National

Urban Search & Rescue

Activation Procedure

New Zealand Fire Service Version 1

Special Operations
National Headquarters March 2008
Level 9, 80 The Terrace
PO Box 2133
Wellington
NZ USAR Activation Guideline

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTION 3

REVIEW PROCESS 3

INTRODUCTION 4

NEW ZEALAND’S USAR CAPABILITY 4

NATIONAL SUPPORT TEAM 4

USAR TASK FORCE 5

ACTIVATION 7

REQUESTING USAR ASSISTANCE 7

NATIONAL MOBILISATION PROCEDURE 7

ANNEX A - OTHER INFORMATION 9

NZFS COMCEN PAGING GROUPS 9

TELECONFERENCE NUMBER 9

OPERATIONAL CONTROL 9

OPERATIONAL EXPENSES 9

LOCAL PROCEDURES 9

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NZ USAR Activation Guideline

DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTION

Copies of this document will be distributed to:

 USAR National Support Team

 USAR Task Force Leaders
 National Commander’s Group (NZFS)
 Ministry of Civil Defence Emergency Management
 Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
 New Zealand Aid
 New Zealand Defence Force
 Fire Region Managers (NZFS)
 Paid Chief Fire Officers (NZFS)
 Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups
 Communication Centres (NZFS)
 Communication Centres (Police)
 Communication Centres (Ambulance)

Review Process

The USAR Operations Group will review this document annually.

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NZ USAR Activation Guideline

INTRODUCTION

This guide outlines the New Zealand National USAR activation arrangements within
New Zealand.

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) is defined as a specialised technical rescue

capability for the location and rescue of entrapped people following a structural
collapse.

This guideline does not affect CDEM group mutual aid agreements.

USAR resources may be used for small localised domestic events, domestic events in
support of a wider Civil Defence Emergency response or in support of a formal
international request for assistance resulting from either a bilateral agreement or the
United Nations.

NEW ZEALAND’S USAR CAPABILITY

A USAR response consists of highly trained, multi-agency specialists responsible for

their own safety and operational support. They operate within a defined structure as a
specialised resource working under normal emergency management arrangements as
part of the New Zealand Fire Service.

New Zealand’s USAR capability currently consists of:

 1 National Support Team

 3 (INSARAG) heavy level Task Forces (including support elements)

New Zealand USAR operates under the Fire Service Act (1975) and relevant Fire
Service Operational Instructions at all times.

National Support Team

The National Support Team (NST) provides the strategic operational coordination role for
all USAR activities within New Zealand (refer National CDEM Plan & Guide). All members
of the NST are to be CAT-1R and CAT-3 trained and qualified. The NST are identified on
site by a white helmet with the words “National Support Team”. Operating under the
authority of the authorising officer, operational activities include:

 Overall command and control of the USAR operation

 Managing the USAR incident notification & deployment approval system
 Liaison with the National Manager Special Operations (NZFS)
 Deployment with advanced team or with Task Force if required (determined by
the nature of the incident)
 Liaison with Local Emergency Management Authorities (LEMA)
 Linking between Task Force Leader, LEMA and On Site Operations
Coordination Centre (OSOCC)
 Remaining with OSOCC if required
 Arranging air transport if required

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NZ USAR Activation Guideline

 Managing re-supply arrangements in the field if required

 Managing assistance requests from TFL’s
 Ensuring staff welfare system activated
 Responsibility for team safety
 Financial delegated authority

US AR Task Force Leaders

In most conditions this role is shared between two senior NZFS officers with Category 2
and 3 USAR training. The Task Force Leaders (TFLs) work a rotating 12-hour shift, with
an overlap in shifts whenever there are two assigned watches, so as to maintain contact
with the entire Task Force during USAR operations. The Task Force Leader is identified
on site by a white helmet with the words “Task Force Leader”. Under the authority of
the authorising officer, key operational activities include:

 Command and control of the Task Force

 Managing the deployment and withdrawal of the Task Force
 Manage operational activities, including support functions of Task Force
 In conjunction with the operations officers, NST and Incident Controller (where
present) evaluate intelligence to develop and administer action plans for TF
operations
 Managing staff welfare
 Maintaining a liaison role between the Task Force and the Incident Controller
 Liaising with the NST
 Producing and disseminating sitreps
 Media liaison
 Conducting briefings and debriefings
 Responsibility for team safety

US AR Task Force
The New Zealand Fire Service maintains a total of 3 USAR Task Forces - Auckland,
Palmerston North and Christchurch. Each Task Force has a range of capabilities
including structural collapse rescue, confined space rescue, electronic and canine
search, engineer support, medical care, communications and self-sustainability. The
diagram overleaf details the TF structure.

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 NZ USAR Activation Guideline

National Support Team

Task Force Leader Additional Task Additional Task

Deputy Task Force Leader Force Force

Operations Operations
Officer Officer

Squad Squad Squad Squad

Leader Leader Leader Leader

Rescuer(s) Rescuer(s) Rescuer(s) Rescuer(s)

Medic(s) Medic(s) Medic(s) Medic(s)

Technical Support Operations Support

Team
Engineers
Logistics / Planning
Search Dogs
Communications
Doctors
Equipment
HAZMAT
High Angle
Rescue
Region support
Others as required
Plus Incident
Support
OSH

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ACTIVATION

Requesting US AR Assistance
1. Members of the public dialling 111 and requesting Fire Service may provide
information that triggers a predetermined response, including USAR assets.

2. Any member of the CDEM community can initiate incident notifications through
the NZFS communications centres or their Fire Service liaison officer. Police and
Ambulance Services may also make a request for USAR assistance by following
existing business as usual inter-agency processes.

3. NZFS personnel requiring USAR are to contact Central COMCEN and request a
pager notification be sent to the USAR National Support Team.

4. Government agencies can request USAR by contacting either the National

Manager Special Operations for planning purposes or for emergency response,
by dialling 111 and requesting Fire Service and then the USAR NST Duty Officer.

NATIONAL MOBILISATION PROCEDURE

Activation By response triggers or as detailed above

Authority National Commander New Zealand Fire Service, by the

National Manager Special Operations (or delegated alternate)

1. Page USAR NST [National Support Team Paging Group].

2. NST Duty Officer contacts Central Communications Centre to obtain incident

details and determines whether USAR response required. If response is
deemed appropriate, authorisation to deploy is sought from the National
Commander NZFS via the National Manager Special Operations (or delegated
alternate).

3. If a deployment is authorised, the NST Duty Officer requests Central COMCEN

to page required Task Force Leaders.

4. Paged message may specify Task Force identifiers (i.e. TF1, TF2 or TF3
respectively) if required by the NST Duty Officer.

5. NST Duty Officer briefs alerted Team Leaders and places them on standby as
appropriate.

6. NST Duty Officer updates Central COMCEN on action plan and has specified
Task Forces paged with turn out information [Individual USAR TF]. Paged TF
members respond as per local USAR instructions.

7. A member of the NST will be deployed to provide executive management of

USAR activities. A second NST member will be on standby to be deployed
should they be required.

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The following flowchart details the arrangements for a domestic USAR deployment
following a structural collapse event.

NZFS
Communication Centre
notified of incident

NST
NOTIFIED

NST contact Incident Controller

Request for assistance

confirmed

NO YES NST liaise with

NST seek BAU? Incident Controller
authorisation

Team Leaders Advised

NO Region support as
Authorisation Required.
provided

YES

Does the event Activate International

require Request & Coordination
international Protocol
YES
support?

NO

TF Leaders
advised

Activate Teams

Team
Resources assemble & deploy

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ANNEX A: OTHER INFORMATION

NZFS COMCEN Paging Groups

USAR National Support Team

USAR Task Force Team Leaders
USAR Task Force 1
USAR Task Force 2
USAR Task Force 3

Teleconference Number

Each member of the USAR NST has access to a 24/7-teleconference number. The
Duty Officer as part of the activation sequence will release the dial in number.

Operational control

Operational control of USAR activities is maintained by the National Manager Special

Operations and delegated members of the NST as required.

The Task Force Leader of each Task Force shall, under the direction of the NST,
maintain operational control of their team.

Operational Expenses

The costs of deploying USAR Task Forces are initially met by the deploying Task
Force. Total reconciled costs will be met by National Headquarters for authorised
deployments.

Local Procedures

Each Task Force maintains a local procedure for mobilising personnel.

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