Authored by John W. Desmarais 18-Dec-1999 Updated 09-Jul-2008 Modified by Lt Colonel Fred Blundell TX-129 Fort Worth Senior Squadron For Local Training Rev Jan

2 This Training Slide Show is a project undertaken by Lt Colonel Fred Blundell of the TX-129 Fort Worth Senior Squadron, Fort Worth, TX for local use to assist those CAP Members interested in advancing their skills. The information contained herein is for CAP Member’s personal use and is not intended to replace or be a substitute for any of the CAP National Training Programs. Users should review the presentation’s Revision Number at the end of each file name to ensure that they have the most current publication.

4 Factors Making Emergency Response Necessary A lag in the alert of mission personnel A lag in the alert of mission personnel Victim Surviving vs. time relationship Size of the search area Available Information 3

Alert Delay Contrary to popular belief, people don’t always assume something went wrong Contrary to popular belief, people don’t always assume something went wrong –People get delayed –Plans change –Some people will not be missed Searches may not start until hours or even days after the incident began 4

Victim Survival Limitations Chances of finding survivors alive drops rapidly –50% of survivors are found in the first 24 hours –Over 75% of survivors are found within 48 hours Contributing factors –Traumatic injuries and the “Golden Hour” –Trouble typically occurs in poor weather conditions –Urban population has a low level of survival awareness and outdoor skills 5

Limiting the Search Area How far can the survivor go? How far can the survivor go? –The average adult male walks 2 miles an hour in open forest, making the search area approximately 13 square miles. –In two hours the search area is approximately 50 square miles Few missing persons go farther than 3 miles Emergency response keeps the search manageable 6

Information is Fragile Best way to find the objective is to find the clues Best way to find the objective is to find the clues –There are more clues than objectives, but clues are very perishable  Witnesses leave the area  Tracks are destroyed  Scents disperse  Dispersed vegetation springs back A quick and appropriate response allows searchers to find clues intact 7

Matching the Response with the Need Questions to ask (More Yes’s = >Urgency) – –Are less than six hours of daylight left? –Is the victim very young or very old? –Does the victim have a known or potential medical problem? –Is there only one person involved? –Are weather conditions bad now, or were they when the person, boat or aircraft went missing? 8

Matching the Response with the Need (Continued) Was the victim poorly equipped to handle the environment including the airworthiness of aircraft or seaworthiness of boats? Is the subject inexperienced in the environment and/or the local area? Are known hazardous conditions in the area? Is the objective missing in an area in which there have been numerous SAR cases? 9

Matching the Response with the Need (Continued) – –Is the individual reasonably overdue, measured by standards normally used to determine that someone is overdue? Sanity Check - If you have a confirmed distress call you shouldn’t have to ask the questions 10

QUESTIONS? ALWAYS THINK SAFETY! 11