Combined Water Awareness and Bank Searcher

This is my training material from OxSAR's (Oxfordshire Lowland Search and Rescue) water safety session - it combines ALSAR's Water Awareness and the theory for ALSAR's Bank Searcher training.

Transcript

1. Updated: 10th September 2012 Combined: Water Awareness and Bank Searcher Training David Webster
2. ALSAR’s national policy on water training Everyone Anyone searching near water
3. Aim: Bank Searcher : “...to train searchers to identify their limitations and safely and effectively use water rescue equipment whilst operating near [...] water.” - taken from ALSAR’s Bank Searcher SOP . Water Awareness: To teach you that water is wet, cold, dangerous, it can kill you, but if you stay out of it, you stay safe!
4. Water Zoning
5. Water Zoning ?
6. Warm Zone ✤ 3m (minimum) from water’s edge: ✤ does not include: “routes for access or egress, bridges etc that are considered stable platforms [...] shallow water.” OXSAR POLICY: If you’re searching in (as opposed to transiting through) the Warm Zone, you need to be Bank Searcher trained and have PPE
7. When can you enter each zone? ✤ Cold Zone: ✤ All the time - this should be your default. ✤ Warm Zone: ✤ When transiting to an area on a well maintained path or stable platform (e.g. bridge) ✤ Whilst wearing PPE and conducting a Bank Search ✤ Hot Zone: ✤ Never
8. Water Dangers.
9. Why is water dangerous? ✤ It’s cold: Hypothermia, Cold Shock (gasp reflex). ✤ It’s powerful: knocks you off your feet, washes banks away ✤ It hides obstructions: you can get trapped. ✤ It’s often polluted: Leptospirosis, Cryptosporidium, Algae, and lots more
10. Hydrology The science of water
11. Weirs They’re often designed to be dangerous
12. Strainers They’re trees in the water
13. Eddies They’re our friend.
14. Flooding: 2009: Cockermouth At the peak of the Cockermouth flood the river flow could have provided all 7 billion people on earth with a pint of water every 90 minutes
15. Mud Rescue (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nemone/299465406) And Ice (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ 76282222@N00/3187472765)
16. A Canal Tow Path; Spot The Hazards (from: Http://www.flickr.com/photos/prlewis/2221624796)
17. Physiology - (Video)
18. Team Leaders: Responsibilities ✤ Ensure searchers’ safety ✤ Continuously monitor the condition of the searchers (e.g. effect of weather, fatigue, etc...) ✤ Have overall control of searchers’ effectiveness and positioning ✤ Maintain visual and verbal contact with searchers ✤ Initiate emergency action if necessary Just the same as in any other sector, but in a higher risk scenario
19. Team Leaders: DRA. ✤ Consider: ✤ Searcher safety ✤ The potential need for rescue ✤ Available resources, PPE & specialist equipment ✤ Lighting (esp. at night) ✤ Current, past and expected weather conditions ✤ Communications ✤ Downstream safety ✤ Additional hazards (e.g. bio, chem., electrical etc.) The greatest difficulty may be in stopping an unsafe search or rescue attempt.
20. Rescue Options & Principles
21. Rescue Priorities ✤ You ✤ Team ✤ Public ✤ Casulty Looking after yourself first is the most important thing you will learn today.
22. Absolutes of Water Rescue ✤ Wear PPE in the Warm Zone. Wear it correctly. ✤ Never put your feet down if swept away. ✤ Once the casualty is contacted, never lose them. ✤ Never count on a casualty helping themselves. ✤ Keep It Simple. ✤ Always use the right equipment. ✤ Never tie a rope around a rescuer. ✤ Never tension rope at a right angle to the current. ✤ The Clean Rope Principle
23. Rescue Options ✤ Shout ✤ Reach ✤ Throw ✤ Row ✤ Go
24. Sub Surface Rescue/Recovery DO NOT ATTEMPT
25. Casualty Management ✤ Get an ambulance. ✤ Drowning people panic. ✤ They will be cold. ✤ Keep horizontal. ✤ Survival bag & warm dry clothes.
26. Communication Signals: Whistle Number of blasts Meaning 1 Stop. Attention towards signaller 2 Attention (or move) Upstream 3 Attention (or move) Downstream 3 repeated Emergency
27. Communication Signals: Visual Signal Meaning Hand flat on head OK Arm raised above head Distress Showing Palm Stop Pointing above horizon (may include circling) Move in that direction Pointing below horizon Attention to (or hazard in water) Arms crossed in front of chest Help. Need medical assistance
28. PPE ✤ Each Team: ✤ 2 x Throwline ✤ 2 x Karabiners ✤ 2 x Knife ✤ 2 x Pole ✤ Each Team Member: ✤ PFD ✤ Yellow Helmet ✤ Whistle ✤ See SOP 001 Appx for full list
29. PPE at night: ✤ As per PPE during the day, plus: ✤ Yellow glowsticks on helmets ✤ Green glowsticks on throwbags ✤ a headtorch each ✤ at least one search torch
30. If you fall in: ✤ Do NOT try to stand up in moving water. ✤ Float on your back, letting PFD do the work. ✤ Feet up, pointing down stream. ✤ Look around you and listen
31. Questions?
32. Test
33. Test ✤ 1) In what situation is it appropriate to enter the water? ✤ a) to help a team mate ✤ b) to assist the Misper ✤ c) to recover a body ✤ d) never
34. Test ✤ 2) The warm zone is: ✤ a) the area directly adjacent to the water ✤ b) the safe zone that is well away from the water ✤ c) the area you warm up in after falling in ✤ d) all of the above
35. Test ✤ 3) When working around water, how can you prevent infection ✤ a) avoid drinking the water ✤ b) cover all open cuts ✤ c) wash throughly after coming into contact with the water ✤ d) all of the above
36. Test ✤ 4) When NOT operating as a bank search team, I should: ✤ a) only enter the warm zone to provide a rescue ✤ b) enter the warm zone whenever I want ✤ c) only enter the warm zone when transiting ✤ d) never enter the warm zone
37. Test ✤ 5) When operating as a bank search team, I should: ✤ a) wear appropriate PPE ✤ b) only enter the warm zone when necessary ✤ c) try to avoid falling in the water ✤ d) all of the above