Critiques/2009-05-05

From PCSAR

Suggestions coming from the May 5 critique and submitted separately regarding the May 5 mock search and the previous Anderson search.

Pincher Creek SAR routinely performs a critique after a Search and Rescue incident in order to learn what should be done differently or the same in the next similar incident. Critiques are not about criticism but rather about learning. They are normally chaired by a Search Manager that was not involved in the incident. The suggestions that are brought forward through the critique process are presented in this report.

Contents 1 Committee / Organization 1.1 PCSAR Board 1.2 PCSAR Preplan Committee 1.3 PCSAR Equipment Committee 1.4 PCSAR Call-Out Committee 1.5 PCSAR Membership Committee 1.6 PCSAR Training Committee 1.7 Tasking Agency 1.8 Fellow Responding Organizations 2 Suggestions by functional area 2.1 first notification / tasking 2.2 call-out 2.3 investigation 2.4 communications 2.5 resources 2.6 family liaison 2.7 (de)briefing 2.8 searching 2.9 extrication 2.10 stand down 2.11 CISM 2.12 prevention, public education 2.13 travel 2.14 logistics 2.15 planning 2.16 media 2.17 post ops 2.18 learning

Committee / Organization

The suggestions are being passed on to the indicated organizations/committees for their consideration. We recognize that not all suggestions may be appropriate, and some may already have been implemented.

PCSAR Board

Mandate Relevant to Incidents:

• Overall ability of PCSAR to accomplish its mission.
• Organizational policies
• Relationships with Tasking Agencies and Fellow Responding Organizations.
• Financing, budget

suggestions identified: #1

PCSAR Preplan Committee

Mandate Relevant to Incidents:

• Expertise in search and rescue.
• Standard Operating Procedures for incidents.
• Post incident critique, review and follow-up.

suggestions identified: #1, #2, #3, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #16, #17, #18, #19

PCSAR Equipment Committee

Mandate Relevant to Incidents:

• Obtaining and keeping equipment ready.

suggestions identified: #4

PCSAR Call-Out Committee

Mandate Relevant to Incidents:

• Respond to First Call from Tasking Agency
• Contacting members during an incident.

suggestions identified: #1, #2

PCSAR Membership Committee

Mandate Relevant to Incidents:

• Recruiting members.
• Tracking members contact information, skills and equipment.

suggestions identified: #1, #2

PCSAR Training Committee

Mandate Relevant to Incidents:

• Training members.

suggestions identified: #3, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #19, #20, #21

Tasking Agency

Mandate Relevant to Incidents:

• Overall legal responsibility for incident.

suggestions identified: #8

Fellow Responding Organizations

Mandate Relevant to Incidents:

• Response to incident in accordance with their individual mandate and ability.

suggestions identified: none

Suggestions by functional area

first notification / tasking

call-out

• 
  Suggestion #1:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Not able to get call-out people on incidents. Suggest have lead call-out coordinator on-call for month or 2 week period like manager-on-call. Suggest get more call-out people.

• 
  Suggestion #2:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Using old call out list. Confusion when coordinating with other call-out person. Some people called twice. Suggest use same list. Suggest having index by name and split index.

investigation

communications

• 
  Suggestion #3:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Merging teams can cause confusion in command/reporting structure. Suggest clear language of merging vs. working together. Suggest switch to single FRS channel for new team.

resources

• 
  Suggestion #4:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest get gel pens which won't freeze.

family liaison

(de)briefing

• 
  Suggestion #5:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Map becoming available only after given assignment relative to locations is sometimes confusing. Suggest map orientation should be first.

• 
  Suggestion #6:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Debriefing forms don't match urban context. Suggest rework wording.

searching

• 
  Suggestion #7:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest have minimum of 2 people approach door for member safety and to give assurance of legitimacy to resident.

• 
  Suggestion #8:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest when urban searching at night have patrol vehicle or other equipped with alley lights and search lights accompany teams to speed up searching of front yards and vehicles. Could expect Pincher RCMP to support in this way.

• 
  Suggestion #9:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest having roving support vehicle for urban search teams for food, water, warming, transport.

• 
  Suggestion #10:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest mark sidewalk with chalk in urban search to indicate what has/hasn't been searched by which team. Could make easier to recognize sweep boundaries. Could be tied to end of walking/tracking stick. Could develop convention for markings "X" like disaster search.

• 
  Suggestion #11:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest wear reflective vests for urban night search for higher visibility vs normal street clothes. Makes team seem less suspicious when seen by resident in their yard.

• 
  Suggestion #12:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest search areas that are difficult can be reexamined by strategically spotting from point of advantage. E.g. thick brush along creek spotted from other side.

• 
  Suggestion #13:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Discussion of degree of discretion to work outside assigned segment. Suggest need for clarification of when should talk to command post vs. decide on own.

• 
  Suggestion #14:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest when spotting subject, maintain visual contact until part of party approaches. Can lose perspective as approach.

extrication

• 
  Suggestion #15:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Having many people approach Alzheimer sufferer likely to cause trauma.

• 
  Suggestion #16:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest use rope as tag line when extracting stretcher on slope.

stand down

CISM

prevention, public education

travel

• 
  Suggestion #17:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest continued use of carpooling to search in e.g. Lethbridge. Better safety on way back when tired.

• 
  Suggestion #18:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest having arrangement to call-in when driving alone back from a tiring search (e.g. night search). To confirm safe arrival.

logistics

planning

media

post ops

learning

(e.g., how this critique was organized, mock search goals, exercise techniques)

• 
  Suggestion #19:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest encourage members in field to discuss overhead decisions after search as learning opportunity.

• 
  Suggestion #20:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest everyone get experience of working comms and command post.

• 
  Suggestion #21:

Committee handling: unassigned

Value to PCSAR mandate: not rated

Difficulty to implement: not rated
Suggest better learning if everyone can see handling of first approach to subject.