Following the 2011 Queensland floods, thousand of motor vehicles had to be checked and marked accordingly. At the time many systems were used by different agencies. Some tied barrier tape around parts of the vehicles, some applied structure marking and some used paint to write "Clear" Or "OK" on the wrecks. The Rapid Clearance Marking system ensures that all agencies use a common system to clearly label each non-structure.

The decision to use the Rapid Clearance Marking system can be at the discretion of the USAR team or be a requirement set by the Local Emergency Management Authority (LEMA), On-site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) or USAR Coordination Cell (UCC).

RCM can only be used when sites can be fully searched quickly or there is strong evidence confirming no live rescues are possible.

RCM can also be applied to non-structural items such as cars, objects, outbuildings or debris piles that have been searched.

Marking should be applied in the most visible and logical position on the object or area to provide the greatest visual impact. It should be applied to structures that are able to be searched rapidly or where information confirms there are no live victims or only deceased remain.

Two RCM marking options are available. They are:

	Clear Equivalent to ASR Level 5 search completion - indicating that the area/structure is clear of all live and deceased casualties.
	Deceased Only Indicates same level of comprehensive search has been completed but only deceased casualties remain in-situ. Note: When deceased are removed, apply the "Clear" RCM adjacent to original mark.

Immediately below the diamond marking, the following should also be applied:
Team ID: _ _ _-_ _ e.g. AUS-2
Date of Search: _ _/ _ _ _ e.g. 24/FEB

Size: approximately 20cm x 20cm
Colour: bright, contrasting colour to background.
Material to be used: can be spray paint, builders crayon, stickers, waterproof card etc at the discretion of the teams