It Takes a Team

In a team search, every individual has an important role

In this third and final team search installment, I’ll explore the individual responsibilities and team positions as well as the tools they will carry. I will also provide some additional tips and recommendations. 

Search Team Roles
The search team consists of an officer and at least two firefighters. The officer is team leader and carries the search rope bag containing the mainline. This leader sets the pace of the search and determines the direction in which team will proceed. Team leaders must be extremely disciplined and level-headed. If no officer is available, an experienced firefighter is the next best choice for this position.

The team leader must be able to recognize heat and smoke conditions and determine how they will hinder the pace of the search team. This member is also, in essence, the safety person of the team, and will evaluate any hazards that the team may encounter.

The two firefighters who will conduct the search with the team leader should be confident and competent firefighters. Because they’ll be searching off the mainline at various times, search team firefighters must carry tag lines or personal lines. The team should also carry a set of irons and a thermal imaging camera if available.

The Back-Up Team
The second part of the search team consists of the back-up team or safety team. This team should consist of at least two or three firefighters. Their primary duty is to support the search team if they become distressed and are in need of assistance.
Specific responsibilities of the back-up team include:

• Bring additional equipment to the search team;
• Assist in removal of recovered victims;
• Monitor the search team’s progress via handi-talkie transmissions; and
• Monitor heat and smoke conditions from their position and relay any information to the search team regarding changing or deteriorating conditions.

The Control Member
The last member of the search team is the control member, who coordinates the search team and is responsible for overseeing accountability and the identification of the search team members.
Other control member duties include:

• Assume responsibility of air management for the team members;
• Monitor the progress of the search;
• Communicate with the team leader every 5 minutes and when the team has 2 minutes left on air in the operational mode; and
• Relay changing or deteriorating conditions to the team leader and indicate when it’s time to exit.

Air Management
Air management is critical in any search operation, but especially in large-area search. All members entering a contaminated atmosphere must have their air time recorded and monitored.

A good rule of thumb for air management: Take the amount of available air in the cylinder and divide it by three; this becomes your operational time for the search. Example: A 30-minute cylinder would amount to 10 minutes of search time and 10 minutes of exit time with a 10-minute safety net built in.

To keep track of air times, use a worksheet, either preprinted or scratched out at the scene. This worksheet also becomes a valuable tool for accountability and entry/exit air times as well. The worksheet gives the next ranking officer arriving at the scene clear and concise information they can use to continue or change the tactics already in progress.

Other Factors to Consider
Any search team has a tremendous amount of responsibility and a dangerous and difficult job. When assigning a team to search for a victim, incident commanders (ICs) must consider the timeframe of the search being conducted, the size of the area, the complexity of the area and how long it will take to search the area. ICs must also ensure sufficient manpower is available for search teams and back-up teams as well as relief teams when operating for an extended period.

Search teams must account for an increased time of building egress, especially in large areas when conditions deteriorate rapidly. Changing conditions or distress to the members may necessitate suspending the search. Structures containing compartmented areas will increase the amount of time needed to search and will limit the area the team will be able to cover.

Remember: Firefighters on a search team can quickly become victims themselves. Weigh the risk/benefit factor before commencing a large-area search operation. This is especially true in large buildings with limited openings.
Additional team search safety considerations include:

• Never detach from either the main search line or your tagline.
• Always be disciplined and follow the team leader and their directions while monitoring radio transmissions from the control member.
• For you squawkers out there, radios are for listening and not so much for talking. Don’t get me wrong; important information must always be transmitted when warranted, but it must be clear and concise.
• Always secure the main search line before and after hazards and when changing direction.
• Maintain situational awareness concerning your air supply and changing conditions.
• If you become separated or lost, remain where you are unless fire conditions preclude doing so. Communicate your situation immediately to the IC or the team leader.

Conclusion
Discipline in team search is crucial. Always probe the area and make frequent stops to look and listen. Train often on line management skills to stay proficient; they will keep you out of trouble and allow for a quick exit if the situation arises.

More than anything, safe and effective team search requires thinking firefighters.  

Chief Fred LaFemina is a 24-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), presently chief of Rescue Operations. 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.