top of page

Environmental Protection

When we think about casualty management in Search & Rescue (SAR) one key piece of team equipment stands out for me, shelter or environmental protection.

This month we’ll have a look at a few different shelters commonly used across the UKs’ SAR network. 

​

It’s common practice to use the DRABCDE system for casualty assessment.  There are other similar systems but for SAR this one works well.

D = Danger (self, team, casualty)

R = Response

A = Airway

B = Breathing

C = Circulation / Catastrophic Bleed / CPR

D = Deformity

E = Environment

 

Let’s focus on the last letter, E = Environment, specifically environmental protection.

When we think about Environmental protection we often think about wet and windy weather or perhaps snow?  Extreme heat could also be just as much an issue.  However, as I sit here in the UK July weather lets think about wind and rain!

When we arrive hot and slightly out of breath at the casualty site, it’s easy to forget that the casualty might have been stationary for quite a long time before the SAR team arrived.  They will be losing heat through evaporation and wind chill and from conductivity into the cold damp ground they are sat on.  So, we’ve 2 key areas to protect them from.

If we start at the ground and work up, by insulating the casualty from the cold ground it does a few things, it allows us to re check for significant blood loss into the ground under the casualty, it also gives the rescuer something to kneel on to avoid wet knees!  With a bit of pre planning you can slip a casualty lifting sheet under at the same time to speed up the transfer from ground to stretcher later.

​

The next step is to add some form of outer shelter to reduce the wind chill and rain / snow as well as reducing the air movement inside which increases the ambient temperature inside the shelter.  A little care is needed here that we don’t make it so airtight that reduced Oxygen is an issue, more common though is an increase in Oxygen if using medical gases inside a shelter!

​

Here’s a few ground insulation options:

​

​These are foam pad glued to a waterproof / air proof outer.  When the mat is deflated and sealed its small and compact, as soon as the valve is opened the foam tries to expand back to its original size and draws air in, causing the mat to ‘Self Inflate’.  Good comfort and insulation is provided, the only drawback is the likelihood of a puncture.

Picture 1.png

The more common system is to use a slightly bulkier closed cell foam mat.  These are much less expensive and more robust for SAR Ops.

Picture 2.png

If we now look at protection from the elements, there’s an endless set of options, basically these need to be waterproof / windproof but also large enough for the medics to work under and perhaps take the stretcher too.

​

Here are a few examples of personal shelters:

​

The historic orange plastic survival bag, waterproof, windproof, sweaty but great for attracting attention or keeping gear dry.

Picture 3.png

These plastic bags range from cheap to very expensive depending on the materials used, all are realistically too small for SAR Ops and casualty management.

 

More common in the SAR world is the classic casualty shelter, a large nylon box with perhaps a window or vents.  Large enough to cover the medics, casualty and stretcher from the worst of the weather.  Lots of different makes available some in breathable fabrics.

Picture 4.jpg

In conclusion, I’ve always looked for a shelter that’s bigger than you think you need, it really should fit 4 team members, casualty (when on the stretcher) as you can then collapse the whole thing around the casualty to give an extra weatherproof layer to the stretcher casualty bag if needed.  Next time you’re out in the wild weather don’t forget to protect the casualty from above and below, protect the team too.

​

Like everything in the SAR world, we should be practicing using the equipment as it’s one thing for the team medics to listen with a stethoscope in the classroom, it’s another thing doing it inside a plastic bag been battered with 80mph winds and rain!

© 2024 Resilience Media UK

Contact Us (wht).png
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • White Facebook Icon
bottom of page