SAR Fundamentals/Search techniques

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Contents

Material covered

SAR Fundamentals Manual:
  • Ch.17 "Search"
  • Ch.19 "Clue Consciousness"
Basic SAR Skills Manual:
  • Ch.15 "Search Tactics and Resources"
  • Ch.16 "Search Principles & Techniques (How to Search)"

Time

3.25 hr

Although this material itself is 3.25 hr it's commonly combined with 1 hr Compass Practical and taught in stations over 4.5 hr (one afternoon).

Aids

Outline

Search techniques

  • searcher cube
  • clue awareness (see lesson plan)

Don't use term: hasty search, hasty team

Type 1 search

1 hr

Type 1: speed

  • hustle
  • look in obvious places
  • calling

Type 1 has changed a little since we first learned it. The focus is much more on speed. Getting to where the subject might be fast. Because it ends the search quickly. Because it's where they can't wait to be found later -- e.g. washed up on the water's edge. So hustle at a speed that can be maintained for the entire assignment. A fast walk, maybe even a jog. Calling. Often a trail sweep. But all members on the trail. None in the bush on the side -- that would slow them down. Typically one focusing left, one focusing right, maybe a third focusing ahead. Looking for the obvious -- "There she is! In the middle of the trail, waiting for us." If you're too thorough in a Type 1 search, you're too slow. Some groups set up deliberate hard-to-find clues when practicing Type 1 and if they're found they know the searchers are being too thorough.

We avoid calling Type 1 Searches a "Hasty Search" now because of confusion with the term Hasty Team which doesn't necessary imply Hasty Searches.

Basically it's explaining what a Type 1 search is. Then having a team run a Type 1 search along the creek trail system and through Dilmer Park (the small creek side park just east of the old water treatment plant). The organizer may have set up some clues Saturday morning.

See the map of the exercise area


Type 2 search

Type 2: efficient

  • purposeful wandering
  • critical spacing
  • sound sweep

Type 3 search

Type 3: effective

  • grid search
  • arms width apart
  • spontaneous volunteers

Type 4 search

Type 4

  • fine search
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