ID
8-508-1173
Name
Land Search and Rescue (SAR) Team
Status
Published
Version
1.4
Updated
7/23/2024 2:00:32 PM
Original Release
11/07/2017
Last Major Release
Description
A Land Search and Rescue (SAR) Team conducts search, rescue, and recovery in one or more of the environments of land or wilderness, in response to natural and human-caused events
Resource Category
Search and Rescue
Primary Core Capability
Mass Search and Rescue Operations
Secondary Core Capability
Resource Kind
Team
Overall Function
The Land SAR Team:
1. Conducts search, rescue and recovery in land and wilderness environments through use of aircraft and ground vehicles for support, transportation and evacuation in non-technical terrain
a. Land: Area located within, or immediately next to, urban boundaries, no further than 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) from a road readily accessible by emergency personnel and which may include parks, wild areas, private, state and municipal lands
b. Wilderness: Areas beyond a trailhead or eyesight distance of a backcountry two-wheel drive (2WD) road (approximately 200 feet) OR anywhere the local infrastructure has been compromised enough to experience wilderness-type conditions such as remoteness from public infrastructure support services; poor to no medical services or potable water; or compromised public safety buildings or communications systems
2. Provides first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
3. Operates within the Incident Command System (ICS)
4. Operates in environments with and without infrastructure, including those affected by disasters and terrorism; with compromised access to roadways, utilities and transportation; and with limited availability of shelter, food and water
5. Conducts primary rescue of humans and animals and delivers them to safe refuge, but is not intended to perform secondary transport of rescued humans and animals to shelters or other locations
Composition and Ordering Specifications
1. Discuss logistics for deploying this team, such as working conditions, length of deployment, security, lodging, transportation and meals, prior to deployment
2. Discuss the following items prior to deployment:
a. Intra-team communications, such as programmable inter-operable communications with Command, General Staff and other supporting resources
b. Presence of contaminated environments and need for related personal protective equipment (PPE), respiratory protection, clothing and equipment
c. Security and force protection needed upon arrival
3. The requestor should specify additional specialized equipment, such as hardware, software, ropes, rescue or evacuation equipment
4. The requestor should specify the mission location and operational environment, such as land, wilderness or hazardous materials contamination
5. The requestor should specify the type of animal rescue such as livestock and equine, companion, avian, non-domestic and exotic animals
6. The requestor should acquire additional specialized personnel such as advanced medical, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), paramedic and canine SAR personnel separately
7. The requestor should acquire secondary land or air transport of rescues separately
8. The requestor should specify or separately acquire additional vehicles, trailers, equipment or supplies such as fuel
9. The requestor should consider the need for additional capabilities to address hazards that may be encountered during operations in SAR environments, which may be immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH), as ASTM International (ASTM) F2890 Standard Guide for Hazard Awareness for Search and Rescue Personnel defines
10. The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) may require additional capability-based training or certification, such as those related to cave, mine, water, hazardous materials or higher altitudes
| Supporting Core Capabilities |
|---|
| None |
| Components | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component | Notes | |||||||||
| Minimum Personnel Per Team | Not Specified |
| ||||||||
| Management And Oversight Personnel Per Team | NIMS Type 1 Land SAR Team/Task Force Leader should have experience in the deployment area’s environment |
| ||||||||
| SUPPORT PERSONNEL PER TEAM | Requestor may order a NIMS Type 1 EMT or Paramedic as a separate resource to supplement the team based on the incident need |
| ||||||||
| Environment Capability Per Team | Not Specified |
| ||||||||
| Operations Capability Per Team | YDS classified terrains as classes 1-6: 1. Class 1: Walking with a low chance of injury 2. Class 2: Simple scrambling, with the possibility of occasional hand use and little potential danger 3. Class 3: Scrambling on an increased angle with increased exposure and necessary handholds. Falls could easily be fatal 4. Class 4: Simple climbing, with exposure and rope use. Falls may well be fatal 5. Class 5: Technical rock climbing using a rope, specialized equipment and training to protect against a fall. Un-roped falls can result in severe injury or death 6. Class 6: Rock/Ice so shear and smooth that it is unclimbable without the use of aid, such as artificial and other devices: bolts, wedges, rope ladders, etc. |
| ||||||||
| General Equipment Per Team | Not Specified |
| ||||||||
| Victim Extraction System Equipment Per Team | Not Specified |
| ||||||||
| Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Equipment Per Team Member | PPE is mission specific and may vary by working environment; it includes protective footwear, protective clothing for skin exposure, eye and ear protection, respirators, gloves and masks |
| ||||||||
| Communications Equipment Per Team Member | 1. Intra-team and inter-team communications are consistent with National Interoperability Field Operations Guide (NIFOG) 2. Consider alternate forms of communication, such as satellite phones, based on the mission assignment and team needs |
| ||||||||
| Notes |
|---|
| References |
|---|
| Reference |
| FEMA, NIMS 509: Emergency Medical Technician |
| FEMA, NIMS 509: Paramedic |
| FEMA, NIMS 509: Land Search and Rescue (SAR) Strike Team/Task Force Leader |
| FEMA, NIMS 509: Land Search and Rescue (SAR) Team Leader |
| FEMA, NIMS 509: Land Search and Rescue (SAR) Technician |
| FEMA, National Incident Management System (NIMS), October 2017 |
| ASTM F2209: Standard Guide for Training of Level I Land Search Team Member, 2014 |
| ASTM F2890: Standard Guide for Hazard Awareness for Search and Rescue Personnel, 2023 |
| MRA, Policy 105.1: National Compliancy Guideline, 2015 |
| U.S. Department of Homeland Security, NIFOG, March 2022 |
| Published Versions | ||
| Version | Publish Date | Document Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1.4 | 7/23/2024 2:00:32 PM | |
| 1.3 | 7/23/2024 1:59:25 PM | |
| 1.2 | 11/18/2019 4:27:12 PM | |
| 1.1 | 9/28/2018 5:06:26 PM | |
| 1.0 | 11/7/2017 3:09:56 PM | |