USAR FOG Manual Edition 8.1

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Operations Guide (FOG) has been prepared to guide Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) personnel to perform Federal disaster response operations during major disasters or emergencies. The pocket guide details such items as structural collapse patterns, hazard identification and building monitoring, rapid assessment of buildings, building triage and marking systems, advance shoring and shoring calculations.

Urban Search and Rescue is a dangerous undertaking conducted in buildings that are fully or partially collapsed. Typically, these structures are multi-storied and contain heavy debris with a high potential for additional collapse. Only those trained as Structures Specialists can evaluate a damaged building in order to reduce the risks to rescue personnel and victims.

The National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response System provides for the coordination, development, and maintenance of the Federal effort with resources to locate, extricate, and provide immediate medical treatment to victims trapped in collapsed structures; and to conduct other life saving operations. The US&R Response System methods of operation, organization, capabilities, and procedures in mobilization, on-site operations, and demobilization are described in this document.

The Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) organizational module of the FOG is designed to provide an overview of the essential USAR functions at incidents where technical rescue expertise and equipment are required for safe and effective rescue operations. These incidents can be caused by a variety of natural events (i.e., earthquakes, floods, tornados, or hurricanes) that cause widespread damage to a variety of structures, mass transportation accidents with multiple victims, or single site events such as excavation collapse or confined space rescue operations involving only a few victims.

The DHS/FEMA US&R Field Operations Guide (FOG) has been developed to support response resources during training and on missions. The FOG is a compilation and summary of important strategic and tactical information, developed procedures, and reference material.