Callout Procedure

Cave Rescue Squad Callout Procedure

In the event of a major incident, The NSW Cave Rescue Squad Inc has a procedure to Callout its operational members. The procedure is as follows:

Notification and Verification

  1. A member of a Statutory Authority e.g.: Police, NPWS Ranger, Ambulance Service or a Command member of the NSW Cave Rescue Squad, can only initiate a Callout.
  2. All calls for assistance must be verified either by contacting Police Rescue Headquarters – Zetland or the accident scene local authority.
  3. After verification, a callout of Squad members can then be made.
  4. In the event of a National or International request for assistance, the procedure is the same with liaison with the Embassy of the country, state Police or accident scene local authority.

Callout Procedure

  1. A member of Command receives and verifies the call.
  2. A decision is made as to what type of Callout is required,
    1. Quick Response
    2. Full Callout.
  3. All members of Command are notified and a Command ring back person is nominated. A member of Command will then contact either,
    1. The Quick Response Team

      Due to the urgency of an incident, a Quick Response Team of 4 highly skilled members and equipment may be required to be flown to a location. Command will make the flight arrangements and brief the team of 4.
    2. Authorise a full callout.

      The Vice-Captain on the region list (e.g.: Northern, Western, Southern or Sydney) is contacted by a Command member and is given full details. The Vice-Captain will then contact each member within their region and details of the incident will be passed on. When the details and response times of each member are known, the Vice-Captain will phone the Command Ring Back person with the arrival details of their team members. If the Vice-Captain is uncontactable, then the next member on the team list is contacted and so on.
  4. Region members at this stage will be informed of:
    1. Nature, type and details of incident,
    2. Location of incident,
    3. Squad meeting location, and
    4. Asked for their ETA to meeting location or incident scene.
  5. The Vice-Captain should then phone the Command Ring Back person with their region members availability and ETA.
  6. Once Command has this information, the Squads ETA and availability is radioed/phoned to the Command members who are already responding. This information will then be forwarded to the local rescue scene authority by the Commander.
  7. In the meantime, a nominated member will pick up the Squads Rescue Trailer or Specialised Equipment and should then respond to the incident.
  8. A member will also be nominated to remain by the phone as a contact for information.

Standing Down Mid Response

  1. In the event that CRS is Stood Down, the Commander or a nominated person will make provision to contact members en-route. This could mean contacting members by radio, mobile phone and/or a CRS member being stationed at a strategic point along the road.

Note: Members who are in care of Assault Packs or Rescue Equipment, are required to bring them to the rescue scene.

Response Dress Code

  1. It is a requirement of the VRA and Squad that members wear their Squad overalls for the initial contact and entry to the incident. This is for identification purposes only and the member can change into more suitable rescue dress when required.