VESSEL SAFETY & FITNESS SAR Crew Manual Chapter 3

1. VESSEL SAFETY & FITNESSSAR Crew Manual Chapter 3

2. Introduction

3. Vessel Fitness and Safety • The rescue vessel and crew shall be kept in a full state of readiness by: 1. Regular inspection and thorough periodic surveys 2. Preventive maintenance and timely repair 3. On board emergency drills 4. Navigation and boat handling training 5. Search and rescue training

4. Search and Rescue Cycle 1. Alert, and safely proceed to vessel 2. Crew dons gear and performs personal equipment check 3. Crew performs pre departure check 4. Pre-departure briefing 5. Vessel departs 6. Vessel safely navigates to scene 7. Vessel resolves or stabilises incident

5. Search and Rescue Cycle 8. Vessel returns to base 9. Crew de-briefs 10. Check vessel, and prepare for next mission with refuelling, restocking and repairs

6. Briefing

7. Briefing On being alerted the coxswain will telephone Joint Rescue Coordination Centre to be briefed on the mission, and initial action plan.

8. Briefing • In briefing the crew, the coxswain should use: 1. Situation 2. Mission 3. Execution 4. Administration - any questions? 5. Communications - check understanding

9. Situation • Nature of the distress • Where the report came from • What sort of vessel and description • Number of persons, appearance and dress • PFDs

10. Mission • Position or area of mission • Action to be taken (search, rescue, recover)

11. Execution • Assignment of roles of crew • Estimated time of arrival on scene • Decide on route • Any other rescue resources involved • Preparations en route

12. Administration • Estimated duration of incident • Will a relief crew be required • Will refuelling be required • Weather information and forecast • Tides • Any special equipment needed • Telephone numbers available • Log Books

13. Communications • Call signs of other rescue resources • Working VHF frequencies • Situation Report (SITREP) times • Radio checks • Contact telephone numbers

14. Briefing of Passengers • Should it be necessary to carry non CCGA P personnel to an incident, they must be properly outfitted, and given a PFD.

15. Briefing of Passengers • They must be briefed with regards to: 1. Flares and emergency equipment 2. Their physical position in the boat and the need to to be holding on securely at all times when underway 3. Keep arms and legs inboard at all times 4. Warn of physical effects 5. What their duty is in an emergency on the rescue vessel

16. Pre Departure Check

17. Pre Departure Check • Regular inspections of the vessel ensures that the pre departure check holds no surprises. • It primarily involves a check of the critical systems on board

18. Pre Departure Check 1 • Kill switch operation • Personal protective equipment being worn • Tubes properly inflated • Fuel and oils levels topped up • Navigation, illumination and instrumentation lights operational • Searchlights operational • Bilges dry and pump operational

19. Pre Departure Check 2 • Self bailing ports, scuppers and freeing ports clear • SAR equipment ready • Safety equipment ready • Navigational systems set up and operational • Machinery and steering operational • Tools and spares • Rigging tight

20. Pre Departure Check 3 • Self righting equipment connected and ready • Communications operational • Weather forecast and tide conditions known

21. Emergencies

22. Emergencies • All volunteers must be ready for emergencies which could occur to their own vessel at any time. • There must preplanned responses to foreseeable emergencies that may occur.

23. Emergencies • These will include: 1. Man overboard 2. Grounding 3. Flooding, capsize or sinking - crew in water survival 4. Collision 5. Fire - machinery or electrical 6. Machinery or steering failure 7. Failure of navigational equipment

24. Man Overboard 1. Spotter to keep sight of person in water, and indicate when they can see that person by waving their arm in the person’s direction. 2. If they lose sight, arm to stay pointing but not waving. 3. Head into the wind 4. Conduct SAP

25. Man Overboard 5. Decide on recovery method and set up. 6. Run in slowly, turn across wind, downwind of the person in the water, and put engines in neutral for final approach. 7. Bring person in on upwind side of vessel. 8. Best method for anyone who has been in the water for any time is “parbuckling”.

26. Man Overboard

27. Man Overboard • On recovering the person from the water, they should be treated for hypothermia. • Severely hypothermic persons are to be treated as stretcher patients even if they are able to walk. • Insulate against further heat loss. • Apply heat to the body core. Use a heat treat unit to inject warm air through a face mask if available.

28. Man Overboard • Do not over stimulate the cold limbs, as the return of cold blood to the heart, will cause greater distress to the heart. • Get to medical attention as soon as possible. • If a casualty appears to have succumbed, continue to give cardio-pulmonary resusitation and continue warming the body core.

29. Capsize • In the event of the rescue vessel being swamped or capsized, the crew must be clear as to the procedures that are to be followed for that type of vessel • Capsize or swamping is most likely to happen with the seas from astern or large breakers on the beam. • The safest way to point the boat in heavy seas is with the bow into the seas.

30. Capsize

31. Capsize • Some RHIBs are equipped with self righting gear - know how to operate yours.

32. Capsize 1. Assemble crew at transom.

33. Capsize 2. Deploys safety line, crew to end of line coxswain stay at transom.

34. Capsize • 3. Coxswain activates righting system by pulling firmly on handle, and then moves away on safety line.

35. Capsize 4. The boat should right in less than 10 seconds.

36. Capsize 5. After righting the crew can reboard the vessel on the windward side.

37. Cold Water Survival • If you vessel is not self-righting or fails to right, and you are not in danger, stay with the boat. • Get anyone who is trapped under the boat out from underneath. • Collect all distress flares and EPIRB. Activate the EPIRB.

38. Cold Water Survival • See separate power point on Cold Water Survival

39. Fire Fighting

40. Fire Fighting • The crew of rescue vessels need to be ready to deal with a fire on one of their vessels at any time.

41. Fire Fighting • A fire needs to have four elements to burn. 1. Fuel 2. Heat 3. Oxygen 4. A chain reaction • Remove any of these and the fire will go out.

42. Fire Fighting

43. Fire Fighting • Remove the fuel Pull out the burning wood Remove adjacent fuel sources Cut off fuel supply (e.g liquids or gases)

44. Fire Fighting • Remove the oxygen Smother the flames using an appropriate extinguisher or fire blanket Prevent oxygen getting to the fire - put a lid on and close ventilators

45. Fire Fighting • Remove the heat • Cool the heat source • Break the Chain Reaction • Use dry chemical or halon fire extinguishing media that attach the chemical structure of the components of fire

46. Fire Fighting • Response time is critical and there will be no time at an emergency to read the instructions on a fire extinguisher to see how best to use it. • DO IT NOW

47. Fire Fighting • When a fire is discovered, the following applies: FIND Where is the fire and how big INFORM Tell everyone on board and make distress call RESTRICT Close off air supply, electrical supply, gas lines EXTINGUISH Put out fire with appropriate equipment or extinguishing agent

48. Fire Fighting • The de-watering pump is available on most SAR vessel.

49. Fire Fighting • Fire extinguishers are the prefered fire extinguishing medium on CCGA P Vessels. • Generally there are two types: 1. Carbon Dioxide 2. Dry Powder

50. Fire Fighting - CO2 • Carbon dioxide extinguishers push a stream of carbon dioxide gas under pressure out of the nozzle. • The idea is to place a blanket of the gas over the top of the fuel to prevent the oxygen getting to the fire. • In small vessels the wind is likely to disperse the gas to quickly unless it is in a confined space.