SARNZSARNZ

National CaveSARNational CaveSAR

Management ForumManagement Forum

8-9 August 20098-9 August 2009

LANDSAR - CavingLANDSAR - Caving

Hosted byHosted byNew Zealand Speleological SocietyNew Zealand Speleological Society

Clubs RepresentedClubs Represented

Auckland WaitomoManuwatu WellingtonNelson West Coast Canterbury Southland

ASF/Australian Cave Rescue CommissionASF/Australian Cave Rescue CommissionAustralian RepresentativesAustralian Representatives

• Joe SydneyACRC & Union of International Speleology

• Richard ‘Harry’ HarrisACRC & Cave Divers Assoc of Australia

Held at theWhenua-Iti, Outdoor Education Centre

Lower Moutere, Nelson

4.5hr Drive from Christchurch to

Whenua-ItiLower Moutere,Nelson

South Island

Opened by Tasman District SAR Director NZ Police Inspector

Hugh Flower

Opening speech:

•SAR services in NZ

• SAR districts in NZ

•CIMS for SAR - an overview

• Relationship & use of volunteers in rescue

-Cat 1 (Inland and coastal SAR and body recovery) ,

- Cat 2 (EPIRBS, Offshore and aircraft) District performs about 230 searches/year (70% land based).

Bio & Resource Survey from Bio & Resource Survey from Clubs/Regions Including AustraliaClubs/Regions Including Australia

Contacts – NZ & AustraliaDiscussion on who are the contacts regionally.

Survey Results: NZ and Australia

Cavers/skills – what skills do cavers have for cave rescue?:SRTDeep caveRSQ riggingMedical/1st aidRSQ managementExplosives etc

Type of possible cave rescues:Wet cave rescue (wet cave & cave diving), Searches overdue/missing caver or touristEntrapmentCO2-carbon dioxideRescue from heights/pitches

Resources for rescue:Communications: Michie phones (NZ & Aus), Nicola and RDF with COMMs (Aus)Stretchers: Rescue WRAP (NZ & Aus),Paraguard (Aus), Stokes (Aus), Ferno (NZ & Aus), SKED (Aus),

Neil Robinson (NZ & Aus), Drag matt (NZ & Aus)

Bio & Resource Survey from Bio & Resource Survey from Clubs/Regions Including AustraliaClubs/Regions Including Australia

• What type of training does your team/state need?

Dry caves

• Cave Rescue operators – horizontal competence• Cave Rescue operators – vertical competence• Cave Rescue operators – technical competence• Cave Rescue operators - communications• Cave Rescue operators – specialist skills eg: cave re-engineering etc• Cave Rescue – management

Wet caves• Cave Dive Rescue operators – and operator as above• Cave Dive Rescue operators – need dry caving skills!

(Australian Survey)

• Rescue rope – sufficient to do major rescue in key areas

• Club meetings – most monthly

• Club rescue training days – mostly 1-2 days per year with a regional SARex every 2 years in some states.

• Club training with other teams – Some states mostly with a SARex.

ACRC Resource SurveyACRC Resource Survey

Was presented by

Joe Sydney, and

Richard ‘Harry’ Harris

CaveSAR Case StudiesCaveSAR Case StudiesBy Oz PattersonBy Oz Patterson

•1st NZ cave rescue 2 June 1952

•Babylon Cave Rescue 15 Feb 1987

•Mike Brewer cave rescue August 2007

•Anialarra cave system AN51, Spain

Lunch & DinnerLunch & DinnerPrepared by Sarah BrewerPrepared by Sarah Brewer

CIMS Paper Exercise 1CIMS Paper Exercise 1

With given scenarios, 4 teams are required

to manage a cave rescueusing the

Co-ordinated IncidentManagement System (CIMS).

CIMS Paper Exercise 1CIMS Paper Exercise 1Scenario: Cavers come to grief in a deep vertical cave.

Injuries: Rescue stretcher required for 1 caver,1 additional injured caver with possible hypothermia.

Given limited resources initially, the Ex had to prioritise an action plan. 1st team: Send small competent team into the cave & route mark

2nd team: Michie phone teamSupply issues: teams require food, shelter and warm clothing etc

Back-up team? Other tasks - checking existing rigging

Assessing exit route/s for stretcher

Surface activities include: Entrance control

Forward staging post, and Communications etc

The CIMS structure was used early and appeared to bevery beneficial to the planning.

Other useful ways of viewing a situation included:Situation – Retrieve injured caver via multi pitch vertical cave vs wet sectionCritical Factors – Presence of head injury?, children, flooding, weather etc

Worst Case Scenario (WCS) – Full stretcher rescue, 2nd victim with hypothermiaBest Case Scenario (BCS) – Victim assisted out without stretcher

Generate Action Plan initially assuming WCS

Working with MediaWorking with MediaBy Daryl Ware By Daryl Ware

Some traps to avoid!•Interviewers usually have an agenda…some are not good!

•Be on your toes!

Daryl Ware highlighteda range of suitable methods

for media presentation.

Some humorous examples were given.

Some good pointers:

•Be brief with your reply

•Ask the journo for a topic

•Look at interviewer & don’t shift your eyes•Never start a reply until your ready

•Don’t be flustered & upset if you get tongue tied

•Sound that your glad to be interviewed

•Sound knowledgeable – not technical

TrainingTrainingBy Barry WereBy Barry Were

Specialists – e.g. explosives, track and clue awareness, divers, managers, medical. Advice was to maintain a few specialists and don’t try and train everyone (except for basic first aid) in these areas. Most people just need to be “grunts” who are active and competent cavers.

SARINZ – Offer free training to rescue personnel including volunteers e.g. Personal Rope, Rescue Rope, Advanced Rescue Rope,

Tracking and Clue Awareness.

Very good because all the cavers speak the same language, use the same rigging etc.

There is a high uptake of training. Improved safety overall.

National Cave SAREX – Every 3 years. Regional aim for at least one SAREX in between. Everyone voiced support for how

crucial the SAREXs where when it came to real rescues.

Build Your Own SAR TeamBuild Your Own SAR Team

Time for fun!

Cavers were given a scenario withbudget and resource list. It was upto the team to set the budget and

resources required for thatcave rescue…4 scenarios given.

An Excel spreadsheet generatedthe time it took to perform the rescue

from the teams information!

CaveSAR in NZCaveSAR in NZBy Kip MandenoBy Kip Mandeno

•Currently in NZ there are:• 80-100 Cave SAR volunteers• 2 deep cave doctors• 2 divers (active)• 2 explosives qualified (lots of amateurs!)• High skill level in deep cave and alpine rescue.

Kip outlined the history of:

•Caving in New Zealand

•History of cave rescue’s in NZ 3 deaths – 1 diver, 1 drowning, 1 fall. 30 stretcher carries of at least moderate severity. 3 major deep rescues.

•What CaveSAR can offer LandSAR

Pre-plansPre-plansby Greg Pickfordby Greg Pickford

LandSAR-caving has a pre-plan!

Planning is useful, planning is vital!

• Importance of readiness for a call emphasised.

• Keep phone numbers and prompts near the phone.

• Hard to remember what to ask at 2am!

• Prevention is important. • Education of caving and non-caving public, signage in

cave areas prone to flooding for example.

• Markers in caves with difficult route finding.

• Generic preplans useful, specific preplans for high risk or complex caves a good idea.

CIMS Paper Exercise 2CIMS Paper Exercise 2 With given scenarios, 4 teams are required to manage another

cave rescueusing CIMS

-Co-ordinated Incident Management System.

Outcomes:This second paper exercise showed the benefits of already having done a prior one. The organisation was swifter, our objectives seemed clearer. Very worthwhile exercise.

Scenario: 4 cavers in stream passage. One falls off waterfall and breaks leg. Only 10mins from exit but deep-water passage.

Tasking and Sector ManagementTasking and Sector ManagementBy Grant PrattleyBy Grant Prattley

Negotiating the Chaos!

Grant overviewed the variousmanagement systems

that are available:

•AIIMS – Australian Inter-Service Incident Management System

•IMS – Incident Management System

•CIMS – Co-ordinated Incident Management System

•ICS – Incident Command System

Tasking and Sector ManagementTasking and Sector ManagementTasks need to be effective!

Consider

•Goals

The GOSA Pyramid!

•Assignments/Task•Strategies•Objectives

Tasking and Sector ManagementTasking and Sector Management

Looking at Roles in Operation

•Cave specific: job description•UG controller/sector supervisor•Cave entrance/forward Ops•Staging areas•Assembly areas•Team leaders•Team members•Medical•Stretcher carry•De-obstruction•Chamber-maids eg: UG camp•COMMs

Tasking and Sector ManagementTasking and Sector Management

LandSAR training:

•CIMS training•Rescue rigging•Leadership•Refresher courses•CaveSAR support•And more..

What next in 10 years!What next in 10 years!Cavers were gain split into teams

to discuss‘what next in 10 years!”

Outcomes were split into 4 categories:

1. End goals2. Training3. Deficiencies4. Absolutes

What next in 10 years!What next in 10 years!Key findings

3. Deficiencies• Public perception of SAR costs• COMMs on site• Relationship/interface with LandSAR• Alternative UG COMMs• Re-think SAR pre-plans• No pre-plans for big events: dive, earthquake, dig collapse• Defining roles in Cave SAR better• Conservation: knowing where sites are in cave

1. End goals• Respect mistakes• Learn by mistakes• Safe caving/no accidents• Unlimited resources• Cohesive national org• Promoting public image• Maintaining national/international capability• Maintain international relations• World excellence• Develop national cave management team resource

2. Training• Develop TCA for cave• Practical heli training for SARex• Tailor MLSA course to cave (2 day)• More session like this• Radio COMMS• Deep cave SARex-use relevant areas

4. Absolutes• Control of Cave SAR• Skilled cave SAR cavers• 3yr cave SARex• International networking• Maintain key relationship with other

agencies• Maintain funding• Trained management• Keep up to date• Minimum bureaucracy

Thank you!Thank you!

From Oz Patterson and Colin Daniel

And a request final from all cavers..And a request final from all cavers..

More beer!

Flight back to AustraliaFlight back to Australia

With magnificent memories of NZ and new found friends!With magnificent memories of NZ and new found friends!