SAR Fundamentals/Schedule
From PCSAR
This is a sample schedule for SAR Fundamentals courses hosted by PCSAR. Each section links to a lesson plan.
It is intended to help instructors schedule their sections. It is not intended for students as a commitment of what will be taught when. Times are only approximate. Elements may be moved around.
Contents |
Evening 1
Typically a Friday. 18:00-21:30
Eve is thin. Consider adding one substantial item. Consider getting them outside.
Introductions and Registration
- 0.5hr - 18:00-18:30
- 1.0 hr - 18:30-19:30
- 1.5hr 19:30-21:00 (includes break 0.25hr)
- 0.25 hr - 21:00-21:15
- 0.25 hr - 21:15-21:30
- Q's, discussion, prep for next day, clean up
Day 2
Typically a Saturday. 09:00-17:00
Day is too heavy on navigation. Need outdoor activity.
- 0.5 hr - 09:00-09:30
- 1.5 hr - 09:30-11:00
- 0.5 hr - 11:00-11:30
Anatomy of an incident (continued video)
- 0.5 hr - 11:30-12:00
lunch
- 12:00-12:30
- 1.0 hr - 12:30-13:30
- 0.25 hr - 13:30-13:45
- 0.75 hr - 13:45-14:30
break
- 0.25 hr - 14:30-14:45
- spend time repacking my pack
Organization and Incident Command
- 0.5hr 14:45-15:15
gap
Navigation - map - triangulation
- 0.75 hr - 15:45-16:30
Navigation - map - route selection
- 0.25 hr - 16:30-16:45
flex
- 0.25hr - 16:45-17:00
- buffer for overruns
- questions
Day 3
Typically a Sunday. 09:00-17:00
- 0.5 hr - 09:00-09:30
Navigation - instruments - theory
- 1.75hr - 09:30 - 11:15
- includes break
- 0.25 - 10:30-10:45
- includes break
- 0.75 hr - 11:15 - 12:00
add: Widely-spaced sound sweep
lunch
- 12:00-12:30
- discuss student's clothing choices one-on-one
Search Skills and Navigation - instruments - practical - compass
- 4.5 hr - 12:30-17:00
add: Widely-spaced sound sweep
Assigned Reading
See Readings.
Survival and Body Mgmt., & Fitness
- assigned reading
- otherwise 0.5h
expanded upon in later presentation
clothing, personal protection, & Personal Equip
- assigned reading
- otherwise 0.8h
- assigned reading
- otherwise 0.5 hr
- otherwise 0.5 hr
further built upon in a later presentation
further built upon in a later presentation
- assigned reading
- otherwise 0.5hr
SAR resources and technology, & Power Tools
- assigned reading
- otherwise 0.5 hr
- assigned reading
Evening 4
Typically a Friday, 2 weeks after the previous weekend. 18:00-21:30
- 0.5 hr - 18:00-18:30
- 1.0 hr - 18:30-19:30
- merge into Start-Up (written exam)
- move Communications into this time slot so have practice before GPS practical
Hazards (follow up to assigned reading)
- 0.5 hr 19:30-20:00
break
- 0.25 hr - 20:00-20:15
Navigation - instruments - practical - GPS
- 1.25 hr : 20:15-21:30
Day 5
Typically a Saturday. 09:00-17:00
- 0.5 hr - 09:00-09:30
- 1.0 hr - 09:30-10:30
break
- 0.25 hr - 10:30-10:45
- 0.25 hr - 10:45-11:00
should expand to 0.5 hr
- 1 hr - 11:00-12:00
lunch
- 12:00-12:30
- need more moving in afternoon, too much sitting.
- move evacuation exercise to afternoon?
- 1 hr - 12:30-13:30
- 0.5hr - 13:30-14:00
- 0.75hr - 14:00-14:45
* could cut down to 0.5hr with better prepared slides
break
- 0.25hr - 14:45-15:00
- 0.75hr - 15:00-15:45
- 0.5hr - 15:45-16:15
- 0.5hr - 16:15-16:45
flex
- buffer for overruns
- 0.25hr - 16:45-17:00
- Q's, prep for mock search
Evening 5
Typically the same Saturday evening. 18:30-~22:00
- 3.5 hr : 18:30-~22:00
Day 6
Typically a Sunday. 09:00-17:00
- 1.0 hr - 09:00-10:00
* fix: times overlap
- 1.0 hr - 09:30-10:30
break
- 0.25 - 10:30-10:45
- 0.5 hr - 10:45-11:15
- 0.75 hr - 11:15-12:00
* may be able to reduce as is also in reading assignment
lunch
- 0.5 hr - 12:00-12:30
- 0.75 hr - 12:30-13:15
- 1 hr - 13:15-14:15
* should reduce time allotted
- 0.5hr - 14:15-14:45
* should make 0.75hr
break
- 0.25 - 14:45-15:00
- need more frequent breaks in the afternoon
- don't have helicopter video right after lunch
- 0.5 hr - 15:00-15:30
- 0.5hr - 15:30-16:00
- 0.25hr - 16:00-16:15
- 0.5 hr - 16:15-16:45
- exam on day's material
- 0.25 hr - 16:45-17:00
not covered
The following material is not explicitly scheduled and where appropriate will be covered in earlier sections.
- 0.75 hr
- SAR Fundamentals Manual: Ch13
- SAR Fundamentals Manual: Ch.13 "Navigation"
- Basic SAR Skills Manual: Ch.7 "Navigation"
Rationale to not include: SAR workers only use lat/long when interfacing with members of the public and air searchers. Conversion to UTM can be accomplished by a suitably trained person in the planning section.
Navigation - Legal Land Description, Road Numbering System, Municipal Approach Numbering System
- 1.5 hr
- 2006-09-30 10:15 11:45
- SAR Fundamentals Manual: Ch.13 "Navigation"
- Basic SAR Skills Manual: Ch.7 "Navigation"
Rationale to not include: SAR workes only use LLD and its derivatives when navigating to the search site and interfacing with the public and municipal workers. Navigation by LLD is a difficult skill to maintain. Conversion to UTM can be accomplished by a suitably trained person in the planning section.
Navigation - GPS - practical - waypoints
- See lesson plan after 1:13
- good idea. Try to work in in future years.
- 1.25 hr
- SAR Fundamentals Manual:
- Ch.24 "Rope Rescue Equipment"
- Ch.25 "Rope Related Skills"
- Basic SAR Skills Manual:
- Ch.21 "Rope Rescue Equipment"
- Ch.22 "Rope Knots and Skills"
- related skills-exercise on knots
Rationale to not include: To assist in a rope rescue takes considerably more training than can be included in this course.
- Basic SAR Skills Manual: F-12 "Mountain Bike SAR"
Rationale to not include: A speciality not often encountered.
Filler
- Critiques/2010-08-24/Sug10
- PCSAR event photos, PCSAR event photos
- Basic knots
- clove hitch backed up
- simple figure 8
- traced figure 8
