ASC Rescue Techniques & Emergency Response 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When organizing a hasty search after an avalanche, what is the FIRST action rescuers should take before probing?
- Immediately call for helicopter evacuation
- Visually scan the debris surface for clues and partially buried victims (Correct answer)
- Begin random probing across the entire debris field
- Set up base camp and divide into teams
Correct answer: Visually scan the debris surface for clues and partially buried victims
A rapid visual scan of the debris surface often locates clues or partially buried victims before systematic probing begins.
Question 2: What does the term 'critical burial time' refer to in avalanche rescue?
- The time it takes rescuers to reach the scene
- The 15-minute window before survival odds drop sharply due to asphyxiation (Correct answer)
- The duration of the avalanche itself
- The time required to complete a full probe line sweep
Correct answer: The 15-minute window before survival odds drop sharply due to asphyxiation
Survival rates drop sharply after approximately 15 minutes of burial due to asphyxiation, making rapid response critical.
Question 3: In a strategic probe search, what is the standard spacing between probe holes in coarse probe mode?
- 25 cm
- 50 cm
- 75 cm (Correct answer)
- 1 meter
Correct answer: 75 cm
Coarse probe mode uses 75 cm spacing between holes and between searchers, sacrificing thoroughness for speed.
Question 4: A rescue team locates a buried victim via beacon. What is the correct order of operations to complete the rescue?
- Probe → dig → assess airway → call for help
- Dig immediately → probe later → assess airway
- Probe exact location → dig strategically → clear airway immediately upon exposure (Correct answer)
- Call helicopter → probe → dig
Correct answer: Probe exact location → dig strategically → clear airway immediately upon exposure
Probing pinpoints exact burial depth, strategic digging minimizes snow displacement, and airway clearance is the first medical priority upon exposure.
Question 5: When digging to a buried victim, why is it recommended to create a V-shaped trench downhill from the burial point?
- It provides a warmer microclimate for the digger
- It uses gravity to help eject excavated snow and gives diggers efficient leverage (Correct answer)
- It reduces avalanche debris from re-sliding
- It is the only safe digging direction per AIARE protocol
Correct answer: It uses gravity to help eject excavated snow and gives diggers efficient leverage
A downhill V-trench lets gravity remove excavated snow efficiently and allows multiple diggers to work simultaneously without interference.
Question 6: What does 'beacon search bracketing' mean?
- Encircling the debris with rescuers holding hands
- Narrowing the search by moving perpendicular to the signal when the beacon reading increases (Correct answer)
- Using two beacons simultaneously to triangulate position
- Flagging the outer edges of the debris field
Correct answer: Narrowing the search by moving perpendicular to the signal when the beacon reading increases
Bracketing involves moving perpendicular to signal flux lines to narrow the search grid when the distance reading begins increasing.
Question 7: After a victim is fully excavated, what is the immediate medical priority before moving them?
- Check for broken limbs and splint them
- Assess and open the airway, then check for breathing and pulse (Correct answer)
- Administer oxygen from the rescue pack
- Warm the victim with an emergency bivy
Correct answer: Assess and open the airway, then check for breathing and pulse
Airway assessment and breathing/pulse check are the first steps of emergency care because asphyxiation is the leading cause of avalanche death.
ASC Rescue Techniques & Emergency Response 2
When organizing a hasty search after an avalanche, what is the FIRST action rescuers should take before probing?