Abstract
Background: Search and rescue (SAR) is recognised as a potentially dangerous undertaking because rescue workers are commonly called upon to operate in austere, hazardous environments to locate, access, and extricate victims. The physically demanding nature of rescue workplaces rescuers at risk for occupational injuries and illnesses. Rescue workers who are not physically prepared are more likely to be injured, develop overuse injuries, and burden their employers with unnecessary costs.
Improving the physical preparedness of SAR workers has the potential to lessen injury rates, reduce the severity of injuries, and improve the return-to-work rate. Moreover, operational staff from SAR services/organisations should be required to achieve, maintain, and demonstrate a level of general health and physical preparedness that allows them to carry out their duties safely and effectively. As there was little literature on the physical preparedness practices of SAR services operating in South Africa, the researcher conducted the study described in this dissertation.
Aim: The research aim was to investigate and describe the physical preparedness practices of SAR services in Gauteng, South Africa.
Design and Methodology: A prospective, sequential, exploratory, descriptive, and mixed-methods design was followed to conduct the study on the physical preparedness practices of SAR services in Gauteng. Ten SAR services were identified for the study, although only 9 agreed to participate.
Before the empirical research, a literature review was conducted. This was followed by the administration of a questionnaire to the selected participants. The questionnaire results informed the one-on-one interviews with a sample of purposefully-selected key informants. The quantitative and qualitative datasets were analysed, and the results and findings were interpreted in the context of the study and the available literature.
Results: There was general agreement that being physically prepared and fit is important for operational staff involved in rescue operations; this includes the ability to swim. However, little or no evidence emerged of policies or practices informing structured physical fitness training programmes and/or assessments of physical
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fitness in the participating services/organisations. Moreover, the practices that were identified differed significantly in the services, stations, and bases under study.
Conclusion: Being physically fit, healthy, and well-prepared is important for rescue workers to perform adequately in the operational environment. However, the absence of standardised approaches to physical fitness training and regular assessments of physical fitness in rescue agencies does not align with international best practices. It is recommended that rescue services operating in Gauteng revisit their policies and standard operating procedures on physical preparedness to standardise their practices.
Keywords: Search and rescue services; physical preparedness; policy and practice; Gauteng.