What is Search and Rescue Training?
Search and rescue training comes in various levels and differ in terms of scope and difficulty. Even if you don’t plan to use your training in a professional capacity, enrolling in such a course will still be greatly advantageous as it improves your response to all kinds of emergencies as well as increasing your chances of keeping yourself and your loved ones safe.
Basic Lessons of Search and Rescue Training
Regardless of which institution or organization is providing search and rescue training, expect to learn the basic concepts of search and rescue. When all fundamental principles of SAR have been discussed, your lessons would then be more localized in nature, offering essential teachings and techniques that are applicable to the region or type of environment you’re in.
Fitness
SAR training will always include fitness exercises since your ability to save people’s lives greatly depends on your strength, agility, stamina, and many other physical abilities that could be enhanced with the proper diet and exercise.
Search Skills
SAR training can be divided into two components: search and rescue. For search operations, you’ll need to have a keen understanding of lost person behavior. You need to learn how to obtain clues from the subject’s past behavior and all other information provided to best determine the subject’s possible whereabouts.
You also need to know the proper procedures for handling evidence and tracking your missing subject.
Rescue Skills
For rescue operations, you need to be proficient in various rope-related skills and operating commonly used SAR equipment, tools, and gear. You also need to familiarize yourself with the dos and don’ts for evacuation so that you can formulate and implement a quick exit strategy for victims and survivors.
Possibly, you’ll be provided lessons for air and water rescue operations. You’ll learn what your responsibilities are when you’re riding a SAR helicopter and what role an air operations observer plays. If you’re interested, you may also learn how to pilot SAR helicopters and water craft yourself, but that would require you to obtain additional certification and training.
Search and Rescue Training Management
Whether you’re working as part of a voluntary group or an authorized unit by the government, SAR is never one person’s job. When you obtain SAR training, you’ll also learn how to best work with other SAR volunteers and where SAR fits in an organizational structure.
Moreover, SAR can be quite stressful and may cause psychological problems and getting proper training will help you cope effectively with any emotional disturbance that your involvement with SAR may lead to.
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