Technical Rescue Job Description

Statement of Functions and Responsibilities

Basic Objectives

The DART "Technical Rescue Team" is tasked with providing a tiered level of response in the event of a natural or man-made disaster or technical wilderness rescue. The DART Technical Rescue Team also plays a critical role in reinforcing the State Office of Emergency Services' ability to strengthen local Police Department, Regional Open Space District, and Local and Regional Fire District resources during technical search and rescue operations in Bay Area locations.

TEAM LEADER:
Provide liaison between the Technical Rescue Team, DART Command, and Los Gatos Police Department (LGPD) Coordinators.

Determine, coordinate, and provide interface between the Los Gatos DART program and other Bay Area Search and Rescue agencies, Santa Clara County Fire District, MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District, Sunnyvale Public Safety Department, and Santa Clara County Sheriffs Department for all training activities and rescue operations.

Assume role as Site Operations Team Leader during rescue operations or assign to Assistant Team Leader, or other team member as appropriate.

Determine standards to meet training objectives and use of equipment.
Monitor the allocation of equipment and personnel for all training activities or search and rescue operations.
Prepare and maintain Standard Operational Procedures for training and equipment usage.
Coordinate and maintain cognizance of expenditures for Technical Rescue Team equipment and material with the DART Treasurer.
Obtain approval for equipment and material requests through DART Command and or the LGPD Coordinator prior to purchase.
Plan, lead, organize, manage, and control the activities of the Technical Rescue Team to insure that program objective and goals are met as directed by DART Command.
Report program status to DART Command and advise when involvement in the program is needed to resolve any problems that cannot be handled by the Team Leader or Team Coordinator.
Advise DART Command and the LGPD Coordinator of any existing or new requirements that will affect the performance of the Team.
Ensure that Assistant Team Leader can represent the Team in the absence of the Team Leader.
Obtain approval for Team direction and objectives from the DART Board of Directors and the LGPD Coordinator.

ASSISTANT TEAM LEADER:

Coordinate monthly training program for Technical Rescue Team members. Submit training plan to Team Leader for approval to insure overall training objectives are met.
Coordinate monthly training program for Support Team members. Submit training plan to Team Leader for approval to insure overall training objectives are met.
Maintain training records for Technical Rescue Team and Support Team members during monthly annual training activities. Submit to Team Leader for review to insure consistency of training records.
Assist Team Leader with the development of objectives and goals for the Technical Rescue Team program.
Develop and maintain a written Technical Rescue equipment maintenance, repair, and disposition program.
Ensure equipment and hardware is operational, maintained and is documented regarding current location on R12, DART Equipment shed, and or Room Y107 at the Town Corporation Yard.
Represent the Technical Rescue Team during the absence of the Team Leader. Insure that Team objectives, goals, and specific responsibilities are maintained in accordance with established protocols and procedures as outlined in this document and the DART Procedural Orders.

TEAM MEMBERS:

Maintain "functional" skill competencies in Rescue Systems-1 (Fundamentals of Heavy Rescue) and or Rescue Systems-2 as defined by the California State Fire Marshall.
Maintain "functional" skill competencies in Confined Space Rescue Awareness as defined by the California Specialized Training Institute.
Maintain "functional" skill competencies in Hazardous Material Awareness as defined by the California Specialized Training Institute.
Ensure that DART equipment and personal equipment needed to perform Technical Rescue operations is maintained and ready in the event of a call-out by the LGPD.

Personal Protective Equipment:

All Technical Rescue Team members should have proper safety equipment such as:

Advent-2 helmet, yellow with approved crescents and decals.
Gloves, rappel and heavy work type
Eye protection, glasses with side shields or goggles/facemask
Dust mask or half face air purifying respirator with HEPA cartridge
Knee pads and or elbow pads
Helmet light with extra batteries
Coveralls (standardized color and design)
Hearing protection
Handheld flashlight

Personal Equipment:

Maintain a Heavy Rescue bag that contains:

A change of warm clothes
Personal Protective Equipment (see list above)
Water
Snacks or energy bars
Personal climbing gear, harness, carabiners, 8 plate, etc.

Maintain DART Technical Rescue equipment inventory in a clean, working condition. Direct any problems or inefficiencies with equipment and hardware to the Team Coordinator for resolution. Insure that all equipment is returned to its proper location in R12 after all training activities and or rescue operations have terminated.

Work as a "functional" strike team of two or more members as determined by the Incident Commander/Scene Manager or Site Operations Team Leader assigned to the rescue operation. Carry out actions as directed by the Incident Commander/Scene Manager or Site Operations Team Leader as defined by the Action Plan.

The DART Technical Rescue Team personnel will be responsible for conducting technical rescue operations such as rope rescue, confined space rescue, and collapsed structure rescue. Technical Rescue Team members may be required to support County Fire Department, Regional MidPeninsula Open Space District, Los Gatos Police Department, or Office of Emergency Services (OES) personnel during rescue operations.

SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS:

Maintain "general" skill competencies at a level sufficient to support members of the Technical Rescue Team. Carry out actions as directed by members of the Technical Rescue Team or Site Operations Team Leader. Support Team personnel will not be responsible for direct rescue operations.

General skill competencies to include: understanding of the Incident Command System, functional knowledge of basic knots, understanding of equipment terminology and uses, and the ability to use hand and power tools safely and efficiently in support of technical rescue operations.

Ensure that personal equipment needed to support Technical Rescue Team operation is maintained and ready in the event of a call-out by the LGPD.

Personal Protective Equipment: (Support Team members)

All Support Team members should have proper safety equipment such as:

Head protection, hard hat type with chinstrap
Gloves, heavy work type
Eye protection, glasses with side shields or goggles/facemask
Dust mask
Knee pads
Hearing protection
Handheld flashlight

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR TEAM MEMBERS

The DART Technical Rescue Team will safely and competently respond to urban and wilderness search and rescue operations with an appropriate level of resources and capabilities to protect life and property. Training of team members consists of direct and specific knowledge with regard to rope rescue, collapse structure rescue, confined space rescue, and Hazardous Material Awareness.

During a rescue operation, Technical Rescue Team members will be divided into specific teams. The DART Technical Rescue Team may be dispatched in support of Los Gatos Police Department, County Fire Department, City and County Park Rangers, MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District, or State OES rescue operations as determined by the Incident Commander at the scene.

Each Team will be accountable for the safety of their team members and will be equipped with a 2-way radio for communications to the Site Operations Team Leader or DART Command. The Technical Rescue Team Leaders will report directly to the Incident Commander/Scene Manager, Los Gatos Police Department Coordinator, or DART Command. Reporting responsibility to be determined at the scene.

Heavy Rescue Team Incident Command / Scene Manager:

The Incident Commander / Scene Manager (IC/SM) is responsible for all incident activities, planning, communications with other agencies, determination of necessary resources, preparation of reports, incident termination, and post incident analysis. The IC/SM will determine the appropriate action to be taken and implement that action deemed necessary and within the capability of the resources and equipment available during the rescue operation. DART Command, Los Gatos Police Coordinator, or Santa Clara County Fire Department on-scene Commander may assume the role of the IC/SM as appropriate and will further evaluate the needs of the incident and refine, reinforce, or expand the scope or depth of the response activities as required. The IC/SM will perform the following functions as necessary to conduct rescue operations:

Establish a Site Safety Plan.
Determine the operational rescue area.
Limit and control site access.
Set up and manage a Command Post and Staging Areas.
Coordinate on site personnel and other support or agency personnel.
Call for resources and support personnel.
Establish lines of communication.
Formulate and implement an Incident Plan of Action consistent with established procedures, capability of personnel, and available resources.
Communicate the Incident Plan of Action to on-scene personnel.
Update the Incident Plan of Action as required or as new information becomes available.
Establish contact/communications with outside agencies as required.
Consult on site and or off site personnel and specialists as required.
Establish and maintain an incident log. If utilizing the Los Gatos Police Dispatch Center communications network, the Dispatch Center personnel will maintain an incident log.

Staff incident support positions as needed:

Safety Officer (mandatory position) (RS-1 certified position)
Liaison/Information Officer
Site Operations Team Leader (RS-1 certified position)
Planning Team Leader (RS-1 certified position)
Logistics Team Leader
Finance Team Leader
Public Information Officer (Los Gatos Police Department representative)
Medical Team Leader

Conduct a site survey / size up.

Terminate incident activities.

Conduct post incident analysis and review.

Site Safety Officer:

The Site Safety Officer provides technical information and assistance to the Incident Commander / Scene Manager and Site Operations Team Leader during the rescue operation.

Provide support to the Planning and Site Operations Team Leader.
Determine personal protective equipment requirements based upon site hazards.
Maintain communications and coordinate operations with:

Primary Team Leader
Site Operations Team Leader
Backup Rescue Team Leader

Provide technical information to the Site Operations Team Leader for submittal to the IC/SM.
Log operational activities as they relate to safety operations.
Provide technical information of the rescue incident for documentation.
Assist in the termination of operations.

The Site Safety Officer may provide technical information using various reference sources such as but not limited to:

State Fire Marshall manual on Systems-1 Fundamentals of Heavy Rescue and Confined Space Rescue,
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue Response System Field Operations Guide,
Other appropriate technical rescue literature or resources such as; FEMA's Protective Clothing and Equipment needs of Emergency Responders for Urban Search and Rescue Missions, Technical Rescue Technology Assessment,
High Angle Rescue Techniques by Tom Vines and Steve Hudson,
CMC Confined Space Entry and Rescue training manual, and
First Due Trench Rescue by James Gargan.

Technical Rescue Site Operations Team Leader:

The Site Operations Team Leader is responsible for the "supervision" of the DART Technical Rescue Team members during rescue operations. The Site Operations Team Leader reports directly to the IC/SM and will be responsible for the coordination of field activities as directed by the IC/SM.

Obtain briefing from Incident Commander / Scene Manager.
Confirm the development of the rescue area and site access control points.
Ensure that a Site Safety Plan is developed and implemented.
Participate in the development of the Incident Plan of Action with the IC/SM and Planning Team Leader.
Maintain responsibility for site safety and operations inside the rescue area.
Ensure that proper personal protective equipment is selected and used.
Supervise the rescue operation and maintain communications with the rescue team, and IC/SM or next higher level of supervision if position has been staffed.
In conjunction with the Site Safety Officer, monitor the site for operational safety requirements.
Assist in the termination of operations.

Planning Team Leader:

Select appropriate personal protective equipment for rescue activities based upon recommendations of the Site Safety Officer.
Assist the IC/SM and Site Operations Team Leader with the development of a Plan of Action consistent with established procedures, the capability of the personnel, and personnel protective equipment.

Logistics Team Leader:

Assess logical support requirements for rescue operations.
Obtain necessary materials, supplies, and equipment to support rescue operations.
Set up a resource area in the "Support Zone" as required for the Technical Rescue Team members, Support Team members, rescue equipment, materials and supplies, food area, rest area, restroom facilities, vehicle parking, communications equipment, and media briefing.

Finance Team Leader: (as required)

Record all information regarding the costs involved with the rescue. Prepare a final cost report for the incident and submit to the Los Gatos Police Department, Office of Emergency Services (OES), or other Responsible Party (RP). Finance Team Leader position will be staffed by the DART Treasurer, or assigned DART / Los Gatos Police Department representative.

Primary Rescue Team:

The Primary Rescue Team will consists of a minimum of two members of the Technical Rescue Team. One member will be designated as Rescue Team Leader #1. After a briefing from the Site Operations Team Leader, the Primary Rescue Team will perform the following functions:

Provide cautious and methodical size up of the situation and communicate this information to the Site Operations Team Leader.
Recommend actions to mitigate the situation.
Maintain radio communications with:

Site Operations Team Leader
Back up Team

Maintain control with regard to movement of people and equipment within the rescue area.
Direct rescue operations as needed.
Assist in termination of operations.

Backup Rescue Team:

In the event that a Backup Rescue Team is needed, the Backup Rescue Team will consists of a minimum of two members of the Technical Rescue Team. One member will be designated as Rescue Team Leader #2. After a briefing from the Site Operations Team Leader, the Backup Rescue Team will perform the following functions:

Assist the Primary Rescue Team with the survey of the site.
Carry out actions as directed by the Site Operations Team Leader.
Maintain sight or voice contact with the Primary Rescue Team at all times.
Utilize the same level of personal protective equipment as the Primary Rescue Team. Be prepared to rescue the Primary Rescue Team if required.
Maintain radio communications and coordinate operations with:

Primary Rescue Team
Site Operations Team Leader

Furnish additional equipment and supplies to the Primary Rescue Team as needed. Replace used equipment with additional supplies.
Assist in termination of operations.

September 1998, Revision 4