Field Operations · Controlled Procedure

VC-SOP-0501 — Off-Site Specimen Recovery & FSR Authorship

The governing procedure for every off-site specimen recovery dispatch and the mandatory Field Service Report (FSR) authored afterward — covering dispatch authorization, crew sizing, the two-person rule for GCL-3+, field quiescence of hazardous specimens, sealed transport, fragment and dispersal control, and FSR completion and sign-off.

SOP ID: VC-SOP-0501 Rev: D Effective: 2090-09-12 Next Review: 2092-09-12 Owner: Dispatch Lead Approver: Dr. P. L. Isley, CBO Class: Field Operations

Every recovery ends in an FSR. A recovery dispatch is not complete — and the crew is not released — until a signed Field Service Report is filed citing this SOP as its governing procedure. No specimen leaves a recovery site uncounted, unsealed, or unquiesced. The two-person rule is absolute for GCL-3 and above: no lone handler, ever. A fragment left behind is a breach in waiting.

1. Purpose

To define the controlled end-to-end procedure for recovering botanical specimens from off-site locations — client premises, field sites, or incident scenes — and returning them to the Sector-7 facility under custody, with hazardous specimens quiesced and sealed, every fragment accounted for, and a complete Field Service Report authored and signed. This SOP is the governing reference cited by all Field Service Reports produced across the site.

2. Scope

Applies to all off-site recovery dispatches and the crews who execute them. Receipt of recovered specimens at the dock is governed by VC-SOP-0205; the custody record by VC-SOP-0610; GCL-4 handling and Bio-Vault placement by VC-SOP-0204. Survey-only client visits that find no recoverable hazard run under VC-SOP-0512 and escalate here if a hazard is confirmed. Excludes internal specimen transfers, which stay under custody SOP alone.

3. Definitions

Term	Definition
Recovery Dispatch	An authorized off-site mission to retrieve one or more specimens and return them under custody.
Field Quiescence	On-site reduction of a hazardous specimen to a transport-safe metabolic/motility state (chilled, sedated, or root-bound) before sealing.
Sealed Transport	A grade-rated, tamper-evident transport vessel under negative pressure for GCL-3+ specimens.
Fragment/Dispersal Control	The accounting and containment of propagules, cuttings, seed, sap, and debris so nothing viable remains on site.
Two-Person Rule	Mandatory dual-handler operation for any GCL-3+ specimen; neither handler works the specimen alone.
Field Service Report (FSR)	The mandatory post-recovery record of the dispatch, governed by this SOP and retained 10 years.

4. Responsibilities

Role	Responsibility
Dispatch Lead (Owner)	Authorizes the dispatch; sizes the crew by GCL; assigns the two-person handlers; countersigns the FSR; owns this SOP.
Recovery Crew Chief	Leads on-site execution; orders field quiescence; confirms fragment control; authors the FSR.
Specimen Handlers (≥2 for GCL-3+)	Execute quiescence, extraction, and sealing under the two-person rule.
Custody Officer	Opens and maintains the chain-of-custody manifest (VC-SOP-0610) from first contact.
CHLORA	Issues the dispatch ticket; tracks crew and vessel telemetry; logs each custody hand-off; pre-populates and timestamps the FSR shell.

5. Equipment & Pre-Checks

Grade-rated sealed transport vessels, negative-pressure capable for GCL-3+ (leak-tested ≤ 24 h)
Field quiescence kit: thermal chiller, sanctioned phyto-sedative, root-bind restraints
PPE matched to the highest declared GCL on the ticket (per VC-SOP-0301)
Fragment-control kit: capture trays, propagule swabs, sap absorbent, UV scan lamp
Chain-of-custody manifest opened in CHLORA before departure (VC-SOP-0610)
Crew telemetry beacons paired to the dispatch ticket on the MDF backbone

6. Crew Size & PPE by Containment Grade

Declared GCL	Min Crew	Handler Rule	PPE Level	Transport / Quiescence
GCL-1	2 (chief + 1)	Single handler permitted	Level-D	Sealed crate; quiescence optional
GCL-2	2	Single handler permitted	Level-C	Tamper-sealed vessel; chill recommended
GCL-3	3 (chief + 2 handlers)	Two-person rule enforced	Level-B	Negative-pressure vessel; quiescence required
GCL-4	4 (chief + 2 handlers + custody)	Two-person rule + remote watch	Level-A	Bio-Vault transport per VC-SOP-0204; full quiescence + Venus Sentinel restraint

7. Procedure

7.1 Dispatch Authorization & Crew Sizing

The Dispatch Lead reviews the request, assigns a provisional GCL (defaulting up), and sizes the crew and PPE per Section 6.
For any provisional GCL-3+, the two-person handler pair is named on the ticket before departure; GCL-4 requires CBO notice.
CHLORA issues the dispatch ticket, opens the FSR shell, and pairs crew telemetry beacons.

7.2 On-Site Assessment & Custody Open

The Crew Chief surveys the specimen, confirms or upgrades the GCL, and the Custody Officer opens the chain-of-custody manifest (VC-SOP-0610) at first contact.
If the on-site GCL exceeds the dispatched crew's rating, work halts and the Dispatch Lead re-resources before any handling.
Photograph the specimen in situ; record location, host substrate, and visible propagule load.

7.3 Field Quiescence (GCL-3+)

Under the two-person rule, handlers reduce the specimen to transport-safe state — thermal chill to target, sanctioned sedation, or root-bind restraint — confirming motility and VOC drop before contact.
GCL-4 specimens are additionally restrained with Venus Sentinel rigging and worked only under remote watch.
Quiescence state is verified and recorded before the specimen is moved.

7.4 Sealed Transport & Fragment Control

Place the quiesced specimen into the grade-rated vessel; seal and tamper-tag; negative-pressure-confirm for GCL-3+.
Run fragment/dispersal control: capture all cuttings, seed, sap, and debris; UV-scan the work area; the site is not cleared until the scan is clean.
Log every viable fragment to the same custody manifest; nothing recoverable is left on site.

7.5 Return, Hand-Off & Intake

Transport under continuous custody and telemetry to the Sector-7 receiving dock.
Hand off the sealed vessel and manifest to Intake under VC-SOP-0205; GCL-4 routes directly to Bio-Vault placement (VC-SOP-0204).
CHLORA records the custody hand-off and closes the transport leg.

7.6 FSR Authorship & Sign-Off

The Crew Chief completes the Field Service Report within 24 hours of return, citing this SOP as the governing procedure.
The FSR records: dispatch ticket, on-site GCL, crew and two-person assignments, quiescence method and verification, fragment-control scan result, custody manifest reference, and any deviation.
The Dispatch Lead countersigns; the crew is released only on a signed FSR. The completed FSR is retained 10 years.

7.7 Quality Checkpoints

Provisional GCL defaulted up; crew and PPE sized to the on-site grade
Two-person rule evidenced for every GCL-3+ handling step
Quiescence verified and recorded before any specimen movement
Fragment-control UV scan clean before site clearance
Continuous custody from first contact through dock hand-off
FSR filed within 24 h, citing this SOP, countersigned by Dispatch Lead

8. Records

Field Service Report — governing SOP cited as VC-SOP-0501 (retained 10 years)
Dispatch ticket and crew/PPE assignment
Chain-of-custody manifest (cross-filed to VC-SOP-0610)
Quiescence verification and fragment-control scan record
CHLORA crew/vessel telemetry and custody hand-off log

9. References

VC-SOP-0204 — GCL-4 Containment & Handling
VC-SOP-0205 — Specimen Intake & Quarantine
VC-SOP-0610 — Specimen Transfer & Chain-of-Custody
VC-SOP-0301 — PPE Selection Matrix
VC-SOP-0512 — Client Site Survey & Remediation Conduct
Monitoring Systems · Operational Metrics

10. Revision History

Rev	Date	Author	Summary
A	2087-03-09	Dispatch Lead	Initial issue; dispatch authorization and sealed transport.
B	2088-08-25	Dispatch Lead	Two-person rule for GCL-3+ and field quiescence added.
C	2089-11-02	Dispatch Lead	Fragment/dispersal control and UV-scan site clearance formalized.
D	2090-09-12	Dispatch Lead	FSR authorship made mandatory and time-boxed; this SOP set as the governing FSR reference. CBO approval.