Search and Rescue Operations Flashcards
7 cards from real ERT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Search and Rescue Operations flashcards as text
In water rescue, the sequence 'REACH, THROW, ROW, GO' represents what operational principle?
Answer: A prioritized sequence of rescue techniques ordered from safest to highest-risk
REACH, THROW, ROW, GO prioritizes techniques that keep the rescuer safe first; direct entry ('GO') is the last resort because it puts the rescuer at highest risk.
In swift water rescue, what is a 'strainer' and why is it particularly dangerous?
Answer: An obstacle such as a downed tree or fence that allows water to flow through but traps people or objects against it
Strainers trap victims against them with tremendous hydraulic force while water continues to flow through, making it nearly impossible for a trapped person to escape without assistance.
Under OSHA's permit-required confined space standard, what is the minimum required team configuration for a safe confined space rescue?
Answer: At minimum one authorized entrant, one attendant outside the space, and retrieval capability
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 requires an authorized entrant, an attendant who remains outside and monitors conditions, and a retrieval system or rescue team ready to extract the entrant.
What is the purpose of 'medical triage' in mass casualty incidents (MCIs) and large-scale SAR operations?
Answer: Sorting and categorizing victims by injury severity to prioritize treatment and transport with limited resources
Triage (French for 'to sort') allocates scarce medical resources to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number by treating the most critical salvageable patients first.
In the START triage system used at MCIs, what does the color tag 'BLACK' indicate?
Answer: Expectant/deceased – the victim is deceased or injuries are unsurvivable given available resources
In START triage, black tags are assigned to deceased victims or those whose injuries are so severe that survival is unlikely even with immediate intervention, allowing resources to focus on salvageable patients.
Which document in the Incident Command System (ICS) serves as the master operational plan for a SAR incident, summarizing objectives, tactics, and resource assignments?
Answer: ICS Form 202 / Incident Action Plan (IAP)
The Incident Action Plan (IAP), typically led by ICS Form 202, compiles incident objectives, organizational structure, tactical assignments, and safety information for each operational period.
What is 'technical rope rescue' and at which NFPA 1670 operational level are rescuers authorized to perform patient packaging and raising/lowering systems?
Answer: Rescue using rope systems to access, package, and extract patients in vertical or high-angle environments; authorized at the Technician level
NFPA 1670 Technician level is required for rescuers who will perform patient packaging and operate raising/lowering systems in high-angle technical rope rescue environments.