SAR Fundamentals/Schedule

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.

Evening 1
Typically a Friday. 18:00-21:30

Introductions and Registration
 * 0.5hr - 18:00-18:30

The SAR Role
 * 1.0 hr - 18:30-19:30

break
 * 0.25 hr - 19:30-19:45

Anatomy of an Incident
 * 1.5hr 19:45-21:15

flex
 * 0.25 hr - 21:15-21:30
 * buffer for overruns
 * Q's, discussion, prep for next day, clean up

Day 2
Typically a Saturday. 09:00-17:00

Start-up
 * 0.5 hr - 09:00-09:30

Navigation - overview
 * 0.25 hr - 09:30-09:45

Navigation - map - features
 * 0.25 hr - 09:45-10:00

Navigation - map - topography
 * 1.5 hr - 10:00-11:30

Anatomy of an incident (continued video)
 * 0.5 hr - 11:30-12:00

lunch
 * 12:00-12:30

Ready Pack
 * 1.0 hr - 12:30-13:30

Navigation - map - UTM
 * 0.5 hr - 13:30-14:00

Navigation - map - distance
 * 0.25 hr - 14:00-14:15

break
 * 0.25 hr - 14:15-14:30
 * spend time repacking my pack

Organization and Incident Command
 * 0.5hr 14:30-15:00

Navigation - map - direction
 * 0.75 hr - 15:00-15:45

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

Start-up
 * 0.5 hr - 09:00-09:30

Navigation - instruments - theory
 * 1.75hr - 09:30 - 11:15
 * includes break
 * 0.25 - 10:30-10:45

Search Techniques - theory
 * 0.75 hr - 11:15 - 12:00

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

Assigned Reading
See Readings.

Survival and Body Mgmt., & Fitness
 * assigned reading
 * otherwise 0.5h

clothing, personal protection, & Personal Equip
 * assigned reading
 * otherwise 0.8h

Field Health and Hygiene
 * assigned reading
 * otherwise 0.5 hr

Hazards
 * otherwise 0.5 hr

Communications

Inland Water Search
 * assigned reading
 * otherwise 0.5hr

SAR resources and technology, & Power Tools
 * assigned reading
 * otherwise 0.5 hr

Urban SAR
 * assigned reading

Evening 4
Typically a Friday, 2 weeks after the previous weekend. 18:00-21:30

Start-up
 * 0.5 hr - 18:00-18:30

Review assigned reading
 * 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
 * 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

Start-up
 * 0.5 hr - 09:00-09:30

First Aid
 * 1.0 hr - 09:30-10:30

break
 * 0.25 hr - 10:30-10:45

Evacuation
 * 0.25 hr - 10:45-11:00


 * should expand to 0.5 hr

Cold Weather SAR
 * 1 hr - 11:00-12:00

lunch
 * 12:00-12:30


 * need more moving in afternoon, too much sitting.
 * move evacuation exercise to afternoon?

Communications
 * 1 hr - 12:30-13:30

Lost person behaviour
 * 0.5hr - 13:30-14:00

Search Probability Theory
 * 0.75hr - 14:00-14:45


 * could cut down to 0.5hr with better prepared slides

break
 * 0.25hr - 14:45-15:00

Briefing and debriefing
 * 0.75hr - 15:00-15:45

Search Team Leader
 * 0.5hr - 15:45-16:15

Tracking
 * 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

Mock search
 * 3.5 hr : 18:30-~22:00

Day 6
Typically a Sunday. 09:00-17:00

Stress
 * 1.0 hr - 09:00-10:00


 * fix: times overlap

Critique
 * 1.0 hr - 09:30-10:30

break
 * 0.25 - 10:30-10:45

Start-up
 * 0.5 hr - 10:45-11:15

Survival skills
 * 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

Helicopter
 * 0.75 hr - 12:30-13:15

Air Observer Guidelines
 * 1 hr - 13:15-14:15


 * should reduce time allotted

Legal Aspects
 * 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

Evidence handling
 * 0.5 hr - 15:00-15:30

External influences
 * 0.5hr - 15:30-16:00

Foot Travel Skills
 * 0.25hr - 16:00-16:15

Review
 * 0.5 hr - 16:15-16:45
 * exam on day's material

Wrap up
 * 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.

Navigation - Lat/Long
 * 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
 * Legal Land Description
 * 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

Specialty teams
 * good idea. Try to work in in future years.

Rope rescue
 * 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.

Mountain Bike SAR
 * Basic SAR Skills Manual: F-12 "Mountain Bike SAR"

Rationale to not include: A speciality not often encountered.

Filler

 * Critiques/2010-08-24/Sug10
 * Basic knots
 * clove hitch backed up
 * simple figure 8
 * traced figure 8
 * traced figure 8