How to do well, win at S&E ExEvals
After being present at every ExEval in 07 and 08 except 1. RIG would like to express some basis observations and lessons learned.
Common Challenges
· Time to practice/train
· Staging Point/Officer necessary to create flow
· IAP the ICS develops and maintains the IAP
· ExEvals and VGs not operating as they are trained
· Locations, keep the Crawl, Walk and Run location the same
· Area to practice/train consistently
· Standardized practices
· Equipment ready for use
· Familiarity with equipment
· Equipment inventoried, present and in their boxes
· Familiarity with monitoring
· C2/ICS briefing inaccurate and not standardized or accurate
· Too much micromanaging
· Hasty/Emergency Decon training & Equipment
· Management of personnel to be most efficient
· Management of personnel while in PPE
· A lack of:
o Strategic Goals
o Tactical Objectives
o Related Action Methods
Overview
ExEvals are basic and straightforward, if your willing to put some effort and not to outthink yourself. The 6 lanes that are to evaluated Search, Ropes, Lifting and Hauling, Shoring, Confined Space, Breaching and Breaking.
Because of the CERP being an added on mission, in most cases, some times can be a strain. Get out a basic extraction book and at least:
1. Tie 8 basic knots
a. Figure 8 on a bite
b. Clove
c. Butterfly
d. 8
e. 8
f. 8
2. Go over the basic concepts of shoring
a. Cutting
b. Kits
3. Charge the batteries in the Search Kit (103S)
We have found that Lifting and Hauling along with Breaching and Breaking are the fastest to get back in the swing of things with, but knots, Confined Space and shoring are lost the fastest. The most common lost art of Confined Space is usually packaging a patent and setting up a hauling system. Oddly enough the regulations never mention any of that. 29 CFR 1910.146 only details how to insure the air is clean and has plenty of oxygen.
Two of the most needed and necessary thoughts to use are Common Sense and Logic. Common sense is not common until it is common. Any problem that is thrown at you in a incident, emergency, or exercise, think How to MAP. Can I Mitigate it? Can I Avoid it? What protection is necessary to be shielded from it? Hazard – Risk - Protection.
Few hazards cannot be mitigated to some degree. Lessoning the hazard if not mitigating it will help keep people healthier which will keep them working longer and safer. An effective rotation will help husband entry and decon staff in PPE.
Reality Check
When operating in the real world, exercise or at an ExEval here are some general Tactical Objectives, will increase efficiency and productivity.
1. Get down range fast. If they have called you it is an emergency, thus you should be in a hurry.
2. Use a Basic, Hasty, Emergency, Dynamic Decon station so you aren’t waiting on a full blown Decon station that could take some time to get together.
3. M A P Minimize as much as possible PPE time. Put on PPE at the last minute
4. Don’t out think yourself (and go into operational paralysis)
5. Make a decision even if you have to adjust it later
6. Rotation of teams in PPE above 65˚ heat still builds up, 80˚ caution should be used, above 90˚ extreme caution should be used inside PPE should be limited to 30 min for fit personnel.
The skills of the 6 lanes previously mentioned are the most possible used skill since they can be used at almost any natural or man made emergency or disaster.
If all else fails and you have to go into the ExEval blind or almost blind it can all be done while at the MTT and ExEval.
Here is the basic outline to win. If your team is doing well sometimes the second Reset Day, (Day 4) could be dropped, if the team is working well.
Day 1 Crawl day 3 Missions completed w/o PPE 8 to 10 hours
Day 2 Reset day/training building shoring and spot kits 4 to 5 hours
Day 3 Walk day 3 Missions completed w/ PPE 4 to 5 hours
Day 4 Reset day/training practice 2 to 4 contact hours
Day 5 Run day 3 Missions completed w/ PPE 3 to 4 hours
Like at the specialist class each mission may have several lanes/skills to be evaluated. At the end of the training Eval period efficiency and team work gets better, the more efficient, the more gets done each day in less time.
9 missions complete (3 mission, 6 skills each day)
24 (approximately) hours of training
We look at all our stats, time missions, divide one into the other, and make a simple relationship, then and see what we can do to help be more effective the next time.
The RIG team of 4 you had there carried over 100 years in emergency/construction services experience.
We are always looking at how to be better each time we go to the field.
We don't turn our AAR over very often and probably won't do it the next time. We use it to better prepare us for the next time and how to better coach the next team.
What does RIG Do?
RIG provides for Host at no extracost.
· Equipment for construction
· At least 2 Days for construction
· Construction of venues (Host must locate materials of construction)
· RIG MTT for:
o Search Equipment
o Shoring (Shoring Kits)
o Breaching and Breaking
o Lifting and Hauling
o Ropes (w/ a loation)
o C2 instruction
o ICS
· Hertz Package (to include)
o Forklift
o Air Compressor
o Jackhammers
· MTP Trailer (at any location that a semi trailer will fit)
o Confined space fan
o SKED W/ rigging
o Shoring materials
o Hands on in training
o Patent Packaging
o Ropes (Patent Packaging)
o 4 Gas Monitoring (Multi RAE)
RIG Common Observations
1. NGB
· Need a NGB representative/manager / coordinator at each ex-eval.
· Better line of communication between agencies
· Need better direction on who is responsible for what? i.e. role players, missions, scenarios, etc.
· Planning meetings, conference calls or prior Recons of site should involve all agencies.
· Need to get info to states on what each agency can and cannot provide.
2. RIG
· Find ways to use down time to get more state input in order to get more use of our time while there.
· Need prior communication with command to find out what exact needs and wants are.
· Need Commander Objectives
3. State
· Need State to give more direction on what is needed or lacking in order to make them more successful.
· Need to ensure that plans have been made with all agencies involved.
· Need to have a good idea what each agency can and will provide.
· Provide Commander Objectives
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