Recognizing catastrophe sights

Whenever a building or house falls, the people that live or are inside will become affected depending on certain factors such as on how fast the structure fell, the way it happened, the structure of the building etc. Whenever a collapse happens the rescue unit will need to proceed to do a previous inspection that will be done in function of the characteristics of the building. The rescue unit will work on getting to know the general area of the catastrophe, whether this is exterior or interior, this will be done by the Unit Leader who based on what he has observed, will elaborate and decide on a specific search strategy.

The intervention areas, relief areas (which is where the victims will be placed, and base (which is the rest spot and concentration of the available resources) will be agreed on and outlined by putting up fences or signaling tape. There will also be personnel in charge of organizing the spectators and public and will be in charge of avoiding their access to these areas. The rescue team will have different externs that will allow their access through the security-fenced area.

They will also take care of making sure that the water, gas, and electric installations have been shut off or cut if necessary. They will take care of retrieving information on the approximate number of people trapped inside the disaster zone. The rescue unit also does everything possible to prevent the possibility of new falls or movements of debris by observing the affected structural elements, the amount of weight these are holding and the stability of these both of the building itself as well as the adjacent buildings. They will evaluate possible ways of access to the most needed spots.