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IEC/R Exercise (FIELDEX)

The EXCON is required to design and develop a field exercise that will provide the platform for the evaluation and classification. There are several key elements to consider in the development of the FIELDEX:

  • During the FIELDEX, the USAR team will deploy in the role of the first arriving USAR team
  • The IEC/R classifier cadre will need to observe the USAR team’s performance during a constantly evolving minimum 36-hour IEC/R exercise. The IEC/R exercise is to be conducted as follows:
  • The first 6 hours are used for the response capability evaluation which includes:
    • Alert and Activation - all alert and activation processes should be demonstrated during the exercise. A PowerPoint presentation or the like is not accepted to replace this demonstration.
    • Recall of the USAR team
    • Pre-deployment medical screening
    • Pre-deployment logistics check
    • Pre-deployment personal equipment issue
    • Pre-deployment briefings
    • Departure customs and immigration
    • Getting to the point that the USAR team is ready to “board the aircraft.” In some cases, USAR teams have used training grounds in neighbouring countries or jurisdictions that require considerable driving time. It is important to note that this period is not a part of the FIELDEX, so in essence “the clock stops.” The clock restarts when the USAR team arrives at its simulated border crossing point, where the USAR team has one hour to complete border-crossing activities. No matter the time of this travel, the USAR team is required to immediately continue the exercise without a technical break.

The remaining minimum 30 hours are used for the operational capacity evaluation which includes:

  • Immigration and handling at Point of Entry
  • Meeting with airport authorities to establish RDC
  • Establishment and operation of the RDC. The RDC will be operational for minimally two hours:
    • Use the VOSOCC and ICMS, to give location of the RDC
    • Establish communications with the LEMA (light and medium teams would not be expected to establish the RDC and UCC simultaneously).
    • Receive unregistered incoming teams and give first situation update
  • Meeting with LEMA to receive a situation update, what should include UCC and BoO locations and further tasking
  • Establish UCC according to USAR Coordination Handbook and run it throughout the FIELDEX (light and medium teams would not be expected to establish the RDC and UCC simultaneously):
    • Use the VOSOCC and ICMS, to publish location of the UCC
    • Meet with LEMA to acquire local objectives
    • Establish communications with the RDC
    • Perform analysis of incoming international USAR teams classification/capacity for assignment to meet LEMA objectives
    • Conduct at least two USAR team coordination meetings
    • Conduct two meetings with LEMA
  • Establish BoO and start team management:
    • USAR team management actions
    • Action plans (to be developed over the exercise period)
    • Safety plan (to be developed over the exercise period)
    • Resupply plan (to be developed over the exercise period)
    • Transportation plan (to be developed over the exercise period)
    • Assembly point
    • Evacuation procedures
    • Demobilisation planning processes and developing a demobilisation plan
  • Start USAR operation:
    • Conduct ASR operations
    • Work sites must be separated by distance, requiring separate logistics and staffing
    • For light team IEC/R, a stand-down period will be injected at the end of the first work period that lasts 12-16 hours. It will then recommence operations for the second work period.
  • The technical phase of the exercise is required to be conducted at a venue that provides realistic props commensurate with the level of classification being sought.
  • The technical scenarios should resemble real-life situations likely to be encountered during actual emergencies.
  • The degree of technical complexity must be commensurable with the level of classification being sought.
  • The technical scenarios must enable the USAR team to apply all the technical skills required by the IEC/R checklist.
  • If the USAR team is undertaking a heavy classification, the EXCON needs to ensure there are two separate worksites with props commensurable with the technical requirements. Separate worksites are defined as any worksite that requires separate logistical support.
  • The EXCON is required to introduce “injects” that enable the USAR team to implement its redundancy plan for personnel (crew rotations) and equipment
  • To ensure self-sufficiency, the EXCON is required to ensure the USAR team is restricted to the equipment cache with which they would deploy internationally. During the IEC/R exercise, no equipment from external sources may be utilised except for a crane to demonstrate proper rigging and heavy-lifting capability.
  • The EXCON team should instruct role players to speak English, when possible, so that the interaction between the USAR team and the role players can be properly evaluated by the IEC/R classifier cadre; if this is difficult, the USAR team is required to supply translators to the IEC/R classifier cadre. English is required to be used at the RDC, UCC and when interacting with LEMA.

The exercise should be designed making use of constantly evolving realistic structural collapse scenarios and is not to be an exercise that demonstrates individual technical skills (staging the exercise using prefixed skill-performance stations). The simulated disaster exercise is required to encompass all the key stages of international disaster response.

For the FIELDEX it is most likely that the USAR team will deploy to the venue by road. The IEC/R classifier cadre will still assess the air transport plan, as presented in the C-PoE, if this is the means of transport used for international deployment. A demonstration of road transportation at the IEC/R exercise will not be accepted.

Note: As part of the preparatory process, discussions around the scenario and expected USAR operations, including the type of challenges of the IEC/R exercise site, must be discussed at an early stage between the mentor, the EXCON, IEC/R classifier team leader and the INSARAG Team Focal Point. This will allow time for modifications and ensure that the team will be well challenged to meet the requirements of the IEC/R process and the possibility to exceed them.

Alert and Mobilisation​

This includes application of the VOSOCC:

  • Notification of a breaking emergency
  • Monitoring of situation
  • Ability to place the USAR team on standby
  • Request for international assistance
  • Approval for international deployment
  • Activation of USAR team

Activation: this includes, but is not limited to:

  • Arrival of the team members at designated Point of Assembly
  • Pre-deployment medical screening of personnel and dogs:
    • Pre-deployment briefing
    • Pre-deployment logistics check
    • Equipment loading
  • Arrival of the USAR team at the designated Point of Departure:
    • Departure customs
    • Loading requirements for aircraft including Shippers’ Declaration of Dangerous Goods
    • Departure immigration

Arrival in the Affected Country​

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Arrival in the affected country:
    • Arrival immigration
    • Arrival customs
    • Meeting with airport authorities
    • Establishing and operating the RDC and later the UCC
    • Meeting with LEMA
    • Set up of the BoO

Note: One of the key elements the IEC/R classifiers will measure is the USAR team’s ability to communicate between the BoO and the worksites, and how it coordinates equipment staging between the BoO and the worksites. Therefore, for the FIELDEX, the BoO should be established in a location that is not within walking distance of the worksites. As the BoO is an essential part of the operation it cannot be pre-greened.

  • USAR teams should also consider the size of their BoO footprint in anticipation of other arriving USAR teams.

USAR Operations​

This includes activities clearly identified on the IEC/R checklist, including, but not limited to:

Demobilisation​

This includes but is not limited to:

  • LEMA declares end of rescue phase
  • Production of handover documentation
  • Demobilisation including the planning process and development of a demobilisation plan