In an urban area contaminated by IEDs, NTS should also gather evidence on:
• Secondary or non-explosive hazards such as issues in structural integrity;
• Obstacles to clearance requiring specific resources;
• Potential CP locations and access routes;
• Physical features in the urban terrain to be used to delineate large sites and form smaller zones.
PRODUCTION OF AN OPERATIONAL THREAT ASSESSMENT
Chapter 1 provides detailed guidance on the completion of IMAS 07.14 Risk Management in Mine Action, Annex C threat assessments.
In the context of IED search, an operational threat assessment consists of information gathered on an armed group(s): intent, capability of and opportunities in the use of IEDs and other explosive weapons inside a defined area. Annexes C2 and C3 provide examples of an operational threat assessment in the context of search operations.
CLEARANCE PLAN
The following guidance highlights sections of the clearance plan form that may require more description on what and how information should be recorded. Not all sections are covered as many require only basic information. It is useful to have the Clearance Plan annex (C4) in view when reading this section. A clearance plan should always be developed and recorded for an IED search operation. It will provide transparency and auditability in decision-making and enable post release evaluation. The level of detail and authorisation processes required will depend on NMAS and the MA organisation’s SOPs. Where possible the content of a clearance plan should be kept to the minimum acceptable level of detail to reduce any unnecessary burden. This can be facilitated by using templates, referencing SOPs, NMAS or other suitable documents rather than writing information out in full.
The following section covers many of the considerations and information requirements for a clearance plan document, following the model in Annex C4 - Clearance Plan Form.
SECTION 2A – LOCATION DETAILS
It should be the NMAA’s decision on spatial location systems that must be followed but, where possible, official gazette information should be used when entering information into this section.
When stating the total m², it may be the case that there are buildings with multiple floors which are not easily represented with a two-dimensional image. Multiple floors or significant elevation affecting the total m² should be stated either in this section or in 2b, where the identification of these may be easier to convey visually.
SECTION 2B – MAPPING
Mapping may consist of multiple images, especially where pertinent information may be better presented through aerial imagery. When a task consists of a large area that incorporates multiple different sub-areas such as hard / soft open areas, buildings, vegetation and water features, consideration should be made for treating these as separate annexes in the plan. If there are restrictions that will prevent or hinder the full clearance of the site, these should also be recorded visually on any mapping for the task and the GPS coordinates recorded. Potential CP locations should also be recorded on any mapping.
SECTION 3 – REFERENCES AND ANNEXES
References are the key documents and sources used to support the previous sections. This may include the tasking document or extra diagrams / images / mapping to support the previous sections.
Search planning and execution
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