Introduction/Certification/Experience Thread

[Momrocks]

Member of CERT. Minor impact to my personal life but can be a very valuable for the community. We just were alerted for Fay and one week later we have Gustav breathing down our necks. Hurricane Ivan encouraged me to become active, Katrina cemented the decision as a good one. Never miss an opportunity to be a descent citizen.

[RVR2RSQ]

Hi all, new guy here.

I'm in Columbus OH, and am on a K9 team. We don't do alot of wilderness searches (a few in the last couple of years). Sadly we get alot of call outs to do recovery .

We have about 15-20 call outs a year.

Some of us get a SAR Tech cert, but mostly we certify through NAPWADA (North American Police Work Dog Association). We are all volunteers.

Brian

[Hltoppr]

Great to have a K-9 handler here!

I'm assuming yours is air scent, and cadaver?

-H-

[RVR2RSQ]

Hltoppr - He is cadaver and trailing, we do have a couple of air scent dogs on the team though.

Brian

[Tacomedic]

Hi all, my name is Matt, 25 yo, and I've been a member of this forum for a little while. I'm glad someone finally recognized that alot of us are into this! Anyways, as long as all of us are bragging....

National Registry EMT-Paramedic
National Ski Patrol Alpine Patroller
Wilderness EMT w/ ALS
North Carolina EMT-Paramedic
North Carolina Rescue Technician
North Carolina SWAT Medic
Former Corporal w/ the Davie County Sheriff's Office

Just moved out west and obtained my:
Colorado EMT-Paramedic

Looking for a good rescue organization here in the west!

[Hltoppr]

Good to hear you're one of the team Matt! Colorado should keep you busy! With the vast country up there, I don't think you'll have a hard time finding a team that'll need your talents and challenge you at the same time!

Cheers,

-H-

[RaginRabbi]

Since I can't find a New Members sub-forum I'd like to post my into here.
I was referred by mike, a fellow Frontier driver and member of the ClubFrontier forum, where I'm a newly minted Junior-Moderator. I spent 6 years as a Navy Nuke Electrician and am now an HVAC controls Engineer in the Seattle metro area.
I've been a Nissan Frontier 4x4 owner for a couple of years now and just a couple of months ago I joined up with the King County 4x4 Search and Rescue Unit, based in Seattle, WA. We are just one of a bunch of different units that make up KCSARA, (King County Search and Rescue Association) which also includes units like the Explorers, Seattle Mountain Rescue, Ski Patrol, Dog Teams, trackers and some others. I've only been out to one mission so far, but it was amazing to be standing there when the Sarge from the Sherrifs office was briefing the media that the two boys in the ice cave-in were alive and the rescue was in progress.
I'm signed up for a slate of classes for the SAR academy this fall and I'm looking forward to getting to know the other members of the unit.
I hope to learn a lot of cool things from this forum.

[Hltoppr]

Congrats on joining the new team. You'll find that the training and experience you get will far outweigh the time you put in!

Navy nuke, huh...good guys and gals in that program. I worked with a bunch of 'em as a Radiological Control Tech for Los Alamos National Lab when I graduated from college.

First rate rad techs!

-H-

[spunky2268]

Where it all began: 21 years ago as an EMT-Basic. 20 years as a paramedic. 4 years as a respiratory therapist. 16 years as a registered nurse. 4 years with local Emergency Managment Agency in various capacities; primarily as Mass Casualty Coordinator and mounted search and rescue team coordinator. 8 years as a Medical Specialist for a midwestern Urban Search and Rescue team.

Currently: Emergency Medical Services and Preparedness Coordinator, EMS Instructor, Medical Team Training Coordinator for said US&R team (they are somewhere between Mississippi and Georgia right now - I had obligations here). Provide technical consulting to local search and rescue assets (primarily US&R), but still provide training in land navigation for the mounted guys.

Related interests: EMS Outreach education; providing first aid, navigation and survival training to my motorsport club; spending time with my horse; learning lots to apply to the SAR side from Expedition Portal and Overland Journal.

[DarkHelmet]

Since I can't find a New Members sub-forum I'd like to post my into here.
I was referred by mike, a fellow Frontier driver and member of the ClubFrontier forum, where I'm a newly minted Junior-Moderator. I spent 6 years as a Navy Nuke Electrician and am now an HVAC controls Engineer in the Seattle metro area.
I've been a Nissan Frontier 4x4 owner for a couple of years now and just a couple of months ago I joined up with the King County 4x4 Search and Rescue Unit, based in Seattle, WA. We are just one of a bunch of different units that make up KCSARA, (King County Search and Rescue Association) which also includes units like the Explorers, Seattle Mountain Rescue, Ski Patrol, Dog Teams, trackers and some others. I've only been out to one mission so far, but it was amazing to be standing there when the Sarge from the Sherrifs office was briefing the media that the two boys in the ice cave-in were alive and the rescue was in progress.
I'm signed up for a slate of classes for the SAR academy this fall and I'm looking forward to getting to know the other members of the unit.
I hope to learn a lot of cool things from this forum.

My old team! I spent 13 years with King County ESAR and know a TON of 4x4 guys. Brian Harden is a good buddy of mine. He drives a gray/blue Jeep Cherokee.

Welcome to ExPo and SAR.

- DH