Release 2. Changes have been made to:

• PC's 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1 and 2.4 reworded
• Element 2 minor change
• Performance Evidence minor changes
• Knowledge Evidence minor changes
• Assessment Conditions updated

Release 1. This unit was released in POL Police Training Package release 1.0 and meets the Standards for Training Packages.

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to gather and assess information to inform a search and rescue (SAR) operation, including communicating with stakeholders and conducting appreciations. These skills would be applied when receiving a request to commence SAR operations.

This unit applies to those working as police officers involved in police SAR and incident management operations.

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 information management.

Those undertaking this unit would work autonomously and within teams while remaining responsible for reporting to senior staff. They would perform a range of complex tasks and demonstrate adaptability across a broad range of contexts, either in the field or within police station/office environments.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to unit at the time of publication.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

ELEMENTS 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1 

Gather information 

1.1 

Assess and collate information and intelligence about the incident

1.2 

Identify points of contact from which to gather additional information

1.3 

Evaluate whether situation is a SAR incident to determine response

1.4 

Disseminate information about SAR operation to stakeholders

2 

Assess SAR incident 

2.1 

Determine roles and responsibilities based on the assessment of the incident

2.2 

Conduct appreciation of SAR incident to identify courses of action

2.3 

Conduct urgency assessment to determine level of response

2.4 

Communicate responsibilities to SAR members for coordination and control of SAR operation

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

Non-essential conditions may be found in the POL Police Training Package Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

No equivalent unit.

Release 2. Changes have been made to:

• PC's 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 2.1 and 2.4 reworded
• Element 2 minor change
• Performance Evidence minor changes
• Knowledge Evidence minor changes
• Assessment Conditions updated

Release 1. This unit was released in POL Police Training Package release 1.0 and meets the Standards for Training Packages.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria on at least one occasion and include:

• gathering and evaluating information relating to potential search and rescue (SAR) operation
• assessing SAR incident
• undertaking risk and urgency assessments
• determining SAR requirements
• communicating with stakeholders.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements and performance criteria and include knowledge of:

• Commonwealth, national, state and territory legislation and arrangements relating to SAR
• national manual relating to SAR
• jurisdictional policies and procedures relating to SAR
• jurisdictional SAR systems
• roles and responsibilities for responding to SAR incidents
• SAR terminology
• SAR emergency stages
• common characteristics of SAR incidents
• distress and emergency signals
• process for conducting urgency assessments
• information collection and dissemination techniques
• jurisdictional information management systems
• jurisdictional information sources
• resources to facilitate SAR responses.

Assessors must hold credentials specified within the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment must satisfy the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence and all regulatory requirements included within the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Assessment must occur in workplace operational situations. Where this is not appropriate, such as in situations that can affect safety or occur only rarely, assessment can occur in simulated workplace operational situations that reflect workplace conditions.

Resources for assessment must include access to:

• a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or other simulations
• relevant and appropriate materials, tools, equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) currently used in industry
• applicable documentation, including workplace procedures, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals.