Fall Training Cycle Begins

[offroad_nomad]

With a short break over the summer, we're gearing up to begin our Fall Training Cycle. Between our weekend support missions with the National Park Service and The North Face Endurace Challenge, the next few months are going to be busy.

Fortunately my wife and work are very supportive, my wife especially, and I'm able to teach and train at many, if not most of the scheduled events. We incorporate Training Team Leaders with different backgrounds and specialties to deliver the various training subject matter.

The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club provides us with office space and use of their conference rooms for classroom trainings. Weekend Field Exercises are held at various outdoors locations: national, state and regional parks/forests, and private property.

Sept 4 Basic SAR Operations (Classroom)
Sept 6 The North Face Endurance Challenge EMS/SAR Support
Sept 9 Pack Check/Intro to SAR
Sept 11 Basic Communications (Classroom)
Sept 16 Dispatch (Classroom)
Sept 18 Search Skills (Classroom)
Sept 20-21 Search Skills Field Exercise (FX)
Sept 25 Aircraft Incident Site Procedures (Classroom)
Sept 30 Nat’l Wildfire Coordinating Group Moderate Work Capacity Test
Sept 30 New Member Orientation
Sept 30 SMRG Business Meeting

Oct 2 Wilderness Safety & Survival (Classroom)
Oct 4-5 Aircraft Incident Site Procedures/Wilderness Safety & Survival (FX)
Oct 7 Dispatch (Classroom)
Oct 9 Patient Care in SAR (Classroom)
Oct 14 Pack Check/Intro to SAR
Oct 16 Basic Rescue (Classroom)
Oct 17-19 SNP EMS/SAR Support Weekend - Shenandoah National Park
Oct 21 SMRG ExComm Meeting
Oct 23 Semi-Tech (Classroom)
Oct 24-26 SNP EMS/SAR Support Weekend - Shenandoah National Park
Oct 28 Nat’l Wildfire Coordinating Group Moderate Work Capacity Test
Oct 28 New Member Orientation
Oct 28 SMRG Business Meeting
Oct 30 Advanced Semi-Tech (Classroom)

Nov 1-3 SNP EMS/SAR Support Weekend - Shenandoah National Park
Nov 1-2 Rescue & Semi-Tech (FX)
Nov 4 Dispatch (Classroom)
Nov 6 Land Navigation I (Classroom)
Nov 13 Land Navigation II (Classroom)
Nov 15 Land Navigation (FX)
Nov 18 SMRG ExComm Meeting
Nov 25 Nat’l Wildfire Coordinating Group Moderate Work Capacity Test
Nov 25 New Member Orientation
Nov 25 SMRG Business Meeting

Dec 2 Dispatch (Classroom)
Dec 4 Advanced Rescue (Classroom)
Dec 6 Advanced Rescue (FX)
Dec 9 Pack Check/Intro to SAR
Dec 11 Leadership (Classroom)
Dec 16 SMRG ExComm Meeting
Dec 19 SMRG Business Meeting & Holiday Party
Dec 30 New Member Orientation

Jan 10, 2009 Leadership (FX)

 

[LRNAD90]

Hey Ian,

I have to say this new forum has really peaked my interest. I’d always wanted to get involved in an SAR team, and almost did about 15 years ago when living in So Cal. Unfortunately I was a student and since I didn’t have a California License, they wouldn’t accept my application. I live in Maryland, and I’m not sure how many groups there are in the area, or how much call for there services that there are, but I’m interested in finding out.

I’d love to learn more about the outdoors, survival and providing aid to those in trouble, but don’t really know where to start, or what to expect. I see a lot of mention of significant amounts of time needed to dedicate, and that might be an issue for me with a family, but still interested in finding out.

Once you get involved with a group, how does it work? Do you use your own vehicle & equipment? Supplied vehicle & equipment? Are you responsible for getting yourself to the ‘deployment scene’? Is there generally a time window you are expected to be available in? What happens if you don’t respond to a call for whet ever reason…

As you can tell I’m a newbie looking for some direction…

 

[offroad_nomad]

Scott,

Where in Maryland do you live?

Hey Ian,

I have to say this new forum has really peaked my interest. I’d always wanted to get involved in an SAR team, and almost did about 15 years ago when living in So Cal. Unfortunately I was a student and since I didn’t have a California License, they wouldn’t accept my application. I live in Maryland, and I’m not sure how many groups there are in the area, or how much call for there services that there are, but I’m interested in finding out.

I’d love to learn more about the outdoors, survival and providing aid to those in trouble, but don’t really know where to start, or what to expect. I see a lot of mention of significant amounts of time needed to dedicate, and that might be an issue for me with a family, but still interested in finding out.

Once you get involved with a group, how does it work? Do you use your own vehicle & equipment? Supplied vehicle & equipment? Are you responsible for getting yourself to the ‘deployment scene’? Is there generally a time window you are expected to be available in? What happens if you don’t respond to a call for whet ever reason…

As you can tell I’m a newbie looking for some direction…

 

[LRNAD90]

Scott,

Where in Maryland do you live?

Hey Ian,

I sent you a PM..

 

[Hltoppr]

I guess it depends upon what you want to do for the individual team, where you are located, and the skills the team is required to provide.

Here in Arizona, all SAR members must go through a state-mandated Basic SAR Academy, which is about 4 days of training and covers basic operations. For Coconino county, where I am involved, we then require several one-day classes, such as map and compass, ATV certification, personal safety, and tracking. New members have one year to complete these trainings, and we try and offer each of them several times a year. Once every three years members must recertify by taking each course again, or acting as a trainer on the course itself.

For the basic "general" SAR team, we require 40 hours of participation per year, including trainings, missions, meetings and/or administrative work....pretty easy to do.

For our more advanced teams, we have another meeting and training per month, and are expected to be on call more often, given the technical nature of the environments we work in (high angle/wilderness/mountain).

Most general/non specialized teams don't require that much. The more specialized groups (such as those certified by the Mountain Rescue Association) need to meet other skills that require more time to keep current.

HTH

-H-

 

[Mcfly]

Sept 4 Basic SAR Operations (Classroom)
Sept 6 The North Face Endurance Challenge EMS/SAR Support
Sept 9 Pack Check/Intro to SAR
Sept 11 Basic Communications (Classroom)
Sept 16 Dispatch (Classroom)
Sept 18 Search Skills (Classroom)
Sept 20-21 Search Skills Field Exercise (FX)
Sept 25 Aircraft Incident Site Procedures (Classroom)
Sept 30 Nat’l Wildfire Coordinating Group Moderate Work Capacity Test
Sept 30 New Member Orientation
Sept 30 SMRG Business Meeting

Oct 2 Wilderness Safety & Survival (Classroom)
Oct 4-5 Aircraft Incident Site Procedures/Wilderness Safety & Survival (FX)
Oct 7 Dispatch (Classroom)
Oct 9 Patient Care in SAR (Classroom)
Oct 14 Pack Check/Intro to SAR
Oct 16 Basic Rescue (Classroom)
Oct 17-19 SNP EMS/SAR Support Weekend - Shenandoah National Park
Oct 21 SMRG ExComm Meeting
Oct 23 Semi-Tech (Classroom)
Oct 24-26 SNP EMS/SAR Support Weekend - Shenandoah National Park
Oct 28 Nat’l Wildfire Coordinating Group Moderate Work Capacity Test
Oct 28 New Member Orientation
Oct 28 SMRG Business Meeting
Oct 30 Advanced Semi-Tech (Classroom)

Nov 1-3 SNP EMS/SAR Support Weekend - Shenandoah National Park
Nov 1-2 Rescue & Semi-Tech (FX)
Nov 4 Dispatch (Classroom)
Nov 6 Land Navigation I (Classroom)
Nov 13 Land Navigation II (Classroom)
Nov 15 Land Navigation (FX)
Nov 18 SMRG ExComm Meeting
Nov 25 Nat’l Wildfire Coordinating Group Moderate Work Capacity Test
Nov 25 New Member Orientation
Nov 25 SMRG Business Meeting

Dec 2 Dispatch (Classroom)
Dec 4 Advanced Rescue (Classroom)
Dec 6 Advanced Rescue (FX)
Dec 9 Pack Check/Intro to SAR
Dec 11 Leadership (Classroom)
Dec 16 SMRG ExComm Meeting
Dec 19 SMRG Business Meeting & Holiday Party
Dec 30 New Member Orientation

Jan 10, 2009 Leadership (FX)

Busy training schedule.
We train year around. Over the past two month, some members got there swift water rescue level 1. and just yesterday some team members came back from Texas (disaster city) they just got there Disaster Technical Search Specialist .
On a side not they were there during Gusta. They were put on stand by. to good.