The Expanded Five Stages of Rescue

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The first stage is Reconnaissance which is divided into two parts, Information and Observation. The Information part is the gathering and documenting all of the available data to assist in making an intelligent rescue action plan. This Data should include:

• - Time and all factors surrounding the collapse.
• - Numbers of persons suspected in building at the time of collapse.
• - Type of structure, date built, if blueprints are available, and if so, where.
• - Hazards known, and what can and is being done about them.
• - Service locations of power, water, gas, etc.
• - Number of persons who made it out before the structure collapsed and how they got out.
• - Number of persons who got out after collapse and how they got out, as well as the damage and injuries they noticed.
• - Local knowledge, is it available about the building, if so, who and where.
• - If a disaster plan was used during the collapse and it's success.
• - Locations of dense populations in the building for that time of day.
• - Resources that could be used to assist in the rescue operation: tools, medical kits, fire equipment, etc.
• - Available rescuers and resources that are on-site now.
• - Rescue resources that will be onsite and when
• - Rescue resources that can be called in and how.
• - Any other information that can be gathered prior to entering structure.

After the Information phase has started the Observation phase begins.
Observation phase requires that trained personnel survey the entire building looking for any clues as to stability, hazards, areas of entrapment and possible entry points.
This data is passed on to the information personnel who record it for the rescue meeting which will take place prior to the commencement of Stage 3.
During the Information / Observation phase [Stage 1] while the exterior is being surveyed, the other half of the team gears up for stage 2.
When the personnel working on Stage 1 have completed the exterior of the building they move in to the building with the Stage 2 personnel.

This is so the two stages can be carried out concurrently to save time. Inside the building the reconnaissance of information and observation continue as the Stage 2 personnel go to work.

STAGE 2

As the Stage 1 staff record all building data such as hazards and stability, the Stage 2 personnel mark exit routes and get walking wounded in the correct direction to get out to the triage area.
Stage 2 personnel are also responsible for the assessment regarding victims trapped in the building. They will document and mark [spray paint] the locations and degree of entrapment of the trapped victims.
No rescue is carried out in Stage 2 other than assisting the walking wounded to the triage area in the safe zone. This is because a large picture must be developed prior to rescuing anyone in the collapse, to ensure the right resources get to the most easily accessible persons first.
Save as many (as fast as we can) before spending 15 hours for one person requiring 75 ton air bags.

The Stage 1 + 2 teams will only search out the locations of surface casualties. They will not waste time by attempting to search under the debris and into areas which will require speciality gear and personnel.
Speed with caution is the goal of Stage 1 + 2 so that a proper plan can be formulated for rescue.

It should be noted that both teams should be noting all materials and supplies that can be used for the next stages, such as:

• - Fire Extinguishers, Fire Hose, Fire Blankets, Axes [found in fire station cabinets]
• - Carpet, Wire, Nails, Screws, Tools
• - Wood, Building Supplies
• - Doors [that can be used as stretchers]
• - Ladders, Scaffolding
• - Spray Paint, Tape
• - Furniture suitable for cribbing
• - Emergency Lights [{still usable} shut them off so they may be useful later unless it will hinder the walking wounded]
• - First Aid Kits and Medical Supplies
• - Food and Drinking Water

All teams entering the building will be assigned a search direction and area. In regards to Stage 1 + 2 teams, they will be given the entire accessible building with the first team in, going always to the right and the second always going to the left. This is the means for a safe form of navigation inside a hostile, dangerous and very dark environment.
In theory the two teams containing both Stage 1 + 2 personnel will meet and the end of Stage 1 + 2 will be at hand.

Once Stages 1 + 2 have been completed, the teams will meet with the rescue manager outside at the safe zone, and brief all rescue management staff.
While Stages 1 + 2 where going on inside, the rescue staff outside gathered all able bodied survivors and put them to work setting up the safe zone.
The safe zone has a four level triage area [critical, stable, minor wounds {walking wounded}, dead], a staging area for equipment and personnel, communications area [radio, briefing, debriefing, P.A. etc.], rest shelters, and volunteer assignment area, with the appropriate personnel staffing each one [volunteers].
At the meeting, the rescue staff must be briefed and regrouped after the Stage 1 + 2 information has been placed into the rescue action plan and then, and only then, may Stage 3 begin.

STAGE 3

Stage 3 involves the further exploration of survival points. The teams are now sent to the densely populated areas inside the building which only light entrapment is suspected. The stage 3 teams will take with them a very long line up of volunteers, all given single simple tasks.

These tasks are:

• - Stretcher bearers [marked on their clothes with "S" front and back]
• - Debris haulers
• - Runners [marked with "R" front and back]
• - Tool persons

Since there are so many persons that want to help and so much menial labour to be done, the volunteers are named with their function, and are taught only one task.
The Stretcher bearers use doors or whatever and transport all persons pulled out by the Stage 3 teams to triage, then return to the end of the line, following the rescue team.
The Debris haulers form human chains to move small amounts of debris to the outside.
The Runners [in pairs of two] act as messengers keeping rescue base outside informed of the teams progress and requirements [as radios will be in high demand].
Tool people, their job is to bring the item they keep with them at all times to the rescuers when called for. These persons are called by tool name thus preventing the need for the rescue team leaders to have to remember the volunteers names. When a tool or tools [hand tools] are required the team leader simple calls out that tool's name and it will come to him. Once the tool is done with, the volunteer caring for it takes it, and goes back behind the Stage 3 search team.

The job of the Stage 3 search team is to get only lightly [very lightly] entrapped and unable to walk victims out, and locate and document voids that persons may be trapped in. These voids will not be searched at this time but will be well marked and documented for the next stages of the rescue.
The primary goal of the Stage 3 teams is to find and remove all surface causalities.
All Stage 3 teams should be in the safe zone prior to starting Stage 4. Most of the saveable casualties will be saved in Stage 3 if time is not spent attempting to get at trapped persons [voids].
It is imperative that the volunteers be equipped with the basic safety items to prevent wasting resources on helping them and that they are appropriately chosen for the task they are given to carry out.

STAGE 4

Stage 4 involves exploration of voids and selected debris removal.

The Stage 4 personnel will go to the highest probability of survival areas identified by the Stage 3 teams, starting with the area suspected to have the highest number of entrapped persons first.
Once at these locations they will start a subsurface search for survivors. The search usually starts with a call and listen. A call and listen is carried out with voice or hammer. With the hammer method a pipe or beam appearing to go into the void in question which would transmit vibrations is struck solidly three times then a minute of silence is observed by all in the team.
If required, the Stage 4 team will use small tools and light hydraulics for selected debris removal to gain access to the voids.
Stage 4 teams will document any areas that will require further exploration with heavy equipment or rescue specialists. The same types of volunteers will be needed to follow the trained rescuers as were used in Stage 3.
Often it is this stage that electronic subsurface search gear is used and those personnel operating this type of equipment will have special demands of the search teams. This must be discussed at the team briefing prior to starting the search areas.
Stage 4 will require advanced urban search technicians, as they will be venturing into unstable areas of the building, and may be required to use technical equipment such as: S.C.B.A., Sniffers, Rope Gear, etc.

STAGE 5

Stage 5 requires all teams evacuate the building and only one Stage 5 team is usually allowed to work in the structure at one time. This is due to the heavy equipment that will be used to gain access to all voids and subsurface areas that may contain casualties, alive or dead.
The main objective of the highly trained Stage 5 rescuers is to systematically remove debris to gain access to the remaining victims.
The areas identified by the Stage 4 search teams will be prioritized by the rescue manager, then access will be gained to these areas via appropriate means, such as:

• - Heavy debris removal with Hydraulics.
• - Trenching or Tunnelling using cutting tools.
• - Lifting or moving large masses with crane or backhoe.
• - Forcing with Air Bags.
• - Burning through walls with Electric Oxygen Plasma Cutters
• - etc.

Stage 5 continues with constant assessment of the structures stability. If stability is being lost, the building is shored up and the stability is maintained throughout the operation.
When all the Stage 5 operations are complete, a thorough search is conducted of the entire building. If the search proves negative to any possibility of any persons alive or dead being in the building, then the rescue manager will have the structure secured and sealed, ready for demolition.
The rescue unit may move to the next site. To save the most lives if many buildings are involved the heavy rescue teams will leave all Stage 5 work until all buildings have been done up to Stage 4. This is due to the incredible amount of time and resources that have to be spent on a Stage 5 operation for few results.
There is not much logic in digging out bodies while survivors are dying in another building, lightly entrapped.