Understand the current situation
• Predict the probable course of incident events
  and
• Prepare alternative strategies for the incident.

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Ops/Planning

• Operations thinks about the here and now.
• Planning analyzes what is the current situation
  is and plans for the future.
• Planning puts the plan together with coordination
  from all departments, operations executes it.
• Initial or Reflex Actions are taken by
  operations. After that, planning section is
  established to plan out future periods.

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Ops/Planning

• All clues/leads will be handed over to planning
  including documentation/artifacts and mission
  paperwork.
• Planning should be maintaining resource status
  boards and situation maps.
• These are not the sortie boards.

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Ops/Planning

• Debriefing information is critical to what
  planning is doing.
• Helps them decide where to search next.
• What worked, didnt work.
• That information is folded into the IAP for the
  next operational period.
• Planning can take the info from the IAP to help
  start sortie paperwork.

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Ops/Planning

• Status Meetings
• Recommended that the staff have short meetings
  every few hours to ensure that everyone on the
  mission staff is up to speed and on the same page
  as to the latest information.

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What is the Comm Unit?

• The Communications Unit Leader - is responsible
  for developing plans for the effective use of
  incident communications equipment and facilities
  installing and testing of communications
  equipment supervision of the Incident
  Communications Center distribution of
  communications equipment to incident personnel
  and the maintenance and repair of communications
  equipment.

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Coordinating with Communications

• They are your connection to your crews. Without
  them, you are blind as to what is happening in
  the field.
• Work with them to develop a plan that works for
  both of you.

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Things to Agree Upon

• How is information going to get between Comm and
  Air Branch?
• ISR Radios
• Runners with forms going back and forth
• Computerized systems
• Instant Messengers

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What you need to get from Comm

• Communications Plan
• A Plan showing
• Channels/Frequencies that will be used including
  alternates and interagency frequencies.
• Check-in process (30 mins usual for aircrews when
  able)
• Lost Communications Procedures
• May be a formal written handout for crews.
• Often may be verbal in the early stages of a
  mission (i.e. Everyone on Channel 1)
• Communications equipment you need.

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What Comm needs from you

• To be notified before sorties launch.
• Aircrews for high birds (if needed).

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How they relate

• There is a constant flow of information between
  the two.
• Comm is the voice of command, they are not
  command. When a crew calls in, they have to have
  
• Air Ops is the brain
• Constant communication between the two is
  essential.