Resources
The Search Sequence
In the first hour of a Search:
- Define missing subject type. Law enforcement must make call of missing, lost person, run away, or endangers subject. (Is a Search called for?)
- Conduct 1st- report interview, Subject profile, information on persons health, habits, description, disposition. After this investigator should have enough information to make first search decisions. (Search Urgency Form)
- Conduct Hasty Search of immediate area, use trained hasty teams, K-9’s family members and neighbors to look in immediate area. Place Search and Rescue Team on stand buy, unless there is an immediate health threat, or small child. Then SAR should respond.
- Establish Command post notify additional resources. Supervisors,K-9,CID, Air assets, command post resources.
- Establish Point Last Seen, and initial planning point.
- Make public notifications, Levis Call, Matties Call, A Child is Missing or Safe Return program.
- Be prepared for incident to escalate to large command base area.
- Establish initial Search perimeter, and confinement. Do not let lost person leave your search area.
- Establish unified command with a Search Manager.
- Conduct 2nd interview have Search and Rescue do a lost person questionnaire.
- Develop Search Area map.
- Deploy trained resources in areas of high probability.
- Establish Incident Action Plan for first operational period.
- Fill needed ICS positions.
* The above information is only a guide other task or operational procedures may change order or ability to perform tasks.
Improved Crucials of search Management
- Search is an Emergency.
- Search is Tied to Law Enforcement Investigation.
- Search for Clues and the Missing Person.
- Concentrate on factors that are:
- Important to search success.
- Controlled by the Search Manager.
- Confine the Search Area and gather good information.
- Apply Trained Appropriate Resources in a Definite Order.
- Use Grid Search Only as a last resort. (Close spaceing)
- Document decisions and assignments early with numerical assessments for justification. ( Mattson Consensus)
- Detection capability variables must be included in Effective Search Planning.
- Allocation of effort combined with Detection Capability can maximize Probability of Success.
- Success in the Shortest Time Possible is the Ultimate Goal in Search.