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Advanced Search and Rescue - Adult Victim Profiling with FETC
We all understand the mission of the fire service. Upon arrival to a given building fire, the
fire department’s number one priority is “Life Safety”. If we have any possible chance of
locating and rescuing an occupant, we must start a rapid and systematic primary search.
Many smaller fire departments in the United States with limited manpower are forced to
perform search and rescue from the engine company's hose line. The assignment of search
and rescue is a difficult and often dangerous task for firefighters.
Fortunately for many fire departments, modern technology has aided the search team with
the introduction of the thermal imaging camera. The TIC and the use of victim profiling can
potentially expedite the primary search. We have all been taught the basics of size-up for
potential rescue indicators like type of occupancy, time of day, vehicles in the driveway, etc.
These are all very important “visual indicators” when nobody is outside upon our arrival.
Uncontrollable factors in which the fire department are challenged with are pre-arrival
exposure time of the victim to super-heated and toxic gases causing serious and/or fatal
respiratory injuries.
OK, so the first due officer has decided to enter the structure and start a primary search.
The crew should start on the fire floor. If possible search the fire room first, then the remaining
fire floor. Once the primary all clear is given, crews should work to the floor above the fire.
As you know, basic search training has taught us that toys for example can identify the presence
of small children, unable to egress without assistance. Firefighters have been trained to process
this vital information and adjust our search techniques accordingly.
This article is on "Advanced Building Search and Rescue – while using Adult Victim Profiling" so,
let’s talk specifically about this profile. If and when you locate an “Unconscious Adult Victim” the
search team should quickly assess the victim’s body positioning and note the direction of travel
for a profile pattern. Fire investigators have used this technique along with physical evidence, to
possibly obtain the victim’s activity and movement prior to becoming incapacitated. Statistically,
adult male victims are more likely to sustain thermal insult injuries (burns) and/or death while
investigating or attempting to fight an incipient stage fire than do women. With this said, an adult
male occupant will be more likely to be located by the rescue company in the general area of the
fire’s origin or potentially attempting to get back to the sleeping area to assist with his spouse.
Body position is the key to understanding any potential thoughts and movements of the victim. If
the adult male victim is located in a well involved room for example, he may have been overcome
during the attempt to locate or extinguish the fire. If he was located on the stairs though especially
heading up the staircase toward the suspected sleeping areas, the victim is likely to be heading
back to assist with notification and the evacuation of a spouse and/or possible children.
Now for adult female occupant, generally speaking they are more likely to be found incapacitated
while attempting to assist with the evacuation of a child or loved one. (elderly in-law) Profiling a
female victim who is found in a hallway or stairwell can potentially assist the rescue company
with locating other victims within the area. When the search company finds an adult female
occupant, they should look at her body position and direction of travel. Which way was she
heading? A female victim that has become incapacitated and was heading AWAY from the
normal entry or egress point is potentially screaming “MY KIDS ARE THAT WAY."
If the search and rescue company lets the adrenaline rush overcome their conscious thought
process, they can easily miss valuable information. Never, never, never just grab a victim and
start heading for the door without assessing their position and direction of travel. Take a second
to look at the “victim profiling pattern” with their position, location and possible direction of
travel. This valuable but often missed information obtained from the adult unconscious victim
combined with other “traditional” basic size up factors as previously stated, may expedite the
search for any remaining victims. Even though the victim is unconscious, their body position can
talk to you. Remember to keep your cool and assess the situation to maximize your obtainable
information. We as fire service leaders and educators must continue to strive for ways to work
safer, rescue victims faster and provide the best service possible with whatever means and
capabilities we have for our community.
William Greenwood is a Certified Level III Fire Instructor and Owner of FETC Services. Billy also hosts the Fire Engineering Blog Talk Radio Show "Tap The Box with FETC Services". Please check us out at WWW.FETCSERVICES.COM
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Eric Gregory on
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Great article and Great info. thank you for sharing this.
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Permalink Reply by Wade Seely on
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Great topic Fetc.
This is the type of topic we need to see more of on these discussions; something useful that is actually useful to the job and is often overlooked or not thought of. Thanks for the great article.
TCSS
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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Thanks for the compliment brothers. I focus my time on material that will possibly save the lives of fellow brothers and the citizens we swore to protect.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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I'm going to have to give this one some thought.
In my experience, a majority of fire victims have been either found randomly where they fell when overcome by smoke while standing up, or they've been found clustered together in bathtubs or in closets.
If you have a thermal imaging camera, I believe that's still the best tool for finding the original victim as well as subsequent ones.
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Ben well it is not an exact science, and with our profession most often each time we have a fire no two are the same. I agree that the TIC is the best "tool" for the job. I might add that tool is only as good as the user's education and experience to interpret the image. That is why I stated that "The TIC and the use of victim profiling can potentially expedite the primary search." This concept is taking that intepretation to the next level, once you have located a victim. I understand your point on victims you have seen, if that was the case for all victims, then fire investigators would not have a basis (along with many other factors) to form an opinion. On some of the one's I've touched during the search, it was pretty clear on their intent, action and travel.
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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FETC,
Not dismissing the idea but wondering if there has been any data collected that verifies that victim orientation is a significant indicator of the presence and location of other victims.
Certainly the idea makes sense, that a mother would be heading toward her child when succumbing to gases and smoke but, does a victim consistently fall in the direction in which he/she was heading, e.g. face first, or backwards, or off to the side?
Perhaps the collection of relevant data would provide not only a sound basis for a primary search of secondary victims but could result in an interesting paper.
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Jack - I agree. I just leaned over to see who showed up today in my research department..... (0)
There was lots of data when I was doing papers years ago for my fire investigative semester in college but none that I know of on the exact physical positioning. That data was from conclusions based on many investigators final opinion on intent. As Ben states they fall where they fall is true. But in my personal experience, for one's I have found, it was clear and the positioning was obvious. That was the driving force to the material I conveyed. It now has added another reason to take a quick look with the TIC as my crew begins to extricate instead of the grab/go mentality and we will come back to pick up where we left off. We all know that may or may not happen due to limited air, increased fire conditions and/or other crews taking over and repeating the same search.
Hey we can go back to who has the most red lights on your POV or what color helmets you are issued?
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Permalink Reply by Ernie Scheinert on
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Thank you, FETC, this is definitely "food for thought" that I will take to the station and share.
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