How does one get into SAR?

[Pat Caulfield]

Ditto Wildmed (probably because I am in Colorado also). For our team the process goes like this:

Read before reading (huh?): These are our teams, and my personal thoughts, yours may be very different.

-Show up at the monthly meetings.
-Attend and participate in monthly general team training.
-Attend and participate in specialized team training for disciplines you are interested in, e.g. alpine, avy, high angle, swiftwater, medical, tracking, etc. We are a small team (our bylaws limit us to 40 people, so generally folks tend to be on multiple teams).
-Assemble a 24 hour pack applicable to your team and area of operation. A Sartech II 24 hour pack is generally the starting point. Realize that you will need to carry team gear too; systems, ropes, litters, med packs, etc. so going big is not a bad idea, I use a vintage (well used) Gregory Shasta 80 liter, but have been thinking about going to a Denali for the capacity, especially in winter. My wife and I train with 20/30 lbs loads at 8600 agl, so that a bump to a 40-50 during a mission is doable. Ask around the team to figure out what the other team members are doing.
-Our team does physical assessments to make sure that what someone wants to do is in line with what they can do. Having a team member go down/go back is never good, as beyond reducing the team number, it splits the team( you don't go alone in the backcountry).
-After a period of time, if the applicant is showing the commitment, the applicant will be give an application package for the team, and the sheriff department background check (this can take some time). Even though we are a separate 501(c)(3) corporation we work as part of the SO, and the SO issues our ID cards.
-If the applicant clears the app process they are asked to interview with the team's board of directors and then they are voted on for membership.
-During this process applicants are not allowed on call-outs, because they have limited/no training, no 24 hour pack and are not covered by insurance.
-Once voted on the team, the now probational member is now available for call out. All training for the first year is internal to the team, e.g. CPR, first aid, avy search, etc. The team will not pay for any outside patch (shoulder) training (e.g. woofer, H/L angle, swift water, avy tech, etc.) until the member has been an active member of the team for at least one year (team has been burned on paying for external training then the member leaves, resigns, etc.)
-Our basic training requirements are for first aid/cpr and Sartech II. Our area covers high county (Sangre De Cristos), swiftwater (Royal Gorge/Arkansas River), and high arrid brush country (eastern half of the county). So specialization depends not only on what area you live in (rapid response), but also interest. Although I personally lean toward the alpine/avy/medical areas, I also train as a shore tech to support the swiftwater group. And like the Marines, everyone is a ground pounder.

A couple of things:
-Percentage of recoveries vs. happy ending is high. Although I haven't done the math it is probably in the 75/25 range. Be prepared.
-Call outs tend to be when people are in the backcountry, e.g. weekends, holiday's, etc. And to backup someone elses comments callouts tend to be on Sunday PMs, Mondays, etc. when folks are overdue.
-As far as medical training goes, do to the nature of a SAR mission, you are generally more then the one hour from definitive med care hand-off, that separates front country from back country medical training and protocols. I suggest looking for wilderness medical training programs, wfa, wfr, w-emt, etc. Generally more costly, but much more applicable.
-Backcountry evacs are people intensive. SAR teams are always looking for new people to fill out the team/bench.
-Part of SAR is also fund raising for gear, vehicles, maybe a shack/barn so be prepared, just like a mission these are "all checkers to the front" events.

The best pay you get is generally a good hand-off, of a live patient, to the ambulance/helio crew, or maybe a thank you from a family member because the team has returned a loved one.

My two cents, yours may differ and probably do.

Pat

[Fish]

Where in California?

All of the above posters have offered excellent information that jibes with my knowledge of SAR.

[Caoboy]

I'm located in the Central Valley, Stanislaus County, Modesto.

[Dennis David]

I'm a member of San Diego Sheriff's Search & Rescue. You need to contact SAR via their website and complete an application. From there you'll get an appointment for an interview. Assuming you pass the interview and background check including a type of lie detecter test you will go to orientation and be sworn in. You will get you DSW card in a month or two and are expected to go on all call-outs unless told otherwise,

Until you go through the Academy in January you’ll start out in the Communication Unit that runs the command post MC5, only after the academy can select a specialty or go on an actual search team into the backwoods. Without the academy you are not considered field qualified but you are still involved at the command post or during an urban search you could be tasked to go door to door or hop in a vehicle as a co-driver on a motorized team. All in all you want to join now to learn the ropes before the academy, which is 220 hours. Now is the perfect time to join. SD SAR covers a vast area to the Mexican border and out into the desert. You will be part of a large organization. Should you feel especially frisky you can continue and become a reserve officer who are actually armed. The Academy supplies the basic training and there is additional training each month. If you are serious this is a great organization and I am really proud to be a part of it. Remember this is the real deal and just because it is volunteer don't let that fool you that it's a walk in the park. The park is all of San Diego county in this case. Since most of our work is with the Sheriff rather than SDPD the bulk of our searches is in the East County. Expect callouts to occur on average once a week.

[billy bee]

I live in San Luis Obispo County. The Sherrif's department runs a volunteer SAR team. I just joined. My experience as an instructor for Land Rover and years of playing with cars, trucks, trailers, bikes, quads, motorcycles, dogs...all valuable experience. As the CA SAR teams are volunteer, you can pick your own path. But it starts here by attending a monthly meeting, interviewing for the (volunteer) position, and training for about a year. That's what happens here in SLO Co.

Once you get involved, you can volunteer/train as a dog handler, 4WD specialist, logistics officer, medical responder, ground pounder...and there are other administrative positions. I attended our monthly meeting last night and more than 50 people attended. It is awesome...and I just started.

If you tell me what county you are in, I am sure I can track down some contact info for you. If a team hasn't been formed, you could help start one...

bb

[InAFlannel]

I would inquire with your local Sheriffs Department as they are usually the organization that has a SAR team. Most Departments requires a rather thorough background check plus the obvious things like CPR certification, First Aide for First Responder as well as a SAR Training program with the Sheriff.

You can make yourself a little more desirable by having EMT experience. There are also a Rescue Schools out there that can give you valuable experience and skills. I have heard great things about the CMC Rescue School.

http://www.cmcrescue.com/RescueSchool

[puddle]

If you want SAR check into the Coast Guard, I spent 21 years out of 24 (now retired), running Search and Rescue missions from the Great Lakes to Kodiak Alaska, to California’s coast. But I am sure you can tell these were all water missions, unless you go into the Aviation field. My last three years were at a Port Security Unit (PSU), they don’t do SAR, they go to places like Iraq. If you at all consider the Coast Guard do not go into a PSU expecting to do any SAR missions. PSU’s are reserve units, so if you are looking for a part time gig, like the Coast Guard Reserve, make sure you get a garneted billet for a “Small Boat Station”. As others have stated, our county is always looking for volunteers for the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue. It is run by full time Deputies, augmented by volunteers/reserve Deputies.