SAR Fundamentals/SAR Role

Authors
Brett Wuth

Objectives
At the conclusion of this lesson, the participants:
 * 1) will be able to describe what is needed of a SAR worker
 * 2) will be able to explain the priorities of safety
 * 3) will be able to list the broad stages of an incident
 * 4) will be able to describe what being tasked means and give examples of Tasking Agencies and SAR Responders
 * 5) will be able to list the major SAR certifications

Time Plan
Total Time: 60 minutes

Introduce topic title

Introduce Instructor

SAR Fundamentals chapters 1 & 2[3] or FOG SAR chapters 1 & 2[1]

Present Objectives

distribute blank question bank cards


 * Realistic as to why you are here:[2]
 * no glory
 * no thanks
 * no sleep
 * no recognition
 * time consuming
 * stress family relations
 * expensive
 * hazardous
 * Ask around room why people are here
 * Some of the positives are[2]
 * good to work as part of a team
 * common goal, camaraderie
 * might just save someone's life


 * What is SAR?
 * typical situations
 * Search vs. Rescue
 * Slide Basic SAR 7


 * What skills do you need - list on flip chart
 * Slide Basic SAR 29
 * Slide Basic SAR 5


 * Slide Basic SAR 21
 * PHACKS overhead[3]
 * P - Proficient
 * H - Humble
 * A - Able
 * C - Competent
 * K - Knowledge
 * S - Solicitous


 * play video - Operation Ground SAR
 * "Incident Commander" vs. "Search Manager"
 * volunteer vs. professional
 * term: "Hasty Team"

Stages of an incident
 * Slide Basic SAR 3
 * L - Locate
 * A - Access
 * S - Stabalize
 * T - Transport

No stage can happen until the previous stage is complete

Times will vary with each incident

e.g. missing child / injured climber / car accident

Phases:
 * SAME [1]
 * Search
 * Access
 * Medical
 * Evacuate

SAR Process  Preplan to preplan overhead


 * Slide Basic SAR 6

Safety
 * Slide Basic SAR 22


 * Risk vs. Benefit
 * 1-10 scale
 * on chance of happening
 * severity if it happens

Individual acts and how they affect the group and search functions
 * e.g. russian roulette 1 in 6 / crossing a stream
 * Priority
 * 1/ Self
 * 2/ Team Members
 * 3/ Bystanders
 * 4/ Subject
 * 5/ equipment
 * Slide Basic SAR 26


 * Wanting to help is not enough - you need to be trained
 * Some volunteers don't know that they don't know

SAR Responders
 * SAR Groups
 * SAR Alberta
 * 54 member organizations
 * volunteer run
 * Organizations with broader mandate
 * police
 * fire departments
 * parks
 * Ad-hoc: community, friends, family

Tasking Not being tasked
 * legal authority to conduct operation
 * lines of responsibility
 * completion
 * problems
 * financial
 * on behalf of family

Canada SAR responsibilities
 * Sea
 * federal
 * Coast Guard
 * Coast Guard Auxiliary
 * Navigable waterways
 * St. Lawrence River, Great Lakes
 * Peace River, Athabasca River, North Saskatchewan River?
 * Air
 * federal
 * Department of Defense
 * CASARA - Civilian Air Search and Rescue Association
 * missing / downed aircraft
 * when does it become a ground SAR operation?
 * value of ground SAR
 * RCC - Rescue Coordination Centres
 * Victoria, Trenton, Halifax
 * Land
 * federal land: national parks
 * Provinces
 * minister/department
 * delegation to agency
 * usually police force(s) under provincial contract
 * BC: PEP - Provincial Emergency Program

Alberta SAR responsibilities
 * unassigned until 2009
 * Alberta Emergency Management Agency, 2009-2011 (Municipal Affairs)
 * many earlier versions: Emergency Management Alberta, Alberta Transport
 * responsibility for emergencies / disasters
 * training funding from earlier
 * WCB
 * national representation
 * Fire Commissioner's Office, 2011-current (Municipal Affairs)
 * Solicitor General
 * RCMP oversight
 * agencies, mostly police, act as Tasking Agencies based on related responsibilities: missing (as opposed to lost) persons.

Tasking Agencies
 * RCMP
 * City Police / Town Police
 * Tribal Police
 * National Parks
 * Kananaskis Country
 * special agreement with RCMP
 * Municipalities (disasters)
 * Department of Defense (downed aircraft)
 * auspices of Agencies: Provincial Parks, Conservation Officers, Fire Department, Emergency Management (Disaster Services)
 * BC PEP

SAR Certification Standards FESTI
 * SAR Fundamentals
 * SAR Basics
 * ERI
 * NASAR
 * new federal standards
 * Civil Emergency Response
 * Wilderness First Aid
 * Team Leader
 * SAR Management
 * Man Tracking
 * Dog team
 * Quad Safety
 * Snowmobile Safety
 * Air Spotter
 * Safety Officer
 * ICS 100-400

RCMP requirements

SAR Alberta requirements

Questions

collect question bank cards

review objectives

Aids

 * overhead projector
 * screen
 * overhead slides for this section
 * video projector
 * video player
 * Video - Operation Ground SAR - 11min


 * FOG SAR, chapters 1 & 2 [1]
 * SAR Fundamentals Manual, chapters 1 & 2 [3]
 * Slides [4]
 * Basic SAR 30
 * Basic SAR 19
 * Basic SAR 29
 * Basic SAR 5
 * Basic SAR 3
 * Basic SAR 7
 * Basic SAR 6
 * Basic SAR 20
 * Basic SAR 21
 * Basic SAR 22
 * Basic SAR 26
 * blank question bank cards

Question bank
See

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: PHACKS – difference between Proficiency and Competence

A: http://www.co.benton.or.us/sheriff/ems/documents/sar_notebook_introsar_000.pdf

Proficient - SAR personnel should take action in a correct, competent and professional manner

Competent - SAR personnel should be adequately qualified for the purpose, “...if search is required, be qualified for search, etc.”

"Proficient" emphasizes having the needed skills. "Competent" emphasizes being qualified (assessed by others).

License
Copyright (c) 2005-2012, Brett Wuth. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 Canada License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/ca/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 559 Nathan Abbott Way, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

Reference Material
[1] SAR Skills Handbook: FOG SAR, Field Operating Guide To Search and Rescue, Richard Smith et al., © ERI Canada et al., 2003, first edition, ISBN 0-9734135-0-6, chapters 1 & 2

[2] some material from Chris Jorgensen developed for this section, provided personally.

[3] Search and Rescue Fundamentals: Basic Skills and Knowledge to Perform Wilderness, Inland, Search and Rescue, D. Cooper et al., 3rd Edition, revised., © 1996 Emergency Response Institute, Inc. et al., ISBN 0-913724-37-8, chapters 1 & 2

[4] Overhead slides distributed for [3]