NCJ Number
67198
Date Published
1978
Length
48 pages
Annotation
THE PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF POLICE INSERVICE TRAINING SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS USED UNDER THE VARYING TERRAIN AND CLIMATE OF WEST AUSTRALIA ARE DESCRIBED BY WESTERN AUSTRALIA'S POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Abstract
SOUND PRINCIPLES APPLICABLE TO ANY SUCCESSFUL SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION INCLUDE ADEQUATE PREPLANNING, EFFECTIVE LIAISON, VESTING OF FIELD CONTROL IN AN EXPERIENCED OFFICER, PLENTIFUL PRESEARCH AND SEARCH OPERATIONAL INFORMATION, EFFICIENT COMMUNICATIONS, MOBILITY, FLEXIBILITY OF SEARCH CONTROLLERS, AND TRAINED AND DISCIPLINED PERSONNEL. AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE INFORMATION PROCESS MUST BE A MAJOR QUALIFICATION FOR THE SEARCH CONTROLLER. SEARCH INFORMATION PHASES AS APPLIED TO SEARCH OPERATIONS ARE DIVIDED INTO FOUR PHASES: PRESEARCH, BRIEFING, SEARCH OPERATIONS, AND DEBRIEFING. THE AVAILABILITY AND TYPE OF INFORMATION CAN BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR CATEGORIES (1) INFORMATION ABOUT THE MISSING PERSON FROM FAMILY, FRIENDS, ETC., (2) THE WEATHER AFFECTING THE AREA OF THE SEARCH, (3) ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERRAIN OF THE AREA TO BE SEARCHED; AND (4) THE PATTERN OF OPERATIONS, WHICH ARE DETERMINED BY THE MANPOWER AND FACILITIES AVAILABLE TO THE SEARCH CONTROLLER. SEARCHES ARE DIVIDED BY TYPE INTO (1) ALL-OUT IMMEDIATE SEARCHES, (2) NORMAL BUT IMMEDIATE SEARCHES, AND (3) NORMAL BUT CONVENIENT SEARCH. ANY TYPE OF SEARCH UNDERGOES AN INITIAL RECONNAISSANCE PHASE, THEN A GENERAL SEARCH PHASE AFTER THE PROBABLE AREA HAS BEEN DEFINED, AND LASTLY A CONTACT SEARCH PHASE IN WHICH EACH MEMBER OF THE SEARCH TEAM IS IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE MAN ADJACENT TO HIM. THE REPORT NOTES THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE SEARCH IS LARGELY DEPENDENT UPON GOOD PLANNING AND ADEQUATE CONTROL IN THE FIELD. FIGURES AND GRAPHS ARE PROVIDED. (DEG)