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6 March 2026
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Featured FRI Magazine article: Earthquakes: guidelines on preparing and responding by Neville van Rensburg and Julius Fleischman
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https://www.frimedia.org/uploads/1/2/2/7/122743954/fri_vol_3_no_11.pdf
This week’s featured Fire and Rescue International magazine article is: Earthquakes: guidelines on preparing and responding written by Neville van Rensburg and Julius Fleischman, World Rescue Organisation (WRO) assessors and members (FRI Vol 3 no 11). We will be sharing more technical/research/tactical articles from Fire and Rescue International magazine on a weekly basis with our readers to assist in technology transfer. This will hopefully create an increased awareness, providing you with hands-on advice and guidance. All our magazines are available free of charge in PDF format on our website and online at ISSUU. We also provide all technical articles as a free download in our article archive on our website.
Earthquakes: guidelines on preparing and responding
By Neville van Rensburg and Julius Fleischman, World Rescue Organisation (WRO) assessors and members
Building upon the foundation of advanced training, emergency response phase prepares men and women to respond physically and spiritually to earthquakes crisis situations, while continuing to instil in them the ministry mind-set that is a prerequisite to Godly servant hood. Earthquake crisis response skills are taught in the classroom and are readily practiced through disaster relief and other service opportunities. The development of Godly character is promoted through discipleship and accountability.
Both skills and character are essential in preparing men and women to minister to the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of those he/she is called to serve during earthquakes.
Emergency response work is known to be an especially difficult and emotional profession.
Accordingly, it takes a particular kind of individual to do this type of work.
If you’re in the emergency medical rescue services profession, you know that outside-the-box thinking skills are a must. To function outside the box, you need to have the ability to think creatively about applying your technical medical and rescue skills.
Earthquakes are unique within the natural disaster management domain. This is mainly because the occurrence of earthquakes remains largely unpredictable and has very rapid onsets. The way we approach earthquake preparedness and response differs from how we respond to storms and floods and other large-scale, sudden-onset disasters. A major factor determining the impact of an earthquake is the level of human development as earthquakes in itself don’t kill people but the collapses of buildings do.
Earthquakes are among the most deadly natural hazards. They accounted for over 60 percent of the deaths caused by natural disasters in the decade between 2000 and 2009.
The year 2010 was particularly challenging, with the devastating earthquake in Haiti. It caused losses and damage in Port-au-Prince and its neighbouring areas on an unprecedented scale, highlighting the challenges posed by an emergency in a densely populated urban area.
That was followed by the earthquake in Chile, which remains among the most powerful ever recorded.
The massive tsunami and nuclear meltdown triggered by the Great East Japan (Tohoku) Earthquake in March 2011 was a reminder of the complex emergencies that can be triggered by earthquakes.
While having the potential to cause considerable devastation, earthquakes also stand out from other hazards in another way. Risk reduction and mitigation efforts for earthquakes can significantly reduce damage and losses. The number of lives lost in Chile and Japan (where the majority of deaths were caused by the subsequent tsunami) was much lower than in Haiti, despite being far more powerful.
Key earthquake terminology
• Epicentre: The location on the earth’s surface directly above the hypocentre.
• Hypocentre (focus): The actual site/location that an earthquake takes place.
• Aftershock: An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock.
Aftershocks can continue over a period of weeks, months or years.
• Seismic waves: These are waves of energy that travel through the earth as a result of an earthquake.
There are two types of waves; body waves that travel through the earth and can be divided into p-waves (more longitudinal) and s-waves (more transverse) and surface waves that travel across the surface.
• Tremor: A tremor is another name for an earthquake but is also sometimes the name given to a lesser earthquake or the felt effects of a big earthquake by people living further from the epicentre.
Aftershocks and secondary hazards often triggered by earthquakes can be more damaging than the earthquakes themselves. Effects are concentrated in smaller areas. Earthquakes have a high mortality and morbidity as compared to other disasters and the nature of injuries from earthquakes is different. Large-scale destruction of infrastructure can make access challenging. Long gaps between major earthquakes make it difficult to sustain awareness and risk reduction efforts. Large quantities of rubble are generated following an earthquake.
Households begin their recovery efforts immediately after an earthquake and there is no time gap between relief and recovery efforts.
Medical first response
One of the distinguishing characteristics of earthquakes is the high rate of mortality and a high proportion of non-fatal traumatic injuries, caused by falling objects or debris. Secondary hazards such as tsunamis, landslides or fires, among others, often result in greater damage and loss of lives than that caused by the earthquakes themselves. Aftershocks following major earthquakes and delayed collapses of damaged structures are also a source of mortality and morbidity.
Past experience has shown that a significant number of lives can be saved in the aftermath of an earthquake through the provision of immediate medical aid within the first few hours. Experiences also indicate that the greatest medical needs after an earthquake are in the first week.
As the greatest medical needs are within the first two days, immediate medical assistance is best provided by local physicians, medical personnel or community members trained in first aid.
These capacities, wherever available, should be supported in the initial medical response. The timing of medical responses is crucial in an earthquake.
Field hospitals should be established within the first week after the disaster.
The needs of those suffering from chronic ailments or those dependent on medication must be addressed.
As in most other emergencies, maternal and child health remain among the most significant health concerns.
Search and rescue
Given the large number of collapsed structures that can be expected after an earthquake, the deployment of search-and-rescue teams is one of the first responses. These teams typically include technical experts that are assisted by sniffer dogs.
The next phases of search-and-rescue efforts proceed at a slower pace with limited use of heavy equipment to clear debris. This is in the expectation that survivors may be trapped beneath the rubble.
The emphasis in the subsequent phase moves to body recovery. This phase proceeds at a relatively quicker pace and employs heavy equipment to clear the debris. In a search and rescue operation, the majority of lives are saved by local rescuers who respond in the first 48 hours following an earthquake. Search and rescue efforts are resource intensive and can divert a considerable amount of attention and resources away from other urgent needs, including the care of survivors. It is difficult, however, to clearly define a period within which search and rescue efforts should be called off.
Search and rescue efforts are best carried out by local responders. The utility of involving highly specialised international search and rescue teams, who arrive several days after an earthquake, needs to be carefully considered and weighed against the impact that this would have on the overall response and care for survivors.
While disease outbreaks are less frequent after an earthquake as compared to other disasters, epidemiological surveillance should still be a priority.
Management of the deceased
Mortality rates in an earthquake are typically much higher than in other disasters. Dead bodies are often incorrectly seen as a source of disease and possible outbreaks of epidemics.
This in turn leads to hasty responses such as burial in mass graves without following adequate procedure and can be a source of distress for the families of the deceased. Proper identification of bodies assists families attempting to locate missing relatives.
It can also aid both the process of psychological recovery by providing closure as well as assist in addressing legal requirements that the families might need to carry out.
Engaging in the management of dead bodies requires close collaboration with coordinating authorities. Actions need to be in compliance with procedures in place and usual precautions.
Different levels of expertise may be needed if the intervention includes body recovery, storage, identification, information, disposal and support for families or logistics.
What is an earthquake?
An earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the ground caused by the breaking and shifting of rock beneath the Earth’s surface. This shaking can cause:
• Buildings and bridges to collapse; disrupt gas, electric and phone service and sometimes trigger landslides, avalanches, flash floods, fires and huge, destructive ocean waves (tsunamis).
• Buildings with foundations resting on unconsolidated landfill, old waterways or other unstable soil are most at risk.
• Buildings or trailers and manufactured homes not tied to a reinforced foundation anchored to the ground are also at risk since they can be shaken off their mountings during an earthquake.
• Earthquakes can occur at any time of the year.
Hazards associated with earthquakes
Risk = probability X impact
Earthquakes cause ground shaking, fault ruptures and soil liquefaction.
Secondary seismic hazards created include fires, landslides, tsunamis and structures collapse. Don’t confuse hazards with seismic hazards.
Seismic risk refers exclusively to the consequences to human life and property resulting from occurred hazards. When an earthquake occurs in a populated area, it may cause deaths and injuries and extensive property damage. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most earthquake-related injuries result from collapsing walls, flying glass and falling objects as a result of the ground shaking or people trying to move more than a few feet during the shaking. Much of the damage during earthquakes is predictable and preventable.
Aftershocks
Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that follow the main shock and can cause further damage to weakened buildings. Aftershocks can occur in the first hours, days, weeks or even months after the quake. Be aware that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks and a larger earthquake might occur.
What can I do to prepare before an earthquake occurs?
Pick ‘safe places’. A safe place could be under a sturdy table or desk or against an interior wall away from windows and bookcases or tall furniture that could fall on you. The shorter the distance to move to safety, the less likely you will be injured. Injury statistics show that people moving as little as three metres during an earthquake’s shaking are most likely to be injured.
Practice drop, cover and hold-on in each safe place. Drop under a sturdy desk or table and hold on to one leg of the table or desk. Protect your eyes by keeping your head down.
Practice these actions so that they become an automatic response.
Practice drop, cover and hold-on at least twice a year. Frequent practice will help reinforce safe behaviour.
When an earthquake or other disaster occurs, many people hesitate, trying to remember what they are supposed to do. Responding quickly and automatically may help protect you from injury.
Wait in your safe place until the shaking stops, then check to see if you are hurt. You will be better able to help others if you take care of yourself first and then check the people around you. Move carefully and watch out for things that have fallen or broken, creating hazards. Be ready for aftershocks.
Be on the lookout for fires. Fire is the most common earthquake-related hazard, due to broken gas lines, damaged electrical lines or appliances and previously contained fires or sparks being released.
If you must leave a building after the shaking stops, use the stairs, not the elevator. Earthquakes can cause fire alarms and fire sprinklers to go off.
You will not be certain whether there is a real threat of fire. As a precaution, use the stairs.
If you’re outside during an earthquake, stay outside. Move away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines. Crouch down and cover your head. Many injuries occur within three metres of the entrance to buildings. Bricks, roofing and other materials can fall from buildings, injuring persons nearby. Trees, streetlights and power lines may also fall, causing damage or injury.
Inform workers of the plan. Everyone in your workplace should know what to do if an earthquake occurs.
It is important to keep your training up-to-date.
Emergency responders
Collapsed structures are a common result of earthquakes. Rescue workers and emergency responders may have to enter collapsed structures to perform search and rescue activities and it is vital that they perform their duties safely.
What is a collapsed structure?
When internal load bearing structural elements fail, a building will collapse into itself and exterior walls are pulled into the falling structure. This scenario may be caused by construction activity, an earthquake or fire and may result in a dense debris field with a small footprint. Alternatively, if the structural failure is caused by an explosion or natural forces such as weather, the building may collapse in an outward direction resulting in a less dense and scattered debris field.
Who enters a collapsed structure?
Following a catastrophic failure of a structure, rescue workers and emergency responders may be required to enter the collapsed structure. Emergency responders include fire fighters, police, emergency medical technicians, construction workers and government representatives. Emergency responders may be responsible for assisting survivors, extinguishing fires, shutting off utilities, assessing structural instabilities, shoring-up safe paths into the structure and assessment of other hazards such as airborne contaminants.
Rescue workers such as urban search and rescue teams focus on finding survivors and later removing victims from collapsed structures.
Organising rescue workers and emergency responders
What is the organisational structure for the response to these events?
Although these catastrophic events may initially be quite chaotic, eventually site management will be under a unified command such as the recognised incident command structure. Local responders and rescuers will obviously respond first. In South Africa, provincial Government could request National Disaster Management Centre’s (NDMC) assistance if warranted. International response is coordinated by the NDMC according to the Disaster Management Act and international protocol as requests are between governments.
Non-governmental organisations generally respond on their own accord after approval from NDMC.
A trained structures specialist from urban search and rescue will be responsible for:
• Evaluating the immediate structural condition of the area to be entered during rescue operations.
• Determining the appropriate type and amount of structural hazard mitigation in order to minimise risks onsite to rescue personnel.
Safety and health resources available during a collapsed structure response
Once the incident command system is established at a collapsed structure, the incident commander maintains accountability for all response personnel at the scene. A safety officer may also be mobilised and report directly to the incident commander. The safety officer is responsible for monitoring and assessing the safety aspects of the responders during the collapsed structure event.
The safety officer’s responsibilities may include:
• Overseeing all safety and health aspects of response personnel
• Assuring that optimal safety and injury prevention is practiced
• Investigating and documenting all response team injuries and illnesses
• Preparing and maintaining entry permits
• Ensuring that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is used
• Developing and implementing daily health and safety plans, which address sanitation, hygiene, PPE, decontamination, work/rest cycles, acute medical care, etc.
This week’s featured Fire and Rescue International magazine article is: Earthquakes: guidelines on preparing and responding written by Neville van Rensburg and Julius Fleischman, World Rescue Organisation (WRO) assessors and members (FRI Vol 3 no 11). We will be sharing more technical/research/tactical articles from Fire and Rescue International magazine on a weekly basis with our readers to assist in technology transfer. This will hopefully create an increased awareness, providing you with hands-on advice and guidance. All our magazines are available free of charge in PDF format on our website and online at ISSUU. We also provide all technical articles as a free download in our article archive on our website.
Earthquakes: guidelines on preparing and responding
By Neville van Rensburg and Julius Fleischman, World Rescue Organisation (WRO) assessors and members
Building upon the foundation of advanced training, emergency response phase prepares men and women to respond physically and spiritually to earthquakes crisis situations, while continuing to instil in them the ministry mind-set that is a prerequisite to Godly servant hood. Earthquake crisis response skills are taught in the classroom and are readily practiced through disaster relief and other service opportunities. The development of Godly character is promoted through discipleship and accountability.
Both skills and character are essential in preparing men and women to minister to the physical, spiritual and emotional needs of those he/she is called to serve during earthquakes.
Emergency response work is known to be an especially difficult and emotional profession.
Accordingly, it takes a particular kind of individual to do this type of work.
If you’re in the emergency medical rescue services profession, you know that outside-the-box thinking skills are a must. To function outside the box, you need to have the ability to think creatively about applying your technical medical and rescue skills.
Earthquakes are unique within the natural disaster management domain. This is mainly because the occurrence of earthquakes remains largely unpredictable and has very rapid onsets. The way we approach earthquake preparedness and response differs from how we respond to storms and floods and other large-scale, sudden-onset disasters. A major factor determining the impact of an earthquake is the level of human development as earthquakes in itself don’t kill people but the collapses of buildings do.
Earthquakes are among the most deadly natural hazards. They accounted for over 60 percent of the deaths caused by natural disasters in the decade between 2000 and 2009.
The year 2010 was particularly challenging, with the devastating earthquake in Haiti. It caused losses and damage in Port-au-Prince and its neighbouring areas on an unprecedented scale, highlighting the challenges posed by an emergency in a densely populated urban area.
That was followed by the earthquake in Chile, which remains among the most powerful ever recorded.
The massive tsunami and nuclear meltdown triggered by the Great East Japan (Tohoku) Earthquake in March 2011 was a reminder of the complex emergencies that can be triggered by earthquakes.
While having the potential to cause considerable devastation, earthquakes also stand out from other hazards in another way. Risk reduction and mitigation efforts for earthquakes can significantly reduce damage and losses. The number of lives lost in Chile and Japan (where the majority of deaths were caused by the subsequent tsunami) was much lower than in Haiti, despite being far more powerful.
Key earthquake terminology
• Epicentre: The location on the earth’s surface directly above the hypocentre.
• Hypocentre (focus): The actual site/location that an earthquake takes place.
• Aftershock: An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock.
Aftershocks can continue over a period of weeks, months or years.
• Seismic waves: These are waves of energy that travel through the earth as a result of an earthquake.
There are two types of waves; body waves that travel through the earth and can be divided into p-waves (more longitudinal) and s-waves (more transverse) and surface waves that travel across the surface.
• Tremor: A tremor is another name for an earthquake but is also sometimes the name given to a lesser earthquake or the felt effects of a big earthquake by people living further from the epicentre.
Aftershocks and secondary hazards often triggered by earthquakes can be more damaging than the earthquakes themselves. Effects are concentrated in smaller areas. Earthquakes have a high mortality and morbidity as compared to other disasters and the nature of injuries from earthquakes is different. Large-scale destruction of infrastructure can make access challenging. Long gaps between major earthquakes make it difficult to sustain awareness and risk reduction efforts. Large quantities of rubble are generated following an earthquake.
Households begin their recovery efforts immediately after an earthquake and there is no time gap between relief and recovery efforts.
Medical first response
One of the distinguishing characteristics of earthquakes is the high rate of mortality and a high proportion of non-fatal traumatic injuries, caused by falling objects or debris. Secondary hazards such as tsunamis, landslides or fires, among others, often result in greater damage and loss of lives than that caused by the earthquakes themselves. Aftershocks following major earthquakes and delayed collapses of damaged structures are also a source of mortality and morbidity.
Past experience has shown that a significant number of lives can be saved in the aftermath of an earthquake through the provision of immediate medical aid within the first few hours. Experiences also indicate that the greatest medical needs after an earthquake are in the first week.
As the greatest medical needs are within the first two days, immediate medical assistance is best provided by local physicians, medical personnel or community members trained in first aid.
These capacities, wherever available, should be supported in the initial medical response. The timing of medical responses is crucial in an earthquake.
Field hospitals should be established within the first week after the disaster.
The needs of those suffering from chronic ailments or those dependent on medication must be addressed.
As in most other emergencies, maternal and child health remain among the most significant health concerns.
Search and rescue
Given the large number of collapsed structures that can be expected after an earthquake, the deployment of search-and-rescue teams is one of the first responses. These teams typically include technical experts that are assisted by sniffer dogs.
The next phases of search-and-rescue efforts proceed at a slower pace with limited use of heavy equipment to clear debris. This is in the expectation that survivors may be trapped beneath the rubble.
The emphasis in the subsequent phase moves to body recovery. This phase proceeds at a relatively quicker pace and employs heavy equipment to clear the debris. In a search and rescue operation, the majority of lives are saved by local rescuers who respond in the first 48 hours following an earthquake. Search and rescue efforts are resource intensive and can divert a considerable amount of attention and resources away from other urgent needs, including the care of survivors. It is difficult, however, to clearly define a period within which search and rescue efforts should be called off.
Search and rescue efforts are best carried out by local responders. The utility of involving highly specialised international search and rescue teams, who arrive several days after an earthquake, needs to be carefully considered and weighed against the impact that this would have on the overall response and care for survivors.
While disease outbreaks are less frequent after an earthquake as compared to other disasters, epidemiological surveillance should still be a priority.
Management of the deceased
Mortality rates in an earthquake are typically much higher than in other disasters. Dead bodies are often incorrectly seen as a source of disease and possible outbreaks of epidemics.
This in turn leads to hasty responses such as burial in mass graves without following adequate procedure and can be a source of distress for the families of the deceased. Proper identification of bodies assists families attempting to locate missing relatives.
It can also aid both the process of psychological recovery by providing closure as well as assist in addressing legal requirements that the families might need to carry out.
Engaging in the management of dead bodies requires close collaboration with coordinating authorities. Actions need to be in compliance with procedures in place and usual precautions.
Different levels of expertise may be needed if the intervention includes body recovery, storage, identification, information, disposal and support for families or logistics.
What is an earthquake?
An earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the ground caused by the breaking and shifting of rock beneath the Earth’s surface. This shaking can cause:
• Buildings and bridges to collapse; disrupt gas, electric and phone service and sometimes trigger landslides, avalanches, flash floods, fires and huge, destructive ocean waves (tsunamis).
• Buildings with foundations resting on unconsolidated landfill, old waterways or other unstable soil are most at risk.
• Buildings or trailers and manufactured homes not tied to a reinforced foundation anchored to the ground are also at risk since they can be shaken off their mountings during an earthquake.
• Earthquakes can occur at any time of the year.
Hazards associated with earthquakes
Risk = probability X impact
Earthquakes cause ground shaking, fault ruptures and soil liquefaction.
Secondary seismic hazards created include fires, landslides, tsunamis and structures collapse. Don’t confuse hazards with seismic hazards.
Seismic risk refers exclusively to the consequences to human life and property resulting from occurred hazards. When an earthquake occurs in a populated area, it may cause deaths and injuries and extensive property damage. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most earthquake-related injuries result from collapsing walls, flying glass and falling objects as a result of the ground shaking or people trying to move more than a few feet during the shaking. Much of the damage during earthquakes is predictable and preventable.
Aftershocks
Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that follow the main shock and can cause further damage to weakened buildings. Aftershocks can occur in the first hours, days, weeks or even months after the quake. Be aware that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks and a larger earthquake might occur.
What can I do to prepare before an earthquake occurs?
Pick ‘safe places’. A safe place could be under a sturdy table or desk or against an interior wall away from windows and bookcases or tall furniture that could fall on you. The shorter the distance to move to safety, the less likely you will be injured. Injury statistics show that people moving as little as three metres during an earthquake’s shaking are most likely to be injured.
Practice drop, cover and hold-on in each safe place. Drop under a sturdy desk or table and hold on to one leg of the table or desk. Protect your eyes by keeping your head down.
Practice these actions so that they become an automatic response.
Practice drop, cover and hold-on at least twice a year. Frequent practice will help reinforce safe behaviour.
When an earthquake or other disaster occurs, many people hesitate, trying to remember what they are supposed to do. Responding quickly and automatically may help protect you from injury.
Wait in your safe place until the shaking stops, then check to see if you are hurt. You will be better able to help others if you take care of yourself first and then check the people around you. Move carefully and watch out for things that have fallen or broken, creating hazards. Be ready for aftershocks.
Be on the lookout for fires. Fire is the most common earthquake-related hazard, due to broken gas lines, damaged electrical lines or appliances and previously contained fires or sparks being released.
If you must leave a building after the shaking stops, use the stairs, not the elevator. Earthquakes can cause fire alarms and fire sprinklers to go off.
You will not be certain whether there is a real threat of fire. As a precaution, use the stairs.
If you’re outside during an earthquake, stay outside. Move away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines. Crouch down and cover your head. Many injuries occur within three metres of the entrance to buildings. Bricks, roofing and other materials can fall from buildings, injuring persons nearby. Trees, streetlights and power lines may also fall, causing damage or injury.
Inform workers of the plan. Everyone in your workplace should know what to do if an earthquake occurs.
It is important to keep your training up-to-date.
Emergency responders
Collapsed structures are a common result of earthquakes. Rescue workers and emergency responders may have to enter collapsed structures to perform search and rescue activities and it is vital that they perform their duties safely.
What is a collapsed structure?
When internal load bearing structural elements fail, a building will collapse into itself and exterior walls are pulled into the falling structure. This scenario may be caused by construction activity, an earthquake or fire and may result in a dense debris field with a small footprint. Alternatively, if the structural failure is caused by an explosion or natural forces such as weather, the building may collapse in an outward direction resulting in a less dense and scattered debris field.
Who enters a collapsed structure?
Following a catastrophic failure of a structure, rescue workers and emergency responders may be required to enter the collapsed structure. Emergency responders include fire fighters, police, emergency medical technicians, construction workers and government representatives. Emergency responders may be responsible for assisting survivors, extinguishing fires, shutting off utilities, assessing structural instabilities, shoring-up safe paths into the structure and assessment of other hazards such as airborne contaminants.
Rescue workers such as urban search and rescue teams focus on finding survivors and later removing victims from collapsed structures.
Organising rescue workers and emergency responders
What is the organisational structure for the response to these events?
Although these catastrophic events may initially be quite chaotic, eventually site management will be under a unified command such as the recognised incident command structure. Local responders and rescuers will obviously respond first. In South Africa, provincial Government could request National Disaster Management Centre’s (NDMC) assistance if warranted. International response is coordinated by the NDMC according to the Disaster Management Act and international protocol as requests are between governments.
Non-governmental organisations generally respond on their own accord after approval from NDMC.
A trained structures specialist from urban search and rescue will be responsible for:
• Evaluating the immediate structural condition of the area to be entered during rescue operations.
• Determining the appropriate type and amount of structural hazard mitigation in order to minimise risks onsite to rescue personnel.
Safety and health resources available during a collapsed structure response
Once the incident command system is established at a collapsed structure, the incident commander maintains accountability for all response personnel at the scene. A safety officer may also be mobilised and report directly to the incident commander. The safety officer is responsible for monitoring and assessing the safety aspects of the responders during the collapsed structure event.
The safety officer’s responsibilities may include:
• Overseeing all safety and health aspects of response personnel
• Assuring that optimal safety and injury prevention is practiced
• Investigating and documenting all response team injuries and illnesses
• Preparing and maintaining entry permits
• Ensuring that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is used
• Developing and implementing daily health and safety plans, which address sanitation, hygiene, PPE, decontamination, work/rest cycles, acute medical care, etc.