USAR Flashcards
USAR
What is Urban Search and Rescue?
USAR is the mobilisation of resources required to safely and expeditiously locate and remove trapped and often injured victims from partially collapsed structures or environments and providing for emergency medical care in doing so
What information should be communicated to your supervisor after receiving a USAR call?
Incident location- Type and magnitude of Incident- Current situation - Cause of collapse- Type and number of casualties- Environmental and other hazards
What is the minimum PPE required for a USAR incident?
Helmets - Lightweight, comfortable and properly securedGoggles - or safety glassesHearing protectionDust Masks (P2)GlovesKnee and elbow protectionBoots
Name of some of the special resources that can be called upon a USAR incident
Heavy (Aerial ladders, bulldozers, etc)Medium (Hydraulic jacks, light towers, etc)Rescue (Acoustic devices, chainsaws, drills, etc)Support (Wheel barrows, morgue facilities, etc)MedicalCommunicationsShoringAnimals (sniffer dogs)Service (Portable toilets, tents, etc)
What are the three effective needs that have to be present for effective team work?
Task NeedsTeam NeedsIndividual Needs
Four different types of people within a team?
Bullets - Goes straight in without considering risksDiggers - Likes to think things through and not make quick decisionsInvolvers - Want to keep team harmoniousDreamers - Creative thinkers with creative ideas who need the rest of the team to make them reality
Four phases of team work
Forming - Either at incident or beforeStorming - Each person has a different view of the objectiveNorming - Working together as a teamPerforming - Meeting incident objectives
What is Synergy?
Getting more out than you put in due to the team performing so well
What is the definition of a confined space?
Any space that has a limited means of egress, not intended for continual occupancy, which may have the potential for an oxygen deficient or hazardous atmosphere or where the potential for engulfment may occur
What are some hazards with confined space?
- Potential exposure to toxic or infectious substances- Hazardous Atmospheres,- Oxygen deficient/asphyxiating atmospheres- Flammable atmospheres- Dust, smoke and fumes- Electrical hazards- Extreme temperatures- Claustrophobia- Anxiety- Panic
Name 4 types of Situational Hazards and 2 types of Environmental Hazards at a Structure Collapse
Situational:- Below debris hazards (flooding, oxygen deficient environment, toxic environments, flammable environments, different levels of elevation)- Surface Hazards (weather, slips, noise, vibrations, etc)- Overhead Hazard Structural instabilityEnvironmental- Hazardous Materials- Utilities
Three areas of Safe Work Practices
Personal (look out for sharp objects, work minimum 2 crew, establish escape routes)Planning (conduct reconnaissance, rotate crews frequently, establish work zones)General Safety Considerations (Safe working distance from weakened walls 1.5 times height of wall, atmospheric monitoring, eliminate sources of ignition)
Name the 5 most common structural collapse patterns
- Curtain Fall Wall Collapse2. Inward/outward Collapse3. Lean Over Collapse4. Lean to Floor Collapse5. Angle Wall Collapse
Three most common signs of secondary collapse
Movement in the structureVisual AlertnessHearing Alterness
What does the acronym REPEAT refer to in the phases of USAR operations?
Reconnaissance & SurveyElimination of UtilitiesPrimary Surface Search & RescueExploration of all Voids SpacesAccess by selected debris removalTerminate by General debris removal
