HeadsUp - March 2007

March 2007 ‘Heads Up’ #4 edition:

Hi all,

Welcome back to the SAR front after what we hope was a relaxing and refreshing break over the summer.

The 2007 training programme is well underway and the next couple of months look to be very busy ones for us.

We have yet to receive training programmes from a few regions and districts around the country and we would encourage training coordinators in those areas to contact us soon to talk about their training calendar so we can better position ourselves to cater for those needs.

In keeping with ‘Heads up’ SARINZ and Tai Poutini Polytechnic (TPP) have recently completed discussions to review their partnership. The revised agreement is a slight alteration on our previous MOU and recognises our respective areas of expertise – SARINZ in developing and managing SAR training and research and TPP's in the delivery of accredited SAR programmes. From a participant and course delivery perspective nothing has changed – the tutors you know and love will continue to deliver courses to the high levels of excellence you have become accustomed to.

You will notice that there is a slightly different format to the newsletter this quarter and you now have the choice of an electronic version, or printing a hard copy from the pdf file.  If you encounter any problems with either of these options please let us know.

In this edition we will be covering the following topics:

Administration & Post Course

o       Course calendar & website

o       Course contacts – one point of contact

Courses & Training

o       Advanced Rope Rescue

o       Refreshers

o       National MLSO courses

SAR Development & Resources

o       Initial Response Search Guide (IRSG)

o       Vector Forces Calculation Guide (VFCG)

News – activities & events

o       Funny story – next time stick with the stripper

o       Triennial National Deep Cave SAREX

o       A future management, training and operational review tool

o       The changing face of a district’s SAR vulnerability

o       Hamilton YSAR’s experience of working with VHF radios

o       Working with the Iroquois

Staff

o       SAR Development Manager – Ross Gordon

o       Grant’s new role

o       SARINZ needs you!

Once again we would be grateful for any contributions from the regions or suggestions regarding topics you want covered – and as always feedback will be appreciated.

If you have received ‘Heads Up’ from a colleague or mate, and would like to receive your own issue then drop us a line (info@sarinz.com) or visit the website to read, print or subscribe.

We know already this year that there has been some very good SAR work done in various parts of the country, so well done to those groups and all the best for the remainder of 2007.

Kind regards

The SARINZ Team

Caption Winner…..

Thanks to those who contributed to last edition’s caption competition – the photo of course was Joe Hayes in a lighter moment at last years SAR Conference in Dunedin.  Joe, as many of you will know is the Head of Department – Emergency Services at Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Greymouth.

Now despite  threats involving violence and bodily harm Joe has taken things reasonably well and after much deliberation has provided the following comeback which we believe is worthy of being this edition’s winner………quid pro quo!

“Caught in the act [of] impersonating the SARINZ business manager”

Obviously the ability to not take oneself too seriously is an asset in today’s stressful environment so congratulations Joe – your $40 petrol voucher will be in the mail shortly.

Editors note– we understand there may well be another version of the same photograph somewhere on the TPP campus in Greymouth with numerous other captions attached which were not submitted to us for consideration – we would very much like to have a copy of those for the sake of prosperity!

Administration & Post Course

Course Calendar & Website

SARINZ website has changed. In fact, it now offers so functionality that Pete and Tony are struggling to keep it updated! With that in mind, we encourage you to go to the site, and in particular use the following functions:

·      Search for courses/location/dates. This ‘Find a Course’ search function is a great way to see all of the current scheduled courses

·      Comprehensive details on courses, including list of when those courses are either scheduled or booked to be delivered in the next six months!

·      Easy and simple to navigate course booking function

·      Review/download past editions Heads-Up

If there is anything on the site that you are unsure about or think requires clarification then let us know. 0800 4 727 469.

Course Contacts – the one point of contact

As has been said in the past course organisation and coordination is a critical element in having a successful course and too often this aspect of the training experience is taken for granted.

The Course Contacts do a tremendous job in ‘bringing it all together’ and we should be doing as much as we can to make their job as easy as possible.

However, in some cases participants and instructors are communicating directly with each other about the course without involving the Course Contact.  Whilst this may be appropriate post course we strongly recommend that prior to the course the Course Contact is the one point of contact for everyone involved in the course.  This keeps them in the loop and allows them to maintain control and preserve the situational awareness necessary to coordinate such an event.

Pre-requisites and unit standards

Just a reminder about courses with pre-requisites and unit standards.

Please, please, please (and one more time for emphasis) please ensure a list of participants with their correct full name and date of birth is collated and forwarded to the lead instructor at least two weeks prior to the course commencing.

Why?

In this way the NZQA hook-on status and completion of pre-requisite requirements of participants can be checked.  Doing this before the commencement of the course alleviates a whole lot of time and inconvenience post course.

COURSES & TRAINING

Refreshers

A quick update about refresher training. SARINZ is working at national, regional and local levels to facilitate refreshers. Like SAR ops, refreshers are complex and the solution inevitable requires collaboration. While the funding of refreshers is still being worked through, we are working with various groups, on a case by case basis, to deliver mixed training weekends involving a one day accredited or substantive course followed by a one day refresher. 

This model appears to be the most suitable given the current environment.

If your region is interested in exploring refresher options, then at this stage it is best to contact us directly 0800 4 727 469. We are very happy to discuss this type of customised training directly.

National MLSO courses

We are proposing to run two further national MLSO courses later this year – one in the North Island and one in the South.

Dates have yet to be set and are likely to be determined by the availability of suitable venues however we are looking at mid to late August with a week off between the two courses.

These courses will be open to anyone within the SAR sector however participants will need level 2 CIMS as a minimum prerequisite – this can be attained by distance learning prior to the course if necessary.  It is strongly recommended that they also have level 4 CIMS with experience of working within a CIMS environment and also previous training in TCA and Search Methods.

If you are interested in attending one of these courses you can register that interest by emailing pete@sarinz.com

SAR Development & Resources

This section of the ‘Heads Up’ Newsletter is intended as a medium for SARINZ, or for anyone else involved in search and rescue, to introduce, promote, debate and or discuss any new resources (training or operational) that come into the industry and which we believe will have some benefit for SAR.

Initial Response Search Guide (IRSG)

As featured in the last edition the IRSG will soon be available for sale and general distribution – there will be a short delay to allow for the insertion of the most current LPB data however we anticipate they will start rolling off the printing press towards the end of April.

Vector Forces Calculation Guide

The Vector Forces Calculation Guide (VFCG) is the rescue cousin to the IRSG.

It is a very simple to use field guide to calculate the vector forces involved in rope rescue and rigging systems and incorporates the following features.

Features:

• Enhances the safe and efficient engineering of temporary rigging systems.
• ncreases and develops your knowledge of what forces are being applied to a system.
• Takes a whole system approach by means of anchor, directional and slope factors.
• Is a hand held, portable, waterproof reference tool for the analysis of rigging systems.
• Used prior to the rigging occurring so that the right safety margin can be planned.
• Used during the building process where it is not time critical.
• Used post an incident or training to review and record what was done.
• Is an ideal training and teaching tool to develop student understanding of forces.
• Can be used to analyse a system for accident investigation.

Used for:

• Rescue, ropes courses, guiding, adventure racing, abseiling, climbing, caving
• Film crew, industrial, tower and many more….

Includes:

• A calculator wheel with a factor calculator on one side and a load calculator on the other side.
• A users guide is available online in pdf format with information and examples on how to use and exercises for you to complete.

Projects on the Go!

A regular update from Ross Gordon – SAR Development Manager

SAR is changing rapidly!  There is progress in research, technology, techniques, concepts, products, courses, skills and most aspects of SAR.

The job of the SAR Development Manager is to maintain a list of projects and organise their completion as priorities, time and resources allow. 

“Collective wisdom” will be the key to the success of project development so if you have any ideas or comments then please contact me (ross@sarinz.com)  or any of the course instructors’.

Alzheimer’s Wandering – Prevention and Detection

This is a year long project which will focus on reducing the incidence of wandering and promoting rapid recovery when they do wander.  The initial planning has started and some of you will be approached for input and we are particularly interested in case studies and your experiences of searching for these very vulnerable people in our community.

SAR Products/Equipment

SARINZ is exploring options with a design student at present for equipment.   Is there a need for a specialised SAR pack?  The colour could be a reflectorised rescue orange, with an inbuilt drink system, GPS, radio and notebook pouches etc – open to suggestions for this or any other product that you believe may enhance our SAR effort.

International Liaison

A joy of this job is regularly liaising with my old SAR mates Skip Stoffel and Bob Koester in the USA and Martin Colwell in Canada. 

Bob and Skip are known to many of you and they appreciate their contact with New Zealand SAR and are specialist international SAR advisers to SARINZ.  They will often include an article about NZ.

Dumb, not so dumb and even bright ideas

If you have an idea then let us know as it might link with another idea or fit into another project.  Even the idea of sound light line came from a flash in the dark!

It will be your ideas that help drive this.  Feedback is always appreciated. Email: ross@sarinz.com

News – activities and events

Funny Story

This little yarn was found in a yachting mag recently…….

Next time, stick with the stripper!

The best man and friends of a groom-to-be in Norway decided to do something a little different and unusual for his bachelor party.  Instead of the usual drunken bash with a stripper for entertainment, they took him out on a sailboat for a supposedly ‘pleasant day on the water’.  But once they were out in the Trondheim Fjord, they dressed the groom in a survival suit and threw him overboard. 

They had hired a seaplane to ‘save’ him, however their plan went awry.  Conditions were too choppy and the seaplane couldn’t land.  After the best man and friends lost sight of the groom, they called for help.  It took authorities about an hour to find and rescue him.  The groom thought it was all part of the joke, but the authorities weren’t so amused – funny that!

Triennial National Deep Cave SAREX,   2 – 4 MARCH 2007 – an article by Grant Prattley

Three years comes around quickly. I had almost made the full transition from alpine climbing to caving in that time. Some would say I had moved to the dark side but really just finding new challenges.

This time around the SAREX was based at a cave called Tomo Thyme, Ellis Basin, Mt Arthur. The cave system has a surveyed depth of 590m and a length of 8.3km. It can be generally described as a vertical cave with around 13 pitches ranging from 5 to 47m in length.

I was involved with a team of people pre-rigging the cave on Thursday 1^st of March so that a scenario was set up for the main SAR contingent arriving on the Friday.  This involved one team, lead by Kip, heading underground to a place called the ‘lunch room’ undertaking some minimal Single Rope Technique (SRT) rigging on the way. They were to stay overnight and be ‘rescued’ at some stage with one person having a moderate injury. There was great discussion on what a moderate injury was. Some suggesting that it might be lack of coffee for more than 24hrs. There was talk also of a secret sealed envelope that had these moderate injuries outlined that for various reasons never surfaced.

The second team’s task was rigging down to a large chamber called the Kortakey (actually ¼ km long hence the name). I, Graeme and Moosh with ropes, drill, bolts, anchors, and various bits of gear rigged several pitches ready for SRT travel for the predicted 50 cavers coming into the cave on Friday. After about 12 hours underground we made our way back across the karst field and through the bush to the Ellis Basin Hut for the night.

The following day started slowly as people and supplies were ferried to the cave entrance and the Ellis Basin Hut with the Iroquois. Late in the day I met up with my team that I was heading under ground with. Bradley was suffering from the heat so decided to stay on the surface which meant we had a 3 person team – Paul, Kurt and I. Our first task was to pre-rig an entrance haul system. With a bit of head scratching we got a basic system together ready for gear hauling.

Just on dusk we headed underground to our assigned task pitch 8. The patient was being carried, dragged, passed and hauled in a cave stretcher back up the cave. As we arrived at pitch 8 it was already being done so we moved to pitch 6 and 7, which was a series of smaller problems. The first was the Arnold Schwarzenegger hand-line (pitch 7) which was  a pitch of about 5m. We set this up as a counter-weight haul. The load was belayed with tandem Prusiks.

When the stretcher got to the edge a jigger was used to pull the load in. We had practiced this set-up a couple of times before the stretcher party arrived which made all the difference as we were able to make a couple of adjustments.

From here the stretcher was belayed, hauled and carried and manoeuvred over steep and rough terrain. This would be reasonably easy travel for normal caving but once you have to move a stretcher it made it much more difficult. Good pre-planning and teamwork made things go reasonably quickly.

From here the stretcher stalled at the bottom of pitch 5 for a couple of hours as a few issues were worked through. Some tired people including my team headed out to the surface. Due to fresh teams coming in and teams coming out we needed to have traffic lights at times to get things flowing.

At the top of pitch 3 I worked with Van and Travis to haul the stretcher. Alice did a great job as stretcher attendant. After curling up for a sleep in a corner in my down jacket I was woken to be told I was up next for heading out on the entrance pitch. Needing no second invitation I was on the ropes in a couple of minutes and heading out.

On getting out Kip had a well-oiled team running the entrance haul system bringing gear out of the cave.  A walk back to the Ellis Basin Hut and having a good meal was great.

This is the third Deep Cave SAREX I have attended. There is a great deal of work to get this event off the ground by many people but mainly the cavers in Nelson with the support of the Police and NZLSAR.

A future management training & operational review tool?

By Nick Coyne

Last year Gisborne and Dunedin SAR groups initiated a ‘real time search review’ on an experimental basis.

This involved the exchange of data during a search operation or exercise which provided the opportunity for an objective and remote review and critique process to be completed.

This has now evolved to a stage where on Gisborne’s recent 3 day SAREX all of the logs, maps and other search planning documentation was captured electronically and stored in allotted time segments. The benefit of this is that other non operational management teams completing the review can develop their own taskings and plans to further the search, based on the material supplied.

If used as a training exercise their performance could then be measured against an actual outcome – what actually happened in the field which would be known to an umpire but unknown to that other management group.

If used in an operational support role real time management decisions can either be independently and remotely confirmed or alternatives suggested – a neat way of tapping into the vast stores of SAR knowledge scattered around the country.

Networking between SAR groups and the interchange of recording systems and management ideas can only enhance the performance of the overall SAR effort of all those involved.

Editors note– if you would like to find out more about this new initiative email nick@sarinz.com

HamiltonYSAR’s experiences with VHF radios

By Barry Were

During 2006 the Hamilton YSAR members spent the equivalent of 200 person days using VHF radios in the bush.

They always used the waterproof Icom F50 radios with Floppy Jim aerials - and it always rained.

During this time they encountered a number of problems associated with the radios but despite these communications issues the safety of the group was never compromised - except perhaps when they lost repeater coverage or forgot to take spare batteries.

Most of the problems encountered, as listed below, arose from gear failure:

• They broke six Floppy Jim aerials in the middle of the tape section.
• They broke three adaptors that connect the Floppy Jim to the radio (mostly due to the cable hooking up on trees when they slid down a slope)
• They pulled numerous plugs off the coaxial cables (some were poorly connected due to manufacturing faults)
• They lost 4 rubber ducky aerials

The repairs to the aerials were not a problem as the Group completed these themselves; however the loss of the rubber ducky aerials were an issue at $30 each.

The solution - we now tape the rubber ducky aerial to the orange section of the Floppy Jim with Duct Tape before it goes out.

There have been no further losses since they started doing this.

Editors note– thanks to the young people of Hamilton YSAR for this contribution.  We love your enthusiasm – keep up the good work.

The Changing face of a District’s SAR vulnerability By Nick Coyne

 I was interested to note how effective the $10 million dollar Raupehu lahar warning system was recently – I’d like to think it was very much like our own SAR pre plans based on a thorough SAR Vulnerability Assessment (SVA), with a reduced budget of course.

This latest incident at Ruapehu was the biggie, bigger even than the mudslide that caused the Tangiwai disaster, but nature, at times, can work on a much  lesser scale which can be as equally dramatic for those affected by the event.

There have been two such alerts in the eastern bays this year that illustrate how a district’s SAR vulnerability can quickly change, and how that change can have an impact on the local pre plan.

In a very remote but frequently visited area a river was recently dammed by ground slippage, which has created a small lake upstream of the blockage. This naturally occurring and reasonably innocuous event has so far resulted in two call outs for the local SAR group within the last month.

On the first occasion tractor tyre tubes were used to transport a stranded hunter and his dogs across the lake. And on the second occasion, three weeks later, a PLB was activated by a party who came to grief at the newly formed, but previously unknown lake.

This really does show how technology can prevent a full scale search response – essentially taking the ‘search’ out of SAR – and how ‘hot spots’ can develop at any time, in any place, and with no prior warning.

Working with the Iroquois –

Barry Were

During a recent exercise the management team found some “quiet” time to talk things over with the Iroquois crew.

During this discussion the crew proposed that we try a new Tasking Form layout, similar to one they used while deployed in East Timor.

When the form is used there should be only one line per pick-up and/or drop off. Thus several lines (Tasks) may be needed for a return trip from the helicopter base and back.

Some of the benefits:

• The form helps the management team to think through the details of each helicopter trip
• The aircrew can make tasking changes (change the order etc) for best utilisation of the machine based on the details provided
• Tasks can be swapped (even in mid-flight) and so long as everyone sticks to the same numbering system it is easy to track the changes
• It helps overcome the misunderstandings within the organisation about what is happening next and who goes when
• It allows the management team to retain full control
• The aircrews like to be able to plan their refuel stops plus end-of day shut-down and maintenance based on the amount of work to be done
• Written variations to the plan can be presented to the crew (in duplicate) by using radio message forms
• It is also handy to provide the crew with two copies of the laminated map with the main landing sites clearly marked

Tasking sheets completed on a computer (rather than handwritten) are even easier for the crews to work with. This also makes it easier to produce multiple copies – two for the crew, one for the Loading Zone Manager.

Other useful points from the weekend:

• The helicopter crews would get really excited if at every SAREX a proper windsock (or a rough approximation of one) was provided
• They do not always trust people standing with their backs to the wind with their arms out to indicate wind direction – sometimes people get it 180 degrees out. Instead they prefer people to hold up a meter or so of flagging tape (25mm wide & brightly coloured) which gives them a far clearer indication of what the wind is doing. My recommendation is that every SAR member carries a meter of this tape in their first aid kit.
• If there is no windsock available then a few lengths of this tape tied to car radio aerials works well
• Management should discuss with the crew at the start of the day their plan. The crews are likely to make some really good suggestions about making use of the machine for certain tasks while fully loaded with fuel versus nearly empty etc. A half hour spent doing this can save hours of flying
• Discuss landing site names with them so they are clear on the terminology
• The communications plan is an important part of the crew discussion. They can monitor two radio channels but respond easily on only one. Some machines allow them to operate on repeater channels while others cannot access SAR channels other than Channel 13.
• The Iroquois burns 250 pounds of fuel every time they stop and start the machine -equivalent to 30 minutes flying. Thus they do not like unnecessary shut downs

STAFF

Ross Gordon

Ross Gordon has recently been appointed as SAR Development Manager. A position perfect for Ross, given his wealth of experience and general SAR knowledge and enthusiasm.  Ross can be contacted at: ross@sarinz.com

Grant’s new title

Grant Prattley’s role as SARINZ Operation Manager has recently been morphed into that of Programme Manager - Rescue. Is there a better man to assume this role in New Zealand – we are confident that the rescue programme will continue to move forward in leaps and bounds.

[#160]

We need you.

As SARINZ continues to grow, so our need increases for highly skilled, respected and talented SAR individuals to instruct on courses.

If you are:

·      Passionate about SAR

·      Well regarded by your peer’s for your SAR knowledge

·      Have documented SAR operational experience 

·      Enjoy training and working with people

·      Willing to travel and work on the weekend (paid of course)

… then we want to hear from you!

With this in mind we are particularity seeking people for the following subjects.

·      Search instructor (TCA, Search Methods and tracking)

·      Rescue instructors (who can also teach search courses)

Contact dave@sarinz.com for an application form, or alternatively email us your SAR CV detailing your broad knowledge of SAR, willingness to instruct others and documented industry and/or training experience.

 Note:This is a request for expression of interest in instruction roles. Response does not guarantee acceptance as an instructor, nor can this request be considered an application for employment.

WHAT THE….

Ok, we know that some pretty interesting things happen on SAR ops and there are some hilarious stories. This section is designed to generate more!

 This photograph was taken at a recent SAREX – no need to mention the district – but we were wondering what this vehicle was doing parked under the shady tree.

Insert caption

Refer to the above photograph and write an appropriate or funny caption - the best caption will win a $40 MTA Gift Voucher.

E-mail all captions to: headsup@sarinz.com

THIS MONTHS QUOTE

Success is not about money and power.

Real success is about relationships.

There’s no point in making $50 million a year

If your teenager thinks you’re a jerk

And you spend no time with your wife

Christopher Reeve, 1952 – 2005

American screen actor

Greetings from the team at Tai Poutini Polytechnic in Greymouth. 

By Stu Drake

The following table is a summary of courses delivered within the Search and Rescue Programme for the 2006 academic year (Jan to Dec) with students achieving an overall completion rate of 84%. 

The majority of non-completions are due to reflective practice components remainin