Team Equipment

Team search requires the right tools

In my last article, I discussed team search and its advantages for searching large areas of occupancies. This month’s article will discuss some of the equipment needed to allow you to conduct team searches effectively and safely.  

Equipment Needed
Equipment required to perform an effective large-area search includes:

• Full PPE
• SCBA
• A set of irons
• A thermal imaging camera (TIC)
• 200 feet of static, 8-mm kern mantle rope
• Personal ropes or webbing

Some searches may also require a charged handline to access the fire area and conduct the search. Some personnel will argue that a charged handline can serve as a search line while advancing, but it’s difficult to move the line throughout the occupancy. Four hundred feet of charged 2 ½" hose weighs approximately 1,120 pounds, and once you make two turns advancing it, a member must be stationed at the second turn to feed the line.

Using a handline as a search rope can also cause a problem when exiting. Picture this: You’re exiting the building and following the line out, but there are loops in the line and it seems like you’re going in circles. This scenario can delay you reaching a safe haven quickly if you’re in distress.

More about the Rope
Your search rope should be stored on the apparatus in a bag and marked “search rope.” This rope should be dedicated for search purposes only, not as utility or general-purpose rope.

The rope should have two snap hooks, one at each end. Many departments designate measurements on the rope using a series of knots. Through experience, I’ve found the knots don’t allow for a smooth deployment of the rope from the bag. Add onto the rope directional or anchor knots, and confusion may rear its ugly head.

I prefer the leader of the search team deploying the rope to estimate the amount of rope paid out and at intervals of 15–20 feet, tie a knot on the rope at that point, and allow the searchers to fan out. These knots give members an estimate of how much of the rope is actually paid out, and they can also be used to estimate distances to the exit of the building or an area of refuge. To be honest, it’s not that difficult to estimate your distance when conducting large-area searches. The search rope or mainline is mainly used to mark a path and establishes the boundaries of the area to be searched.

Personal ropes, or tag lines, are carried by each searching firefighter and are attached to the mainline. By attaching a personal rope to the mainline, you expand the search area. The personal rope should be 15 feet in length and a different diameter from the mainline to allow members conducting searches to easily differentiate the mainline from the tag lines. It should have a snap hook with a dedicated eye.

Note: I know some of you are thinking carabineers are just as effective, but in smoky conditions, it’s possible for the rope to slip off the carabineer when operating the gate.

Other Tools
A TIC is another tool to carry when conducting large-area searches or searches of maze-like areas. The TIC allows for accountability of personnel, allows easier navigation and quickens the search, because more area can be covered with the camera.

Remember: You can’t use the TIC to see through walls or objects, but it will speed up your search. It’s best to position one TIC at the point where the search begins, in order to monitor fire conditions and the progression of the search. In this position, the TIC also assists in guiding members to a safe area. The search team should also carry and use a TIC.

Other tools to consider: strobe or marker lights. They should be carried in pairs and attached to the rope bag. One should be placed at the point of entry and one attached to the bag when conducting the search. The positions of the lights will assist members in exiting and also allow them to navigate back to the point of the search when using their tag lines.

Finally, a charged handline may be necessary to knock down the fire to allow searches. The handline also serves as a protection line if conditions deteriorate and water is needed immediately in the area. I always say, “If you have water, you should be ok. If we put out the fire, a lot of problems never occur, and the problems that do, go away.”

A Final Word
These are some of the tools that allow search teams to conduct searches in large areas effectively and systematically under punishing conditions. In my next column, I’ll discuss specific search team positions and their areas of responsibility.

Chief Fred LaFemina is a 24-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), presently serving as a battalion commander for Rescue Operations Battalion No. 1. He has been with Special Operations for more than 20 years and is the task force leader for New York’s Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue team. He is also the operations chief on the USAR IST White Team. LaFemina has written many articles on fire operations and technical rescue and lectures throughout the country. He is a technical editor of FireRescue.