Hidden Earth 2024

An Electronic Cave Rescue Incident Management System

30 minute Lecture|Keith Edwards And Paul Taylor

Abstract

Traditionally cave rescues have been managed using a T card board along with a hand written incident log.
This system has stood the test of time. So why change anything?
The aims behind the development of an electronic system were:
* To provide more information on the T card board to aid decision making, such as the time that the incident as been running, deployment times for individuals and the length of time that each team has been deployed.
* Secondly, to integrate the T card Board and Incident Log so that deployment decisions taken on the T Card Board are automatically recorded in the Incident Log.
* And finally to create a system that is simple and quick to operate.

The system has 4 main components:
* A T Card Board.
* A screen for managing resources, that is personnel and equipment.
* A complete incident Personnel Deployment Record.
* And an Incident Log.

Throughout a rescue the system maintains a status panel showing the number of people, Checked-in, Available, Deployed, Resting and Stood Down
CRIMS is currently being used by Gloucestershire Cave Rescue Group. Paul Taylor describes the team’s use of the system as a game-changer.
My grateful thanks go to Paul Taylor and his team for being critical friends. Their feedback has been appreciated and has led to many significant improvements and enhancements.
The system is freely available to all rescue teams.