Unit of competency Outline

Date retreived
23/07/2026 7:01 AM AWST

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Undertake land search and rescue duties

Undertake land search and rescue duties

Unit of competency
National Code
POLSAR018
State Code
ODO02
TGA Status
Current
DTWD Status
Approved
Current Release Number
1.00
Current Release Date
21/09/2021
View on TGA
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
25/10/2021
Field of Education
080399 - Business And Management, N.e.c.
Original Release Date
25/10/2021
Nominal Hours
0
Description
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to prepare land search and rescue (SAR) responses, determine current location and destination of target, plan safe routes/courses, and plan land SAR operations.This unit applies to those working as police officers involved in police land SAR operations. It may be applied in the field and within an office environment.The skills and knowledge described in this unit must be applied within the legislative, regulatory and policy environment in which they are carried out. Organisational policies and procedures must be consulted and adhered to, particularly those related to work health and safety (WHS).Those undertaking this unit would work within multi-agency teams and often liaise with stakeholders, while completing complex tasks in a broad range of contexts. They would make decisions independently while giving consideration to financial and human resource management requirements.No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to unit at the time of publication.
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1 Prepare for land SAR response
  • 1.1 Identify a command and control structure to facilitate land SAR operations
  • 1.2 Conduct urgency assessment to determine level of response
  • 1.3 Assess requirements of the SAR incident to establish forward command post
  • 1.4 Facilitate flow of information to stakeholders to progress SAR operation
  • 1.5 Assess characteristics of target and environment to inform SAR operations
  • 1.6 Assess information obtained from jurisdictional information management systems to inform SAR operations
2 Determine current location, destination and resources
  • 2.1 Identify maps to source information
  • 2.2 Interpret information from maps to ensure accurate parameters of search area
  • 2.3 Analyse data to plot incident location
  • 2.4 Calculate incident distance and location from distinct features
  • 2.5 Plot probable and possible search areas to determine resource allocation and asset deployment
  • 2.6 Evaluate terrain to identify impacts on land SAR operations
  • 2.7 Identify safe routes and potential access restrictions to determine access to search area
  • 2.8 Identify specialist resources to facilitate land SAR operations
3 Provide navigational references to SAR operations teams
  • 3.1 Calculate grid references using magnetic bearings, and/or latitude and longitude and/or incident location details provided by callers
  • 3.2 Communicate navigational references to SAR operations team to inform search area
  • 3.3 Communicate navigational references to field personnel for use in portable navigation aids
  • 3.4 Communicate directional information to operations team on request
4 Perform land SAR response
  • 4.1 Determine size of search area to establish cordons
  • 4.2 Assess land search strategies to develop an accurate search area
  • 4.3 Select land search patterns in accordance with conditions and terrain
  • 4.4 Determine taskings for assets to facilitate land SAR operations
  • 4.5 Deploy portable navigation aids to search coordinator, where available, to provide timely information
  • 4.6 Analyse information from portable navigation aids to determine areas searched by teams
  • 4.7 Modify land search patterns using on scene intelligence
No information
No information
Replaces
State Code National Code Title Type
AVN19 POLSAR006 Undertake land search and rescue duties Unit of competency