Search Manager/Request
From PCSAR
What follows is a template of an e-mail that might be sent to a candidate.
Pincher Creek Search and Rescue's training and preplan committee chairs would like to ask you to consider taking training as a search manager. We recognize your skills and commitment to SAR and are hopeful that you will be willing to serve even further by stepping up to a new role.
A member who completes Search Manager training becomes part of the preplan committee and helps plan how Pincher SAR will respond to future incidents. During an actual incident, a search manager can assist as part of the Incident Management Team (overhead team) or be in charge of the entire incident (Incident Commander). A new search manager is normally paired with another search manager and coached through their role for a number of incidents until they are comfortable in Pincher SAR's structure.
As a search manager, you will be "on-call" for a few months during the year. This means that you'll be the first person called if there is an incident. You do not always have to be available because there is an extensive backup system, and other managers are very willing to cover you if you will be unavailable for a few days.
The criteria for this role are listed here:
If you have not yet had experience working on an Incident Management Team, please let us know and we'll have you slotted into that role on the next mock search. This will allow you to check out what happens there, and confirm that it's an area of SAR that you're interested in.
The search manager course is 5 days long and occurs once or twice each year somewhere in the province. All costs, including registration, food, accommodation and travel will be paid either by a provincial grant or by Pincher SAR. You are dedicating your time. If you're not able to attend the next course, or the course is full, we'll let you know of other opportunities as they arrive.
Please let us know whether you'd be willing to undertake this training and then the responsibilities of becoming a search manager.