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SOG-410Special OperationsMixed

Technical Rescue

Rope, confined space, trench, and collapse — awareness and scope of capability.

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This is a template. It is not your department's policy.

Tailboard templates are drafted as generic starting points aligned to national standards. They are nota substitute for your department's own review or for adoption through your Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). For topics carrying significant exposure (use of force, medical scope, civil rights), route through qualified counsel before adoption.

Every placeholder marked [BRACKETED] must be completed before adoption. Every section must be reviewed against your department's staffing, apparatus, water supply, EMS scope, geography, and the specific laws of your state. What applies to a career department in a city may not apply to a volunteer department in a rural jurisdiction, and vice versa.

Standards, regulations, and best practices are updated regularly. Verify the current edition of every standard cited before adopting this document. Once adopted, this document becomes your department's responsibility — not Tailboard's.

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Number

SOG-410

Version

1.0

Last reviewed

2026-01-01

Next review

2027-01-01

Summary

This guideline defines [DEPARTMENT NAME]'s technical rescue capability: rope, confined space, trench, structural collapse, machinery, water/ice, and below-grade. Every member operates at the Awareness level; specific disciplines require Operations or Technician training. Calling for technician-level support early is the difference between a rescue and a body recovery.

Definitions

Awareness Level
NFPA 1670 — ability to recognize the incident, initiate protective actions, and call for resources.
Operations Level
NFPA 1670 — ability to respond to and support technical operations without direct entry into the rescue zone.
Technician Level
NFPA 1670 — ability to perform technical rescue including entry, victim packaging, and extrication.

Purpose

To ensure technical rescue incidents are managed safely, that all members operate within their training level, and that technician resources are summoned early.

Scope

Applies to rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue, structural collapse, machinery entanglement, water/ice rescue, and below-grade rescue at every incident requiring such response.

Department Capability

[DEPARTMENT NAME] is trained to the [AWARENESS / OPERATIONS / TECHNICIAN] level in the following disciplines: [LIST, WITH SPECIFICS]. Disciplines beyond our scope are referred to [REGIONAL TECH RESCUE TEAM].

Initial Actions (All Incidents)

  1. Establish Command and ensure Incident Command System is in place.
  2. Size up the incident: hazards, number of victims, victim location, structural stability.
  3. Isolate the area — hot, warm, cold zone.
  4. Conduct an initial rescue size-up: is this a rescue or a body recovery?
  5. Call for technician-level resources immediately when indicated.
  6. Establish a Safety Officer — required for all technical rescue operations.
  7. Prevent bystander rescue attempts. Secure the scene.

Confined Space Rescue

Confined spaces are governed by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146. A member does not enter a permit-required confined space to conduct rescue without:

  • Atmospheric monitoring of the space (oxygen, LEL, toxics).
  • Confined space attendant outside the space.
  • Communication with the entrant.
  • Rescue equipment in place: retrieval line, mechanical advantage system, tripod or similar.
  • SCBA or supplied-air respirator if the atmosphere is IDLH.
  • Entry rescue requires Technician-level training.

Trench Rescue

Trench rescue is almost always a Technician-level operation. Awareness-level actions:

  • Establish and evacuate an exclusion zone around the trench (typically 2× the depth of the trench).
  • Stop all vibration sources: nearby machinery, vehicle traffic, compressors.
  • Do not enter the trench or stand on the spoil pile.
  • Request Technician team immediately.
  • Maintain verbal contact with the victim if possible from a safe distance.

Structural Collapse

Collapse rescue is always Technician-level. Awareness actions:

  • Size up remaining structural stability before approaching.
  • Conduct void search from a safe vantage — look, listen, call out.
  • Request Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) or Technician team.
  • Mark and map void spaces.
  • Monitor structural movement; evacuate if further collapse threatens.

Rope Rescue (High-Angle and Low-Angle)

  • Departments trained to Operations level may conduct low-angle evacuations on reasonably stable ground.
  • High-angle rescue (cliff, tower, structure) requires Technician training.
  • Two-rope systems (main + belay) are standard.
  • All rope operations use life-safety rope meeting NFPA 1983.

Water and Ice Rescue

  • Reach, throw, row, go — in that order.
  • Do not enter moving water without Surface Water Rescue (SWR) training and PPE.
  • Ice rescue requires specialized PPE and training; without it, members do not enter.

Machinery Rescue

  • Identify and lock out energy sources before any extrication.
  • Stabilize the victim before manipulating the machine.
  • Technician-level assistance for complex extrications.

Responsibilities

Incident Commander

  • Execute initial size-up and isolation.
  • Assign a Safety Officer.
  • Request technician resources early.
  • Establish Unified Command when technician teams arrive.

All Members

  • Operate within your training level.
  • Isolate and deny entry.
  • Do not attempt entry rescue without proper training, equipment, and authorization.

Training Requirements

  • All members: Awareness-level training on every discipline the department may encounter.
  • Operations- or Technician-level training for members assigned to those roles.
  • Annual refresher per NFPA 1670 and OSHA requirements.
  • Joint training with regional teams to maintain interoperability.

References

  • NFPA 1670Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents
  • NFPA 1006Standard for Technical Rescuer Professional Qualifications
  • 29 CFR 1910.146OSHA Permit-Required Confined Spaces
  • 29 CFR 1926 Subpart POSHA Excavations
  • NFPA 1983Standard on Life Safety Rope and Equipment

Adapt this template

Before this template becomes your department's policy, review the following items and adjust accordingly. Anything else that does not match your operation should be updated as well.

  • State your department's training level by discipline.
  • Name your regional technician team and automatic/mutual aid arrangements.
  • If you have specific high-hazard occupancies in the district (grain silos, industrial confined spaces, major rivers), note them and any pre-incident planning done.
  • Cross-reference ICS, Accountability, and PPE SOGs.

Adoption signature

Adopted by (Name, Rank)
Signature
Effective date
Next scheduled review

Before adoption checklist

  • ☐Replace [DEPARTMENT NAME] throughout the document.
  • ☐Complete every [BRACKETED] placeholder.
  • ☐Confirm the current edition of every cited standard.
  • ☐Check against your state statutes and state fire marshal rules.
  • ☐Route for chief review. Topics with significant exposure (use of force, medical scope) also go through qualified counsel.
  • ☐Confirm alignment with any mutual-aid agreements.
  • ☐Schedule a training plan for the new policy before effective date.
  • ☐Announce adoption in writing to all members. Archive the prior version.
  • ☐Set the next review date — annually at minimum.