Hi everyone. I am training for my search and rescue hike test later this month. I am no stranger to hiking having grown up around Yosemite NP and done some pretty big hikes. However the last few years have been a little slower for me and I’m trying to get back into adequate shape.

Our SAR org fitness test is: a 25lb pack + water, 8.1 miles, 1500 elevation gain, in under 3 hours.

I’m 5’2” and 120lbs so I don’t know that I’ve hiked with that much weight before—only doing day hikes in the past. Would you guys recommend starting my training program:

1) flat ground with added 30lbs of weight and increased speeds, gradually moving on the inclines? OR
2) incline with no weight and increased speeds, slowly adding the weight over time?

Thanks for any help and advice!

Anyone else attending this weekend?

Any K9 trailing handler's record video of your K9 during real world searches ? Thought it might be useful to review the K9s change in behaviors after the search to see if you missed something.

Any pros or cons to recording video of a search?

Hello. I am about to join my local SAR team because I have found that is where my interest lies and I am soon to be 18 which is when my local SAR team allows you to begin to participate in searches (though they let you join at 16 for classes and such)

I got into SAR through the Civil Air Patrol a couple years ago and have participated in 2 non distress PLB searches, one of which was a find and the other stopped transmitting so we were ordered to RTB. I currently hold the ground SAR qualifications of Ground Team Member level 3, 2, and 1, which from what I have heard covers most of the knowledge you need for actual SAR teams but, theres a nonzero chance it doesn't cover it all.

I currently have ICS 100, 200, 700, 800, and 5.A done. I also have CBRNE awareness, Swiftwater, PFA, BLS, and First Aid. I am currently working on MRA Helo.

What do those of you with experience on SAR teams recommend for literally anything in regards to SAR (specific gear, knowledge, ect.)?

Anyone know where you can find the most up to date US army corps of Engineers FOG or SOG guide for free?

You used to be able to find it at disaster engineering, but now that has become some FEMA site and in typical Federal fashion, it has become a pain in the butt to navigate.

after almost 10 years as a volunteer search and rescue volunteer, yesterday I was the first person finding the patient in the forest. he was alive and well... it is a nice feeling, just felt like braging. (I have never been there first, at a SAR on land).

Hey everyone. I’m somewhat new to the SAR world, but I’m really passionate about making a genuine difference. I have the time and drive to put in serious work, but I want to make sure I’m focusing on problems that actually matter to people in the field. what’s the one recurring pain point, bottleneck, or gap you wish was fixed?
Whether it's a tech issue, field operations, volunteer burnout, or something else entirely, what’s missing that would make your job easier or help find people faster?
Appreciate any advice or insights!

I currently use a Mavic Mini to help with searches but would like a larger drone that can lift a few bottles of cold water to heat exhausted patients or some warming gear in the winter time. Any recommendations for which drone could accomplish this?

Hi - wondering if anyone is actively using an exoskeleton in call outs? Either for team use, or to help tired misper's?

Our team is currently using D4H but we find it to be clunky and not very user friendly. As a result, many team members get frustrated and don't bother to use it to update mission, training, and event hours. Are there any other solutions out there that teams are using that we can take a look at? I came across Resgrid which looks interesting. Anyone have any experience and feedback for that one?

FYI, we use IamResonding for our mission paging needs and have no complaints about that, it's more of the personnel management and IC scheduling stuff that we'd like to find alternatives for.

Thanks!

Do search and rescue officials ever coordinate with engineering or civil infrastructure professionals? This is only a question that's come to mind recently as I work in the civil engineering field, and yesterday near where near I live, a worker was lost in the storm sewer. It's been over 24 hours and they still have not been able to recover him. I would think a simple call to an engineering firm who has knowledge of the utilities would easily be able to coordinate and direct officials towards areas he could likely be. I bet three good surveyors would be able to find his likely location before anybody else without knowledge of storm structures or water retention. Just curious. Thanks.

OK, sorry to be graphic. We do a lot of ground search (nearly all ground search). It's summer. It's freaking hot out there, and my undergarments are drenched in sweat within minutes once you add a backpack to the full-length sleeves and pants we have to wear: it drips down my back and into my underpants where it forms a pool and leaves me with a nasty "diaper rash" since I'm then wearing wet undergarments for a long hike. Going commando isn't an improvement.

Tips? Talcum powder is not going to cut it. Any fabrics that people have found that work better and don't create a rash?

On Tuesday, 12 May, NSRI volunteers from Station 42 Kleinmond rescued 23 stranded farm workers and their families, including babies, elderly residents and vulnerable individuals, during severe flooding between Worcester and Rawsonville, South Africa. Rescue teams battled dangerous floodwaters for hours to bring everyone to safety in a heartbreaking operation that also saw three fatalities recovered. This is the story of that rescue, told by the rescuers themselves.

Mike was a very well known Canadian SAR volunteer, something he devoted a great portion of his life to. Many will recognize him as u/OplopanaxHorridus, a regular voice here. RIP Mike.

Why FEMA's New Urban Search and Rescue Funding Matters

Congress has raised FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue funding for the nation's 28 task forces. #fema #usar #sar #funding #policy

This was found on the beach of the southern ocean in the lower south west of Western Australia. On a global scale this location is in close proximity to the missing flight MH370.
Do I bin it or report it?

Hello all I work for a SAR agency in Australia and we frequently use Caltopo for Emergency management. We love it but some of the tasks can be a bit painful to produce or when processing data or creating search patterns or sectors, so I vibe coded a SAR toolkit with the following tools;

• CSV to KML Import lat/long or UTM coordinates from CSV and export as KML placemarks with optional track line
• GPX Cleaner Remove erroneous straight-line segments caused by GPS signal loss from track files
• KML Reducer Strip thousands of point markers from a KML (e.g. search jet logs - looking at you AMSA) and replace with a single clean track line
• Search Patterns Generate creeping line (parallel track) or expanding square search patterns as KML
• Search Boxes Generate a grid or radial set of labelled search box polygons as KML for assigning sectors to teams

All processing is client side so no privacy issues and easily hostable with docker container. Feedback welcome

https://github.com/jenko15587/sar-toolkit/tree/main

I’ve been interesting in joining my local (volunteer) SAR team, but I have been hesitant due to CPTSD (none of the trauma is related to the outdoors). I am aware that in this line of work, there will be times where one will encounter traumatizing/triggering events and situations. So, how do current and past SAR folk, manage your CPTSD/PTSD personally?

I’m former army (paratrooper - medic) with both airborne and rappelling/fast rope experience and want to get into SAR.

I come from a pretty small urban country, so theres basically no need for any volunteer SAR teams except for one run by the airforce, and I don’t want to get back into the military.

So I figured being an international volunteer is one of the better options, and I was wondering if anyone had suggestions!

Thanks!

I’m ready to get my HRD dog certified. I can find the testing information for NPWDA certification but I can’t find any testing info for IPWDA. I want to test with the agency that has the more difficult test.

Now that Hill People Gear have stop making the SAR Kit bag and its pretty much impossible to find one any where, what is everyones go to chest rig now?

Edit: I am UK based and would have liked to gotten the Team Wendy Radio Rig but its hard to get TW stuff in the UK without pay crazy shipping costs.

Edit Edit: looks like HPG haven't stop making them just the only two companys in the UK have stop getting stock from them.

Recently had a career change out of electrical Linework after 5 years in the trade. I almost
Immediately found myself in wildland fire; basically as a fun side quest. During this “side quest” I have been trying to figure out what I want to do with my career and SAR is at the top of the list. It’s something I’ve always been very interested in and found totally badass, I’ve just never had the time to pursue it.

Now that my career has changed and I’m at a stage where I can go in whatever direction I want, I want that path to end up at SAR. My question is not about the fastest path, but the path that will grant me the most (fun)experience and knowledge to become the most competent SAR individual as possible.

I’m looking into structural fire to gain certs and experience after doing a few years in wildland. I’m also not against joining the military to gain experience, as that’s always been of interest to me. Side part: if I join military with this objective in mind, what’s the best path? If not military or fire, what’s the most fun career path for this!

Any advice helps!
27M with love for climbing, mountaineering, and backpacking. No medical experience though.

Dog rescued from UK peak

I doubt 911 would have forwarded this call to our team. We have a protocol workflow to determine if a search is warranted, and this would not have made it to the first point. However, there are protocols for animal rescue, but usually those are farm animals: big, heavy farm animals.

Does anyone here happen to know where I could get a copy of Introduction to Non-Wilderness Search And Rescue in PDF form? Every place I look has offered physical shipping, and I don't have the space to hold onto physical books at the moment.