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Wiki source code of ASR levels

Version 1.1 by Mark Rinse van Koningsveld on 2025/09/01 07:56
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Mark Rinse van Koningsveld 1.1 1 are often categorized into **five sequential levels** known as **Assessment, Search and Rescue (ASR) levels.** These levels, defined by INSARAG, represent the phases of a large-scale response from initial assessment to final recovery. Understanding ASR levels helps clarify **which teams do what at each stage**:
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3 1. **ASR1 – Wide Area Assessment:** A preliminary survey of the affected region to gauge overall impact and priority areas. In the first hours after a disaster, local responders, LEMA, or UNDAC teams rapidly gather information on where destruction is worst. They map out sectors, consider Base of Operations (BoO) locations, and identify needs. //Teams~:// Primarily local authorities and any early-arriving USAR units. Outcome is a rough sectorization and action plan for incoming teams.
4 1. **ASR2 – Sector Assessment:** A fast, methodical assessment within an assigned sector to identify specific worksites likely to contain survivors. Each USAR team (or group of teams) fans out in its sector, conducting quick triage of collapsed buildings (e.g. checking signs of life, structural conditions). They decide which sites have viable voids or live victims and thus merit immediate rescue operations. //Teams~:// USAR teams (Light/Medium/Heavy) covering sectors given by command.
5 1. **ASR3 – Primary Search and Rescue:** Rapid search and rescue operations at a worksite to maximize lifesaving in the early stages. Teams concentrate on known or likely survivor locations, performing quick penetrations to rescue easily reachable victims. The goal is to save as many lives as possible before focusing on thorough debris removal. //Teams~:// USAR teams assigned to the specific site (often those who found the survivors during ASR2). They may move on after retrieving accessible victims.
6 1. **ASR4 – Secondary Search and Rescue:** A thorough, exhaustive search of all survivable voids in a worksite, involving the full range of USAR capabilities. Teams undertake intensive operations (breaking concrete, bracing structures) to reach any remaining survivors trapped deep in rubble. This phase is slower and resource-intensive, often focused on one complex site at a time. //Teams~:// Typically Heavy USAR teams or sustained operations by rotating USAR teams, as this requires significant personnel and equipment.
7 1. **ASR5 – Full Coverage Search and Recovery:** Complete clearance of the site to ensure no victims (alive or deceased) are left. This final phase may involve removing all debris or checking every room in partially damaged structures. At this stage, the operation transitions to recovery of bodies and documentation of the scene once it’s confirmed no one alive remains. //Teams~:// Often carried out by local authorities (LEMA) once international teams have done what they can. Some USAR teams assist at the end of the rescue phase, especially if specialized equipment is needed for debris removal.
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9 These levels provide a **framework for organizing a response**, but in reality they may overlap or iterate. For instance, some ASR2 sector assessments continue while other teams have already begun ASR3 rescues in a priority site. Moreover, smaller domestic incidents might skip straight to focused search and rescue (ASR3/4) at the only site, whereas large disasters see multiple teams concurrently in different ASR levels.
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11 //Implications for System Design~:// The SYNERGISE system should be adaptable to each phase of operation. For example, in **ASR1/2**, the emphasis is on rapid data gathering and sharing: drones, mapping tools, and damage assessment apps can help create a common operational picture. In **ASR3/4**, the system should support detailed on-site coordination, victim detection technologies, and tracking of rescuer status in complex rubble environments. By **ASR5**, the platform might assist in documentation (e.g. mapping cleared areas, logging recovered victims). Ensuring continuity of information across levels is key – data from early assessments should feed into later search planning. The system must also accommodate the changing roster of **Stakeholders**: local responders play a bigger role in ASR1/5, while international USAR teams are crucial in ASR2-4. Our **Use Cases** reflect these phases (e.g. wide-area assessment vs. detailed indoor search) to guarantee the technology aligns with operational realities at each stage.