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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
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I am interested in
becoming involved in a Search and Rescue Team. What do I need to
do to get started? |
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Congratulations, the
desire to help is the first step in becoming involved in SAR.
We suggest that you take a class that is offered by The National
Association of Search and Rescue called Introduction to Search and Rescue
(ISAR). You will find the class information on the NASAR site on
our links page. You can also look at the SAR teams in your
area and find out what is required to join a team. |
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How do I request search
and rescue if a family member or friend is lost? |
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Call 911 and file a
missing person report. The appropriate authorities will then simply
call Central Dispatch; search and rescue will then be paged out. |
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How do you
start a search and rescue mission? |
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When we are called in by the local
authorities, usually the Police Department we begin by gathering as much
information as we can about the missing person by using an extensive
questionnaire. We ask questions about the appearance, clothing,
habits, age etc. and begin to put together clues before the first person
begins the search. We then begin the search from the point the person was
last seen.
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What types of resources
are available to you? |
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Because
we are called by local authorities to manage a search we will begin by
using the resources of the local police and fire departments (both
equipment and personnel) in addition to the staff and resources we bring
ourselves. Our base is usually at the point the person was last
seen and from there we will direct the search. We will use as many
resources as possible such as County and State Police, K-9 dog teams,
aircraft, local radio/TV, and citizens. During an ongoing operation
we may have 100-150 people involved in our search so accommodations must
be made to feed, shelter and rehab the rescuers. For this we will
also utilize the resources of the Red Cross, EMS units and local civic
units. Search and Rescue teams can and will be called in from
Pennsylvania and New York.
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How do Search Dogs Work? |
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Search and rescue
dogs use human scent as the primary means of finding their subjects. They
also use their hearing, and vision, especially night vision. These
senses, which are far superior to a human's, thus making a trained, dog
an extremely valuable member of the SAR community. A dog can cover
a lot more ground in a lot less time than its human counterparts.
Dogs can get through terrain such as dense brush, rocky areas, high grass
and at night where it is difficult for humans to negotiate such places.
More |
