New Zealand

Urban Search & Rescue

www.usar.govt.nz

Best Practice Guideline

Confined Space Rescue Tier Model

December 2004
National USAR Steering Committee

Version 1.1
New Zealand Urban Search & Rescue
Best Practice Guideline: Confined Space Rescue Tier Model.

Contents

CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 2

INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 3
SCOPE ............................................................................................................................................................ 3
PURPOSE ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
TIERED MODEL RATIONALE................................................................................................................... 4
TIER DESCRIPTORS ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Awareness.................................................................................................................................................. 4
Responder .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Technician ................................................................................................................................................. 4
RESPONSE PLANNING & MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS .................................................................................. 5
TIERED RESPONSE OUTCOMES ...................................................................................................................... 5
UNIT STANDARDS .......................................................................................................................................... 5
TIER MODEL & QUALIFICATIONS......................................................................................................... 6
AWARENESS – NO CERTIFICATION................................................................................................................ 6
FRSITO INDUSTRY CERTIFICATE IN CONFINED SPACE RESPONSE .............................................................. 6
NATIONAL CERTIFICATE IN SPECIALIST RESCUE (CONFINED SPACE TECHNICIAN) ..................................... 7
ANNEX A – PRIMARY REFERENCES...................................................................................................... 8

© 2004
National USAR Steering Committee
C/- Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management
PO Box 5010
Wellington
New Zealand

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New Zealand Urban Search & Rescue
Best Practice Guideline: Confined Space Rescue Tier Model.

Introduction
Scope
This guideline is recommended for use by any organisation responding to confined space rescue
operations (includes non-USAR environments).

Purpose
This guideline has been developed to establish national competency standards for confined space
rescue practitioners regardless of their agency or response environment and has been sponsored
under the National Urban Search and Rescue Project.

The guideline does not define actual techniques, as this is the responsibility of the organisation,
although a number of primary references are annexed in this Best Practice Guideline (BPG).

It should be noted that due to the primary references being developed for the American industry,
compliance must be against the Health & Safety in Employment Regulations 1995 and the
Australian/New Zealand Standard 2865: Working safely in a confined space.

The tier model has been used for this guideline and the tiers of Awareness, Responder, and
Technician relate to Awareness, Industry Certificate, and National Certificate respectively under
the New Zealand Qualification Authority framework.

Confined Space Rescue is heavily reliant on rope rescue techniques and much of the above
qualifications is based on the new rope rescue unit standards. The Best Practice Guideline: Rope
Rescue Tier Model should be used in conjunction with this guideline.

Although the selection and use of resources at confined space rescue incidents is at the discretion
of the Incident Controller, the preference to use practitioners qualified to this guideline is strongly
recommended.

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New Zealand Urban Search & Rescue
Best Practice Guideline: Confined Space Rescue Tier Model.

Tiered Model Rationale

Technology and technique have been the traditional perceived problems in the New Zealand
rescue industry.

The whole concept of a multi-agency confined space rescue response system needs to be looked
at. NFPA1 provides an excellent basis for a tiered response system.

Operating at three levels of capability: awareness, operations and technician. The NFPA code
ensures a cost effective and efficient response solution.

It is not resource efficient to have every emergency officer trained as a confined space rescue
specialist.

The tiered response model is partially based on the rope rescue phases of:

• Locate Find/confirm the patient location

• Access Get to the patient
• Stabilise Secure the patient and provide medical care
• Transport Recover the patient to safety
•
Customising the NFPA levels to meet the local emergency response environment has seen the
development of the following tier system:

Tier Descriptors

Awareness
Provides initial response, ensures emergency service representation at incident quickly, secures
the scene and prepares it for responder level arrival. It only provides the emergency officer with
knowledge of confined space hazards so that they know when a higher level of response should be
called for.

Responder
Arrives shortly afterwards and enters the secured scene. Is familiar with confined space hazards
and is able to effect non-entry rescues if the patient is in a position where this could occur. The
responder may also enter a confined space to assess the patient’s condition if they have the
required entry equipment. If non-entry rescue cannot occur the responder will call for Technician
help.

Technician
Technicians have all the necessary knowledge and training to enter a confined space to effect a
rescue. They are fully aware of all the dangers of entering a confined space and have a high level
of rope rescue skills. Rope rescue is required as confined space rescues generally involve
specialist rope rescue skills.

1
National Fire Protection Agency 1670 Standard on Operations & Training for Technical Rescue Incidents

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New Zealand Urban Search & Rescue
Best Practice Guideline: Confined Space Rescue Tier Model.

Response Planning & Mutual Aid Agreements

It should be noted that when an awareness level unit is activated to a confined space incident that
both the responder and technician levels are immediately activated at the same time.

Each of these tiered levels is normally geographically allocated. For example in a region, each
suburb/community could have awareness level units. For each sub-region, there could be several
responder units and in each region could be one or two technician or specialist level units.

Typically this would work out to be 20 awareness units, 5 responder units and 1 technician unit per
region.

On average for equipment alone it would cost $20,000 to kit out a confined space technician level
unit.

The advantage of this system also allows for inter agency cooperation. As each service on a
regional basis could agree on what level of capability they can contribute to.

For example, emergency service 1 agrees to provide all awareness level response, emergency
service 2 agrees to provide all responder level response and emergency service 3 provides the
technician level response. In some areas, an emergency service could provide one or more levels
of response or contract out the technician level to specialist volunteer units.

Tiered Response Outcomes

• Rapid incident response.
• Increased positive interaction between services.
• Cost effective.
• Pooled resources and skills between services.
• Agreed levels of capability and responsibility.

Unit Standards
The development of the tiers and respective qualifications has been undertaken using existing unit
standards from a wide range of industries and domains.

These unit standards are available from www.nzqa.govt.nz and can be found on the National
Qualifications Framework.

The Fire & Rescue Services Industry Training Organisation (FRSITO) is the standard setting body
for the qualifications recommended in this guideline. Website www.frsito.org.nz

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New Zealand Urban Search & Rescue
Best Practice Guideline: Confined Space Rescue Tier Model.

Tier Model & Qualifications

Awareness – No Certification
Unit Title Level Credits

18426 Demonstrate knowledge of hazards associated with 3 4

confined space

FRSITO Industry Certificate in Confined Space Response

Unit Title Level Credits

18426 Demonstrate knowledge of hazards associated with 3 4

confined space
17599 Plan a confined space entry 4 5

6400 Manage first aid in an emergency situation 3 2

6401 Provide first aid 2 1

6402 Provide resuscitation level 2 1 1

17279 Describe the coordinated incident management 2 4

system in emergency response activities
497 Protect health and safety in the workplace 1 1

10618 Rescue Casualties using rescue techniques 4 5

Total 23

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New Zealand Urban Search & Rescue
Best Practice Guideline: Confined Space Rescue Tier Model.

National Certificate in Specialist Rescue (Confined Space Technician)

Unit Title Level Credits

18426 Demonstrate knowledge of hazards associated with confined 3 4

space
17599 Plan a confined space entry 4 5

17279 Describe the coordinated incident management system in 2 4

emergency response activities
497 Protect health and safety in the workplace 1 1

3272 Wear and operate breathing apparatus in general emergencies 3 3

3283 Demonstrate knowledge of personal safety at fire and 2 4

emergency incidents
10618 Rescue casualties using rescue techniques 4 5

3058 Perform gas testing in chemical and energy environment 4 5

20536 Demonstrate knowledge of rope rescue operations & hazards 2 1

20537 Provide initial response at rope rescue incidents 4 5

3312 Carry out decontamination procedures 3 3

4573 Communicate in the outdoors using two way radio 2 1

6400 Manage first aid in an emergency situation 3 2

6401 Provide first aid 2 1

6402 Provide resuscitation level 2 1 1

Elective Balance – Anywhere off the NQF 3 3

Total 58

Page 7 of 8 y December 2004

 Annex A – Primary References

CMC Confined Space Entry and Rescue

CMC Rescue Inc.
2nd Edition (1997).
ISBN 0961833742

Confined Space and Structural Rope Rescue

Michael Roop and Thomas Vines.
1st Edition (1998).
ISBN 0815173830

Confined Space Entry and Emergency Response

D.Alan Vesasey.
1st Edition 2002).
ISBN 0071375589.

Available from www.amazon.com