Technical Rescue: Structure Collapse Response for the Rural/Volunteer Department

Throughout the country, structural collapse incidents occur routinely. They take place because of the aging of structures, construction or renovation work and, with ever-increasing frequency, natural disasters.

Collapse incidents aren’t confined to large cities. They can occur in any community, even a rural one. The question then presents itself, what does a small rural department do (and not do) with limited staffing and equipment when a collapse happens?

Numerous actions can be taken to protect lives while also keeping members safe. Incident commanders can make initial decisions that can improve the situation dramatically for rescuers. 

Conversely, poor or rash decisions can compromise an already dangerous situation.

Outside teams

Structural collapse teams’ prevalence is limited. This is because of the considerable amount of time, money, training and resources that go into putting them together.

Often, these teams are part of a city or countywide fire department. Because of the time that’s involved in assembling the members of a team and getting them on the road, they must be called for immediately. Putting together a formal mutual-aid agreement before an event occurs must be done. Also, knowing the capabilities of your response team is crucial.

Some structural collapse teams are at an operations level and are capable of fully operating in an ordinary or wood-frame structure but lack the capability to shore, breach, and perform lifting and rigging operations at larger concrete and steel buildings. This makes preplanning a must, because a lot of time can be wasted when the capabilities of the incoming team aren’t suited to the situation.

Size-up best practices

Because structural collapse incidents are a high-risk/low-frequency event—some rural jurisdictions might go years without one—collapse often is low on the list of training priorities for a rural department. Therefore, departments should proceed with extreme caution and avoid rushing into collapse operations.

On initial approach to the scene, a proper and thorough size-up must be done from a safe distance. Getting information from bystanders is vital, because determining the cause of collapse—from a natural gas leak to criminal activity—is critical.

Parking apparatus a safe distance away while checking for downed power lines is a good initial action. Rigs that aren’t actively involved in supporting the scene must be moved out of the way to make room for incoming collapse rescue assets.

Approaching from the corners of the structure/building to evaluate the scene is another good practice. Proper time should be taken to perform a thorough, methodical and complete reconnaissance, and findings should be reported to incoming units.

Utilities

When structures/buildings are affected by a collapse, utilities often become compromised. This can create significant safety issues for both rescuers and victims. For example, there have been instances when victims nearly drowned because of broken water lines, such as the Hyatt Regency collapse in Kansas City, MO, in 1981.

Controlling water, sewer, electrical, fuel and natural gas lines is a potentially life-saving early action that can be done by a first-due company. Working with utility companies to monitor and mitigate these hazards while a technical rescue team is en route allows incoming teams to focus on the primary mission of searching and shoring affected areas.

Hailing search

Another initial action that first-arriving units can take is a “call-out,” or hailing search. It involves surrounding a structure/building from a safe distance with responders, eliminating any unnecessary sounds, and calling out for victims to yell out or somehow otherwise make noise, such as banging or tapping. This is a good, early way to identify where victims might be when the entire structure/building is compromised or when it simply is too dangerous to search the area.

When a victim is located, someone should remain in voice contact with the individual throughout the operation. The victim’s location should be relayed immediately to incoming collapse teams, so they have a starting point for their operations.

Unaffected areas

As part of your size-up, you might be able to identify areas of the structure that are either unaffected by a localized collapse or are less damaged and, therefore, less prone to a secondary collapse. This is where a good knowledge of structure/building construction helps. 

A rural department might be more familiar with the types of construction in its response area than responding mutual-aid assets are.

Unaffected areas of the structure/building(s) still must be searched and cleared of occupants. Simple right- or left-handed searches can be performed. Consideration must be taken by members that when after they search these areas they mark them as searched and cleared. This allows specialty teams to focus on more affected parts of a structure/building.

Don’t act in haste

Lastly, in the heat of the moment, it can feel as though it takes an eternity for a collapse team to arrive. Nevertheless, first-responding companies must resist the temptation to “tunnel” their way into areas where they believe that victims might be trapped. It takes a considerable amount of training to become a structural collapse technician and an even greater amount of time and training to become a structural collapse specialist on an urban search and rescue team.

Breaching a load-bearing wall in the wrong location can lead directly to a secondary collapse. Cutting a “random” piece of debris that in reality is holding up part of the collapsed structure/building could trap rescuers or further bury victims. Remember, we are called to help to remedy the situation to the best of our ability and training, not to make the situation worse by acting in haste.

Be prepared

Although collapses happen infrequently, the need for a department to be prepared and have a comprehensive response plan in place can’t be overstated. Taking a few preplanning steps, incident commanders can put themselves in a position to help a situation dramatically and to concentrate on the scene instead of dedicating a lot of time trying to figure out who to call for help.

There are numerous steps that a rural department can take to start to improve a complex situation. On the flip side, a department can rush in and make a bad situation even worse. So, the questions must be asked: Is the department capable of handling a structural collapse and does it have a good plan in place should a structural collapse occur?

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Search and Rescue Camera

The FirstLook360 (FL360) camera from Agility Technologies is an advanced, 360-degree, spherical imaging system that’s designed for technical rescue/urban search and rescue teams and first responders. Powered by the FIRSTLOOK360 mobile app (iOS & Android), the FL360 provides real-time streaming to enable rapid and thorough searches in collapsed structures, confined spaces and hazardous environments.

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Shoring Device

Profix Max from Power Hawk Technologies is an integrated and easy-to-use shoring device that provides a powerful 16.5 tons (U.S.) capacity per strut at a safety factor of 4:1. It can be operated manually, pneumatically and hydraulically. With just a few struts and attachments, unlimited combinations are available. Automatic mechanical locking in any position makes stabilizing safe and easy. Use it for structural, trench, stabilization and lift support.

powerhawk.com/profix-max-struts

Rescue Tools

The new smart dashboard that’s included on HURST Jaws of Life E3 CONNECT rescue tools provides up-to-the-minute alerts, such as tool drops, overheats and roll warnings. Plus, the new turbo function star grip gives you more precision and speed. Combine mission-critical tool status with superior power, for extrication tools that perform when lives are on the line.

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