Emergency Procedures - Water Rescue #1 - Operations Flashcards
Any entry into water or onto ice be considered as a?
LAST RESORT
Who shall be designated as the PRIMARY RESCUER during water or ice rescues?
A member who has been trained in the suit and is familiar with its CAPABILITIES and LIMITATIONS should be designated as the primary rescuer.
Is it good practice to assign your PRIMARY water rescuer as a riding position?
NO. It would not be good practice to assign your PRIMARY water rescuer as a riding position.
Positions should be discussed and determined at roll call.
What are some factors that would affect the decision not to have members enter the water?
a) Water/weather conditions
b) Location of victim
c) Skill level of rescuer
d) Night operations - Members should not be allowed PAST the line of sight from the shore.
Based on tests conducted, members wearing bunker gear, WITH or WITHOUT an SCBA can become submerged in how long?
In UNDER 1 minute.
- The type of boot worn, had NO effect on the amount of time.*
- Bunker gear DOES NOT float.*
What is the percentage of would be water rescuers who become drowning victims?
10% of drowning victims are would-be rescuers.
How much faster does the loss of body heat occur in cold water compared to in air?
25 TIMES faster in cold water than in air.
When the body’s core temperature begins to drop BELOW _____, the victim transgresses from _____ into ____?
BELOW 90 degrees Fahrenheit
Non-ambulatory
Into unconsciousness.
Sudden face contact with cold water (BELOW ______) initiates a body reflex known as?
BELOW 70 degrees (69,68,67,etc.)
Mammalian Dive Reflex (MDR)
Describe Mammalian Dive Reflex.
- Oxygen conserving mechanism
- REDUCES the heart rate
- INCREASES blood pressure
- Shuts down blood circulation to ALL the body’s core, resulting in a lower metabolism.
- The COLDER the water and YOUNGER the victim, the BETTER chance they have of survival.
Describe tides.
- 4 tides in 24 hours
- 2 tides COMING IN (HIGH tide)
- 2 tides GOING OUT (LOW tide)
- Slack tide - 45 minutes between HIGH and LOW tides.
Describe Rip Tides.
- Occur when the tide is GOING OUT (LOW tide)
- The PRIMARY source of distress in drowning victims
- Causes panic - The LEADING cause of drowning.
How do you escape a rip current?
Swim PARALLEL to the shore.
Describe SWEEP tides.
- Runs PARALLEL to the beach
- It is MORE PRONOUNCED on OUT-GOING tides
- Waves are diagonal to the beach
- Can sweep swimmers into a rip current.
Where should a rescuer enter the water when attempting rescue a victim from a SWEEP tide?
The rescuer should enter the water UPSTREAM of the sweep.
Contact with the victim will be difficult if the rescuer takes a approach because they will be swimming AGAINST the sweep to get to a victim.
