FireRescue Course Series • Part 3 of 6
Surface Search and Casualty Location — Intelligence, Calling, Listening and Reporting
Surface search casualty location is careful, quiet and controlled work. First response USAR teams collect information, search systematically, call, listen, report clearly and stay inside safe work limits.
Casualty Intelligence
Calling and Listening
- Collect and report casualty location intelligence.
- Use surface search techniques under procedure.
- Apply calling and listening with team discipline.
- Report casualty condition and entrapment where possible.
0 of 8 sections refreshed
Learning summary
What Part 3 builds
You learn to collect, check and report information about where casualties may be located.
You use systematic search habits to identify and locate casualties safely.
You understand why quiet, clear calling and listening can guide the team.
You report casualty condition, location and entrapment details through the approved chain.
The USAR SAFE Cycle in surface search casualty location
Part 3 focuses on the search and reporting stage. The USAR SAFE Cycle keeps the team connected to briefing, hazard control, approved search methods, communication and safe casualty location work.
Surface search casualty location starts with intelligence
Surface search casualty location does not begin with random movement. It begins with information. The team needs to know who may be missing, where they may have been and what hazards may block safe access.
Surface search casualty location is the process of using information, observation and approved search methods to identify where people may be located after a structural collapse. At Category 1 first response level, the focus is on surface casualties and lightly trapped casualties.
Information can come from many sources. It may come from the briefing, witnesses, occupants, neighbours, workers, site plans, supervisors, other response agencies or previous search activity. Each piece of information must be treated carefully.
Some information will be accurate. Some will be incomplete. Some may be affected by stress, panic, noise or confusion. Therefore, the team collects information, checks it where possible and reports it through the approved chain.
A useful report does not need to be long. It needs to be clear. For example, a witness may say that a person was last seen near the rear office. That does not confirm the person is still there. However, it gives the team a search clue.
Collect what is known, avoid guessing and pass useful casualty intelligence to your supervisor. Good intelligence helps the team search in a safer and more organised way.
Information must be handled calmly
People may be frightened when they give information. They may speak quickly, repeat details or change their story. Stay calm. Listen for useful facts, such as names, last known locations, time seen, building use and possible access points.
Do not promise outcomes. Instead, acknowledge the information and pass it on. This keeps the response professional and prevents false hope or confusion.
When information suggests a casualty may be in a dangerous area, do not rush in. Report the information and wait for the approved plan. Unsafe entry can create more casualties and slow the rescue.
Systematic surface search keeps the team controlled
A systematic search means the team searches in an organised way. It reduces missed areas, repeated searching and unsafe movement through unstable spaces.
Surface search techniques are used to identify and locate casualties in accordance with organisational procedures and safe work practices. The aim is to search methodically while staying aware of hazards and team position.
A damaged site can distract responders. There may be noise, dust, bystanders, damaged utilities, loose materials and unclear access routes. A systematic approach helps the team stay focused.
Before the search moves forward, confirm the assigned area, search boundary and reporting method. Also confirm the warning system, exclusion zones and what to do if a hazard changes.
Searchers should avoid stepping over boundaries or entering unstable areas without approval. Even a small move into an unsafe space can increase risk. The team must balance urgency with control.
Search discipline includes
- Knowing the assigned search area.
- Maintaining team contact.
- Watching for new hazards.
- Using approved communication.
- Reporting progress clearly.
Avoid during search
- Random movement through debris.
- Working alone or out of sight.
- Moving debris without approval.
- Ignoring warning signals.
- Assuming an area is safe.
Search work still needs risk assessment
Search does not replace dynamic risk assessment. As the team searches, conditions may change. A new smell, sound, crack, dust movement, shifting debris or falling object can all matter.
If the search reveals a hazard, report it. If the hazard affects the search boundary, stop and wait for direction. Good search work is careful, not careless.
Systematic search also supports documentation and later operations. If the team records or reports what has been searched, later crews can understand what has been done and what still needs attention.
Calling and listening must be deliberate
Calling and listening can help locate casualties, but it only works when the team controls noise, timing and communication. A noisy team can miss a weak response.
Calling and listening is a basic search method. The team calls out in a controlled way and then listens for a reply, sound, tapping, movement or other sign. It sounds simple, but it requires discipline.
The team may need quiet periods. Radios, tools, vehicles and conversations may need to pause if safe and practical. This gives trapped or lightly trapped people a better chance to be heard.
Calls should be clear and simple. A call may ask a person to shout, tap or make noise if they can. The exact wording must follow organisational procedures and the supervisor’s direction.
Listening is as important as calling. A weak sound may be easy to miss. Therefore, the team should avoid talking over each other. One person may call while others listen and watch.
Call clearly, pause properly, listen carefully and report what you hear. Do not turn a search area into a noisy conversation.
What responders may listen for
Responders may listen for voices, tapping, movement, breathing sounds, calls for help or repeated noises. They may also look for signs linked to sound, such as dust movement or small debris shifting.
Do not assume silence means no casualty is present. A person may be unconscious, injured, unable to speak or too weak to respond. Silence is information, but it is not proof that the area is clear.
If a possible sound is heard, report it. Give the location, direction, timing and what the sound was like. The supervisor can then decide the next safe step.
Condition and entrapment details guide the next decision
When a surface or lightly trapped casualty is located, the team needs useful information. The aim is to understand condition and entrapment where possible, without causing further risk.
The course expects responders to ascertain the condition of surface or lightly trapped casualties and the nature of entrapment where possible. This does not mean acting beyond training. It means gathering what can be safely observed and reported.
A surface casualty may be visible and not trapped within the structure. A lightly trapped or partially trapped casualty may be held by debris but able to be rescued using available rescue equipment. However, some casualties may be trapped in ways that need specialist resources.
The first response team must avoid causing further injury. Pulling, dragging or shifting debris without approval can make the situation worse. It may injure the casualty, injure responders or change the stability of the structure.
Useful information may include whether the casualty is conscious, speaking, breathing, bleeding, in pain, trapped by debris, exposed to hazards or located near unstable materials. Report only what you can safely determine.
Common mistake
Moving a casualty before the plan is clear.
Safer choice:
Report condition and wait for the approved rescue plan.
Common mistake
Shifting debris to “have a better look”.
Safer choice:
Do not disturb debris unless directed and safe.
Common mistake
Guessing the casualty’s condition.
Safer choice:
Report observations clearly and avoid unsupported claims.
Use calm communication with casualties
If it is safe and approved, speak calmly to the casualty. Tell them help is present. Ask simple questions if they can answer. Keep your voice steady and avoid alarming language.
Do not overload the casualty with questions. Focus on information that supports safety and rescue planning. For example, ask where they are hurt, whether anything is pressing on them and whether they can hear or see the team.
Keep reporting through the team structure. A casualty conversation is not separate from command. It becomes part of the overall incident information picture.
Communication links the search team to the rescue plan
Search information only helps when it reaches the right people. Approved communication systems, methods, terminology and warning systems keep the team connected.
USAR first response work relies on clear communication. During search, the team may need to report casualty intelligence, hazards, search progress, sounds, access problems, equipment needs and changing risk.
Keep messages short and useful. A supervisor needs enough information to make a decision. They do not need a long story when a hazard is urgent.
Use approved terminology. This helps prevent confusion, especially when more than one agency or team is present. If you do not understand a term or instruction, ask for clarification.
Warning systems also matter. The team must understand how to stop, withdraw, pause, warn others or respond to danger. A search area can become unsafe quickly if warnings are unclear.
Good search report
- Where the search occurred.
- What was found or heard.
- Any casualty information.
- Any hazard or access concern.
- Any need for extra support.
Poor search report
- Vague location details.
- Unclear casualty condition.
- No mention of hazards.
- Assumptions presented as facts.
- Delayed reporting of urgent changes.
Liaison supports shared awareness
Other response organisations may be working nearby. They may have information about casualties, utilities, hazards, access or building use. Liaison helps the incident team avoid missed information.
However, liaison must still follow command structure. Do not create side plans or mixed instructions. Pass information through the approved path so the supervisor can manage it properly.
Clear communication is a safety control. It reduces duplicated effort, protects responders and helps the team build a better rescue plan.
Situational awareness protects searchers during casualty location
Searchers can become focused on a possible casualty. That focus is natural, but it can become dangerous if the team stops watching the wider scene.
Situational awareness means noticing what is happening around you while you complete the task. During casualty location, responders may focus on a voice, a hand, a sound or a gap in debris. However, hazards still exist around the team.
Keep checking the ground, overhead areas, nearby walls, utilities, debris, weather, equipment and team location. Also check whether exclusion zones and marking systems still match the risk.
Do not let urgency pull the team into unsafe action. A casualty may need help quickly, but unsafe movement can create more harm. A controlled team is more useful than a rushed team.
Part of situational awareness is knowing when to stop and report. If a search reveals a possible survivable void, unstable debris or a casualty in a complex entrapment, the team may need specialist support.
Find, report and protect. Do not turn a casualty location into an uncontrolled rescue attempt.
Marking and boundaries support later work
Approved marking systems can help show searched areas, hazards, sectors, boundaries or casualty information. These systems must follow organisational procedures.
Do not invent your own marks. Do not move or change existing marks unless authorised. A wrong mark can mislead later teams and create danger.
Good search work leaves the next team with a clearer picture. It also supports scene preservation, documentation and safer rescue planning.
Scenario drill
Calling and listening near a damaged office
Your supervised USAR first response team is searching near a damaged office area. A witness says one staff member may have been near the back storeroom. During a quiet call-and-listen pause, you hear a faint tapping sound from behind a debris pile. You also notice loose material above that area.
Knowledge check
Part 3 quick quiz
1. What should casualty intelligence be used for?
2. What is important during calling and listening?
3. What should you do if you locate a lightly trapped casualty?
60-second refresher
Say it out loud
- I collect casualty intelligence calmly and report it clearly.
- I search systematically and stay inside the assigned area.
- I call clearly, pause properly and listen carefully.
- I do not treat silence as proof that an area is clear.
- I report casualty condition and entrapment details where possible.
- I do not move debris or casualties without approval.
- I keep watching hazards while I search.
- I stay inside my supervised Category 1 first response role.
Next article in the series
Part 4 of 6: Gaining Access Safely — Stabilisation, Rescue Equipment and Casualty Packaging
Next, you will move from locating casualties into gaining access safely. Part 4 explains stabilising the site, using rescue equipment within limits, working with medical personnel and packaging casualties under procedure.
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