Safety, Fire & Survival · SAR — Expanding Square Search
An expanding square search pattern is most appropriate when:
- ASeveral ships must search a long track line together
- BThe position is very uncertain over a large area
- CThe casualty's position is known fairly accurately and the search area is small (e.g., a person overboard)✓ Correct
- DSearching only along a known route between two ports
Explanation
The expanding square (starting at datum and working outward in increasing legs) suits a small area with a well-defined datum, such as a recent MOB. Sector searches also suit small areas with a single unit; parallel track/creeping line searches cover large, less certain areas, often with multiple units.
Authority: IAMSAR Manual, search patterns
Practice the full Safety, Fire & Survival bank
Free spaced-repetition quizzing across 2190 USCG exam questions — it schedules your reviews so the ones you miss come back until they stick.
Related Safety, Fire & Survival questions
- Fire Theory
The three elements that must be present for a fire to burn (the fire triangle) are:
- Fire Theory
A fire involving flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil, or grease is what class of fire?
- Fire Theory
A fire in energized electrical equipment is class C. The first action that makes it safer to fight is to:
- Firefighting
Why is water the preferred agent for a Class A fire?
- Firefighting
A fixed CO2 flooding system extinguishes a fire in an engine room primarily by:
- Firefighting
Before releasing a fixed CO2 system into a machinery space, the operator must FIRST: