Standard Operating Guideline Structural Collapse Operations

Cumberland County – Technical Rescue Operations Team

Standard Operating Guideline – Structural Collapse Operations

01/06

Scope

This standard operating guideline applies to all Cumberland County Technical Rescue Operations Team personnel functioning on the scene of a structural or building collapse incident.

Purpose

Structural collapse operations present significant challenges and dangers to emergency response personnel and may involve complex operations such as void space exploration and search, emergency building shoring, breaking/breaching of structural components, lifting and rigging and use of other specialized resources. For the purposes of the guideline the term building collapse will be generically defined as any incident in which building stability or integrity may be compromised as a result of natural or manmade circumstances (i.e. – tornado, hurricane, explosion, vehicle into structure, building fire, etc.). The potential for secondary collapse and rescuer injury is extremely high in these situations. The purpose of this document is to provide a general guideline by which to conduct emergency operations when operating on the scene of a building collapse incident.

Tactical Considerations

2-1  Phase I – Assessment on Arrival

2-1.1 Upon arrival of Cumberland County TRT personnel the individuals serving in the positions of Rescue Command Officer, Rescue Operations Officer, and Rescue Safety Officer will receive an incident briefing from the local Incident Commander. This briefing should include all pertinent information available at the time, to include:

·  Confirmation of dispatch information

·  Nature of incident

·  Number, locations and condition of victims

·  Hazards – including unsecured utilities

·  Atmospheric monitoring readings (if applicable)

·  Rescue activities prior to arrival

·  Available resources

2-1.2  The Rescue Command Officer will liaison with the Incident Commander from the local jurisdiction

2-1.3  The Rescue Command Officer will record all pertinent information on the Incident Briefing Form (ICS Form 201), and begin completing the Structural Collapse Scene Assessment Checklist as time permits.

2-1.4  The Rescue Operations Officer will liaison with the Fire/Rescue Operations Branch in order to conduct a secondary assessment of the incident

2-1.5  The secondary assessment should consist of the following:

·  On-scene resources and capabilities

·  Need for additional resources

·  Building construction type

·  Collapse cause

·  Collapse pattern

·  Overhead hazards

2-1.6  The Rescue Safety Officer will assess safety of the current operations and make recommendations to the Rescue Command Officer and Local Incident Commander regarding any unsafe conditions or practices

2-1.7  Working with the Local Incident Command the Rescue Command Officer may consider establishing a staging area for responding personnel and equipment from the TRT

2-2  Phase II – Pre-Rescue Operations

2-2.1  The Rescue Command Officer will assign the following positions if not done so previously:

·  Rescue Operations Officer

·  Rescue Safety Officer

·  Technical Information Officer (may be filled by OEP Rep)

2-2.2  The Rescue Operations Officer will assign the following positions in accordance the TRT Incident Command chart for trench rescue operations:

·  Rescue Squad Officers (Squad 1, 2, etc.)

·  Cut Station/Logistics Group Supervisor

·  Technical EMS Support Group Supervisor

·  Plans/Technical Specialist Group Supervisor (if necessary)

·  Search Team Manager (if necessary)

2-2.3  The Rescue Command Officer will be responsible for developing the Incident Action Plan in conjunction with the Local Incident Commander, Rescue Operations Officer and Rescue Safety Officer

2-2.4  Responsibilities of the Rescue Command Officer will be as follows:

·  Perform a comprehensive risk/benefit analysis as part of the rescue vs. recovery determination

·  Liaison with the Local Incident Commander and OEP Representative throughout the incident

·  Develop and complete the Incident Briefing Form (ICS Form 201)

·  Determine resource needs and order additional resources as necessary

·  Monitor the progress of the plan

·  Adjust the strategy as necessary

2-2.5  Responsibilities of the Rescue Operations Officer will be as follows:

·  Recon collapse area/sites with Rescue Squad Officer, Technical EMS Support Group Supervisor, Structural Engineer and Search Team Manager

·  Isolate and deny entry to the scene

·  Establish operational zones (hot, warm, cold)

·  Establish collapse zones (1.5 times the height of effected wall)

·  Perform secondary assessment

·  Assign functional positions as noted in 2-2.2

·  Determine search strategy (in conjunction with Search Team Manager – if assigned)

·  Evaluate rescue options and determine tactics

·  Prioritize rescue incidents (if a large scale incident)

·  Evaluate need for emergency building shoring

·  Determine need for additional and/or specialized resources

·  Monitor progress of the rescue operation and adjust the plan as necessary

·  Consider dispatching or placing another TRT on stand-by as the situation dictates

·  Assure adequate personnel and equipment are available to function as a RIT if needed

2-2.6 Responsibilities of the Rescue Safety Officer will be as follows:

·  Assign an Accountability Officer (if necessary)

·  Assign Assistant Safety Officers (if necessary)

·  Monitor the rescue scene for unsafe acts and conditions

·  Implement LCES concepts (Lookouts, Communication, Escape Routes, Safe Zones)

·  Monitor for signs of secondary collapse

·  Monitor and assure continued use of PPE by all rescuers operating in the hot or warm zones

·  Develop a Site Safety Plan

·  Provide feed-back to the Rescue Command Officer regarding any safety issues

·  Monitor environmental conditions and their impact on the rescuers

2-2.7 Responsibilities of the Cut Station/Logistics Group Supervisor will be as follows:

·  Direct assigned personnel in establishing a cut station and logistics area

·  Manage incoming resources

·  Advise the Rescue Command Officer of any additional resource needs

·  Ready shoring and support equipment to be utilized in the operation, to include ground pads, shovels, hand tools, panels, struts, extrication equipment, buckets, ladders, etc.

·  Process and prioritize requests for resources relayed from the Rescue Operations Officer

2-2.8 Responsibilities of the Technical EMS Support Group Supervisor will be as follows:

·  Assign and direct personnel in the assessment and care for any entrapped victims

·  Assist with rescue versus recovery determination

·  Liaison with local EMS, determine available resources and level of care provided

·  Develop treatment strategies for victims, to include treatment for respiratory compromise, hypothermia, crush syndrome and other related trauma

·  Identify any special resources needed and communicate those to the Rescue Command Officer

·  Coordinate the establishment of a Rehab Sector in conjunction with local EMS personnel

2-2.9  Responsibilities of the Plans/Technical Specialist Group Supervisor will be as follows:

·  Supervise personnel assigned to branch

·  Develop operational and contingency plans utilizing input of Technical Specialists

·  Assist with documenting Structural Triage and Recon information

·  Maintain current resource and situation status

·  Interface with IMT for operational period planning if incident extends beyond one operational period

·  Establish a Victim Locator Unit (if applicable to situation)

2-2.10  Responsibilities of the Search Team Manager will be as follows:

·  Supervise personnel assigned to branch

·  Recon collapse sites as necessary

·  Establish a search plan using physical, electronic and canine search if necessary and available

·  Assure buildings have appropriate Search Assessment Markings and Victim Location Markings as applicable (following FEMA guidelines)

·  Work with the Rescue Squad Officers to prioritize rescue activities based on search findings

2-2.11 All personnel operating in the hot zone on the scene of a structural collapse incident will wear the following Personal Protective Equipment:

·  Helmet

·  Eye protection (glasses w/side shield or goggles)

·  Gloves (single ply leather or rescue style)

·  Steel toe boots with ankle support

·  Abrasion protection (pants w/long sleeve shirt or coveralls)

·  Respiratory protection (dust masks or APR’s as situation dictates)

2-2  Phase III – Rescue Operations

2-3.1  Prior to committing rescuers to collapse operations the Rescue Operations Officer will conduct a briefing for personnel assigned to the Rescue Squads, which, at a minimum, will include the following information:

·  Current situation

·  Hazards

·  General shoring plan and objectives

·  Communication plan and emergency evacuation signal

2-3.2  In general, the Collapse Rescue Plan will be conducted utilizing the following 5 established phases:

·  Phase I - Scene Size-Up and Assessment

·  Phase II - Removal of Surface Victims

·  Phase III - Void Exploration and Search

·  Phase IV - Selected Debris Removal

·  Phase V - General Debris Removal

2-3.3  The Rescue Safety Officer will work with the Rescue Command Officer to determine work/rest cycles for rescuers when conducting extended operations

2-3.4  Once contact is made with the victim(s), rescuers will inform the Rescue Operations Officer of such, perform an assessment of the victim and situation, notify the Technical EMS Support Group Supervisor and relay the following information:

·  Condition of the victim(s)

·  Rescue vs. recovery

·  Any specialized resources needed for patient care, extrication and/or patient packaging

2-3.5  If the victim(s) are determined to be deceased, local Law Enforcement personnel as well as the County Coroner will be notified and consulted concerning further recovery operations, evidence preservation, and accident investigation issues

2-3.6  For viable victims Technical EMS Support Group Supervisor or Medical Specialist will determine patient care needs and packaging requirements for extrication in conjunction with the Rescue Squad Officers

2-3.7  All patient care and rescue activities will be coordinated between the Rescue Operations Officer and the Technical EMS Group Supervisor so as to cause no further harm to the victim and provide for proper EMS care

2-4  Phase IV – Termination

2-4.1  Victims will be handed off to local EMS or the Coroner upon being extricated and removed from the incident site

2-4.2  Once the victim(s) have been evacuated all rescuers and equipment will be removed from the general area (with the exception of any installed shoring components)

2-4.3  The Rescue Operations Officer will conduct a debriefing regarding the incident and the crews will be rotated prior to initiating termination operations and removing any installed shoring components

2-4.4  The Rescue Operations Officer, Rescue Squad Officers and Structural Engineers will evaluate any installed shoring components to make a determination as to whether shoring is to be left in place or removed

2-4.5  As a general rule, shoring will be removed in the reverse order from which it was installed

2-4.6  Once all shoring and equipment have been retrieved, the collapse site will be secured appropriately so as to not allow any other individuals access to the space during the termination phase

2-4.7  All rescuers will be sent to Rehab as necessary

2-4.8  Equipment will be cleaned/decontaminated as necessary and returned to a state of readiness

2-4.9  The scene will be made as safe as possible given the situation so as to not pose a continued hazard to workers, the public or bystanders

2-4.10  The scene will be released to the Local Incident Commander or property owner as deemed appropriate

2-4.11  The need for Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) will be assessed and CISM will be implemented as necessary for TRT team members as well as personnel from the local jurisdiction

2-4.12  All appropriate documentation will be completed along with an After Action Report

2-4.13  A formal Post Incident Analysis will be conducted to identify areas for improvement as necessary

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