Technical Rescue Team presents

Trench Rescue Objectives Size Up Identification of Resources Hazard Recognition Collapse Pattern Recognition Evacuation plan Termination of Incident

Trench Rescue Size Up Scope, magnitude and nature of incident. Location and number of victims. Risk vs. Benefit analysis. Access to the scene. Environmental factors. Available/Necessary factors. Patient contact.

Scope, magnitude, nature Size/depth of trench. Trench type Incident events Hazard recognition Trench Rescue

Location/number of victims Who, where, how many. Last location seen. Location signs.

Risk vs. benefit Patient contact? Elapse time. Rescue/recovery? Trench Rescue

Access to scene First arriving units. Limit personnel access. Remove bystanders. Secure scene.

Trench Rescue Environmental factors Time of day. Day of week. Weather.

Trench Rescue Available/Necessary resources Internal/external resources

Trench Rescue Patient contact Rapid non-entry rescue? Rapid entry rescue?

Identification of resources What do you need to do? Who do you need to do it? Trench Rescue

Hazard recognition Haz Mat? Heavy equipment. Spoil pile. Utilities. Traffic control. Building collapse. Incident location. Identification of resources Trench Rescue

Hazard recognition (con’t) Weather. Secondary collapse. Vibrations (helicopters, planes, apparatus etc.) Trench Rescue

Collapse pattern recognition Spoil pile collapse. Wall slough in (side wall, bell bottom). Lip in. Wall shear.

Hazard recognition (con’t) Weather. Secondary collapse. Vibrations (helicopters, planes, apparatus etc.) Trench Rescue Spoil pile collapse Being to close to trench Min of 2ft from trench

Slough in collapse Poor water drainage. Exposed to natural elements. Very dangerous to shore because of overhang. Trench Rescue

Lip in collapse Heavy Equipment/vibration Workers or equipment may fall in May be called “Angle of repose”.

Trench Rescue Shear Wall collapse Area stresses causing entire section to collapse. Cracks parallel to trench. Found in trenches that have been exposed for a while.

Trench Rescue Evacuation Plan Rescue or body recovery?

Trench Rescue Evacuation Plan - Rescue Make patient contact. Assess condition. Sheeting/shoring? Uncover head and chest first. Provide EMS. Completely uncover patient. Patient package.

Trench Rescue Evacuation Plan - Recovery Risk benefit analysis. Assess and re-assess. Take your time.

Trench Rescue Termination of the incident. Necessary personnel only. Remove all tools and supplies. Last shore in - first shore out. Last panel in - first panel out. Bury equipment in place? Crime scene?