Ground Vehicle Search Techniques Developed as part of

Ground Vehicle Search Techniques Developed as part of the National Emergency Services Curriculum Project VEHSRCH. PPT LAST REVISED: 9 JULY 2008 Citizens Serving Communities 1

Sectors of Observation • Team members without specific duties are assigned an arc to watch for clues • Driver, navigator, communicator, and other members with specific duties to perform should not be assigned sectors to observe VEHSRCH. PPT LAST REVISED: 9 JULY 2008 Citizens Serving Communities 2

Sectors of Observation VEHSRCH. PPT LAST REVISED: 9 JULY 2008 Citizens Serving Communities 3

Six rules of Sector Observation • Scan the entire sector – Left to right – Right to left – Near to far – Far to near • Observe vehicle safety – Wear your seat belt – Don’t distract or startle the driver VEHSRCH. PPT LAST REVISED: 9 JULY 2008 Citizens Serving Communities 4

Six rules of Sector Observation Continued • Don’t distract other team members except to verify a clue or target • Be clue-conscious - not just target focused • Tell the driver if he or she is driving too fast for you to adequately search your area • If you see a clue or the objective, tell the team leader, but don’t shout or startle the driver VEHSRCH. PPT LAST REVISED: 9 JULY 2008 Citizens Serving Communities 5

What Might You Spot? • Missing person – Vegetation disturbance indicating someone entering or leaving the woods – Dropped clothing or equipment – Potential witnesses – Missing person’s vehicle – The missing person! VEHSRCH. PPT LAST REVISED: 9 JULY 2008 Citizens Serving Communities 6

What Might You Spot • Aircraft – Some of the same items as missing person if a pilot is attempting to walk out – Smoke, scavengers – Broken tree top vegetation – Wreckage or pieces of debris – Smell of burning oil and fuel – A survivor VEHSRCH. PPT LAST REVISED: 9 JULY 2008 Citizens Serving Communities 7

Other Possibilities • A vehicle search team can be part of a confinement approach if there are roads defining the search area – Continual patrols may spot a victim attempting to walk out – Visibility may attract witnesses that could provide information – Vehicle search on the way into a search area. VEHSRCH. PPT LAST REVISED: 9 JULY 2008 Citizens Serving Communities 8

Vehicle Search Tasks • Ground Team Member – O-0402: Employ Vehicular Scanning Techniques VEHSRCH. PPT LAST REVISED: 9 JULY 2008 Citizens Serving Communities 9

QUESTIONS? THINK SAFETY! VEHSRCH. PPT LAST REVISED: 9 JULY 2008 Citizens Serving Communities 10