A MISSING COMPETITOR - EMERGENCY SAFETY PROCEDURES Preparatin and Preventin. All f the guidance recgnises that sund planning and rganisatin, befre the event and n the day, will g a lng way t ensure that the event is safe. Cntingency Planning: planning fr any event that might happen. Cnsult event Risk Assessment Frm: Cmmunicatins mbile phnes, radis, lud hailer check t make sure they wrk in the area. teams have at least 1 pair f rienteers available wh can g ut immediately. Emergency Sack cntains 1 st Aid kit, emergency shelter, dry clthing and fd that is available t a distressed persn. Press if an incident ccurs then use Club Press Officer t speak t the Press and refer them t British Orienteering Office. Event fficials and Registratin Teams need t knw: Lcatin and telephne number f nearest manned A&E hspital. T send a guide t meet any Ambulance. Suitable landing site if Air Ambulance is called. If Air Ambulance called find ut which A&E it is being sent. Cncern Grws Lks Likely. There is understandable cautin abut raising the alarm and rganising emergency services in respnse therefre the mst difficult decisin is t initiate the search. British Orienteering Rules make it clear that the respnsibility fr this decisin lies with the Organiser. The reality is that this is likely t be a jint decisin with the Cntrller and Planner. The likely scenaris are: Reprted Injured Late Failed t Dwnlad Missing (& Injured) Step 1 - Infrming the Decisin There is a need t ensure that a methdical apprach is taken t the situatin. There is a need fr thrughness in each Step and firm cntrl in what culd be a difficult situatin Cnducting the Cncluding the British Orienteering 1
Infrming the Decisin Cnducting the Cncluding the Scenaris & Hw d we find ut? Factrs influencing the decisin? Are we cncerned? Cnfirm the cmpetitr is actually late/missing - crss check Registratin list, Start list/si Start unit, Finish SI unit and Dwnlad. Scenari Hw d we find ut? Reprted Injured Late Failed t Dwnlad Missing (& Injured) Smene tells us Results team identify unaccunted fr cmpetitr Car left at end f event N car left at end f event Reprted Injured arguably this is the mst straightfrward. Despatch 1 st aid team t casualty task emergency services t enable evacuatin if required. Late start t answer factrs required t make decisin. Cntact friends/relatives/spectatrs/ther cmpetitrs. Warn search teams. Decide time when cmpetitr is t be deemed missing. Failed t Dwnlad Cntact friends/relatives/ spectatrs/ther cmpetitrs. Missing (& injured) Initiate search. An injured, uncnscius cmpetitr lying in thick terrain is the wrst case scenari. It will demand cnsiderable resurces mre than available and take a lng time t thrughly wrk thrugh the area. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DECISION Wh Age Curse Experience f cmpetitr What were they wearing Hw lng have they been ut Nature f terrain Weather nw & frecast Amunt f daylight remaining Density f cmpetitrs still ut Any medical cnditin Car left in car park ARE WE CONCERNED? If yes mve n t Step 2. Start lg times, actins, details, etc. If n when will the situatin be reviewed? Is the delay apprpriate given the age f the cmpetitr, weather & remaining daylight? Remember with a missing persn, time is against yu, weather is against yu and daylight is against yu. Bear in mind excessively time-cnsuming nature f a search hence need fr early decisin t start. A decisin needs t be made fast. The lcal Plice will appreciate early ntice even if they are nt being requested r frmally tasked at that stage. British Orienteering 2
Infrming the Decisin Cnducting the Cncluding the Establish the Emergency structure 1. = Cmmunicatins (min f 4 radis/mbile phnes) Infrmatin (Registratin) Cntrl 2 (Cntrller) Overall cntrl Crdinate Respnse Keep ut f detail t ensure versight Plan ahead & trublesht Keep all belw up t date (Organiser) Liaisn (Planner) Ascertain the factrs in Step 1 & keep under review Call ut ther club members t help Organise catering fr search all invlved Maintain Incident Frm & Reprt Organise Pairs incl nminated Leaders & 1 st Aid Issue Emergency Sacks & Radis (incl spare batteries) Prvide maps f area/curse Prvide keys fr access rutes Prvide SI key t interrgate bxes Crdinate search Recrd & Reprt prgress Infrm Emergency Services (Plice, Ambulance, Muntain Rescue) Obtain Incident Ref N Infrm family Infrm Landwner Infrm British Orienteering Office Handle media if necessary Keep rganisatins updated Manage remainder f event Brief club members n the situatin (Step 1) and their rles abve. Only use thse fit enugh t g ut again as ers and in pairs. Establish and check cmmunicatins. Identify search methd and designate search areas. Ensure searchers have sufficient equipment (headtrches/trches, radis/phnes, etc), fd and warm clthing. Issue maps f missing persn s curse with designated search areas. If emergency sacks & 1 st aid kits are scarce then hld at Cntrl until it is clear where they are needed. Ensure Cntrl Sheet is maintained pairs must bk ut. AGREE REPORT BACK TIME. 1 Respnsibility in BOLD - suggested Event Official in brackets. 2 The mst experienced Event Official shuld assume the respnsibilities t Cntrl the emergency. British Orienteering 3
Infrming the Decisin Cnducting the Cncluding the Bear in mind: Safety f self and thers - Safety f the casualty - Need fr specialist help. Which areas have highest prbability f cntaining the missing persn? Ensure that Teams have map, cmpass and whistle. SEARCH METHODS If SI bxes have been cllected interrgate thse frm the missing cmpetitr s assumed curse t cnfirm last knwn lcatin. Running Curse Backwards Is limited if cnsiderable rute chice exists. if SI bxes interrgate n way rund t cnfirm last knwn lcatin.. Perimeter Check if area is bunded by tracks and rads then despatch smene n a quick tur by vehicle t check fr the missing cmpetitr. Ribbn ing cvers nly linear features and the land n either side. If missing persn is using whistle then chance f being heard frm linear feature exists. Sectring terrain divided int areas which are then cmprehensively sweep searched. This is thrugh but very slw and labur intensive invariably mre than available. British Orienteering 4
2. 1. 3. 4. 7. 6. 5. If the Plice have nt yet been tasked, then they shuld be if nthing is fund during the initial searches. It may be that the lead n the search is handed ver t the Emergency Services at sme stage. In this case, the fficials nminated in the Emergency structure in Step 1 are t prvide an update n: what has happened, what actin has been taken s far, what dcumentatin is being maintained including maps and where the search is currently fcused. Once Emergency Services have been briefed, club members will cntinue in supprt f the Emergency Services until the missing persn is fund & recvered. If it seems that this may be prtracted then additinal vlunteers will be needed t replace thse already cmmitted (wh will be tired). British Orienteering 5
Infrming the Decisin Cnducting the Cncluding the Once the missing persn is fund: 1 st aid equipment must be gt there ASAP with trained 1 st Aider and additinal helpers. The missing cmpetitr is likely t be wrried, frightened, upset, disrientated, tired, hungry, cld and wet. The Team appraching him/her must be sympathetic and reassuring, use his/her name d nt add t the fear and d nt chastise. Missing persn must receive any basic treatment necessary t prevent wrsening f their cnditin and prvide cmfrt until evacuatin. Such treatment must include 1 st aid, fd, warmth and shelter the missing persn must nt be left alne nce fund. Only attempt t mve the missing persn if yu can d s withut exacerbating any injury and withut any risk t the team. Evacuate the persn as directed by Emergency services. The recvery f the Emergency must be cntrlled t prevent any further cmplicatins. The pririty lies initially with the safe recvery f the missing persn fllwed by the recvery f the Teams. The Cntrlling Officials need t carefully accunt fr all invlved in the search and ther activity. This is especially imprtant if it is nw dark. All rganisatins infrmed nw need t be infrmed that the search has ended. Families/relatives must nt be frgtten. The British Orienteering Incident Frm needs t be cmpleted ideally befre peple disperse althugh circumstances at the time will always dictate. This must be sent t British Orienteering Office within 1 week f the incident. In due curse, the Club will need t examine the incident with all invlved. This is nt t be any srt f witch-hunt rather it is t ensure that there is a clear understanding f what actually happened and what, if anything, can be learned. British Orienteering 6