Just Plain Ruff Posted November 23, 2007 Author Share Posted November 23, 2007 no one asked about the weather much except in passing. It's about 55 degrees, there is a huge weather front moving in with threats of tornados and high winds so the bird is now out of the question Your search and rescue people consist of the small volunteer fire department and your ems crew along with on duty deputies and a smattering of citizen volunteers. You have a local farmer who is willing to hook up his tractor to a flat bed trailer and get you as close as he can. With all those people in place it is now about 2 am in the morning. It's really dark, blustery and very windy. You have sent your partner and a fire fighter on ahead to go to the quarry that you suspect the guy is in. Radio's are useless out here especially since the terrain is pretty hilly. Once all of the extras are assembled you begin your treacherous and long journey into night. All of a sudden someone voices a concern - "Does anyone know how to rappel down to this guy if we find him?" what do you do now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Tell the drunk to go down and see if his friend is there and OK. In my area you find other ways to get to scene, is it steep all the way around or can you work your way around and down? Or let the buzzards have a good meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmeaner Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 ok, I have not gone shopping yet - but leaving is imminent Wow, your wife tells time like mine: a little bit = 2.5 hours, imminent = whenever she stops looking for something she doesn't need but won't leave without. As for being whipped - yep I am. But it's a small price to pay for what my wife did for me last night -(get your heads out of the gutter guys - it's not anything like that)_ Didn't assume it was. Neither would most married guys. If it was anything like that, you'd be writing in a different forum. :wink: Back to the scenerio, search the area as much as you can. Check known structures or shelters every couple hours. If you find this guy, most likely it will be due to audio contact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scaramedic Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 As for being whipped - yep I am. But it's a small price to pay for what my wife did for me last night -(get your heads out of the gutter guys - it's not anything like that)_ I wasn't thinking anything bad either. I'm married I know what it's like. What did she do let you have the remote control for the night? Watch other channels besides one of the ovary channels? Whoa! Did you actually get to watch the Dallas/Jets game? Hell that's more than I got to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmeaner Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 I wasn't thinking anything bad either. I'm married I know what it's like. What did she do let you have the remote control for the night? Watch other channels besides one of the ovary channels? Whoa! Did you actually get to watch the Dallas/Jets game? Hell that's more than I got to do. Wow, I just got flashbacks of Hee Haw where they were on the front porch singing "Doom, dispair, and agony on me!" Yes, I know. You might be a redneck if... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted November 24, 2007 Author Share Posted November 24, 2007 I spent the night outside the local electronic store and she brought me dinner and hot chocolate and finally spent the rest of the night outside with me. NOw that's dedication. Got a killer laptop for 299.00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC64 Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 Hrm. I'm spoiled with my SAR team. Is it a guarantee that the radios will not work at all, or is it unlikely? What sort of training do the firefighters have in things like patient packaging and emergent moves, and general ropework? Are there any of the civilian volunteers that know anything about ropes? Boy Scouts? Girl Scouts? How about medical training in addition to you and your partner? What sort of additional training have you and your partner had, since it sounds like you guys are a bit away from a hospital? If my memory serves me correctly, ground transport time of more than an hour to a hospital is considered "wilderness" in a lot of areas, and the rules change slightly, providing that you have the additional training. What other sorts of resources do you have available? Ropes? Good maps of the quarry? Just "knowing it well" doesn't work; in weather and darkness everything tends to look a bit different. Having a good map with you helps pinpoint locations and routes. Tents? Rain gear? Camping equipment? If radios are right out, then what other types of communication do you have to use? How about communication with any sort of medical command? If you find the guy and he's still alive, there is a good chance you'll have to hunker down with him until daylight and until the weather has passed. The weather. 55 deg, tornados and wind moving in. How long is it expected to last for, and how violent is the system? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyM83 Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 All of a sudden someone voices a concern - "Does anyone know how to rappel down to this guy if we find him?" what do you do now? Call in Search & Rescue. If you don't have a team, get some mutual aid going. A SWAT team might also be available for repelling. Possibly a military agency if there's a local base? Not sure how that works. I guess do the best sweeps you can, of course calling out to the injured. Local PD or military might also be able to lend you night vision equipment if that's an issue...but really flashlights should do it. I don't know if there's mobile infrared...Since it's a confirmed sighting, you might get more equipment than you otherwise would from outside agencies. Of course, bring out the original witness with you to see which areas seem familiar to him. You can also be on the lookout for signs of him, like unattended vehicles or other equipment. You might try having the word spread around your area to see if someone knows of a family member who might be in that area and is now missing. Search dogs might also be available. If you somehow end up being the guy in charge and have limited experience, you should feel free to consult with heads of surrounding agencies, medical, search and rescue, LE, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenac Posted November 24, 2007 Share Posted November 24, 2007 SWAT SAR me thinks some here are thinking big city. I understand this to be rural and remote. You call in those resources where I am will have to wait 12-24 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Plain Ruff Posted November 24, 2007 Author Share Posted November 24, 2007 ok it's now 4am in the morning. You have reached the quarry and you call out to him. There is no answer. You find the remnants of the drinking festival, 2 bottles of empty jack daniels. Looking down the hill it appears to be a gradual drop and then an edge. you and your group has the following items at your disposal 500 feet of good quality rope assorted carabiners and other high angle ropes small cb style radios for communication a generator and several flood lights and other assorted items that you might need. ONe of your guys ties one rope to the tractor and drops about 250 feet of rope down the hill and over the edge. You have one person certified in rope rescue and another one who spent 8 hours rapelling in emt school SAR has been called in from Kansas City and they are 15 minutes out which there are people waiting to bring them to you What happens now? The storms referred to are a line of storms that should pass thru the area over about a two hour period starting about now. You have made contact with medical control who says to do whatever you need to stabilize the guy even if you have to cric and needle him. Just use your best judgement on what you are going to do. Now what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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