SAREX General Tracks

LINKS:

TRACKS:

Course Title: Marijuana Recognition

Course Description: This course is designed to familiarize the ground searcher with signs and clues of outdoor marijuana grows that could be within the search area. The goal is to show searchers indicators of illegal activity, safety precautions to take and what to do if searchers come across a garden or suspicious activity in the outdoors.

Instructor: Chris Ramirez

Course Title: Tracking - Part 1 and 2

Course Description: POST Certified training to prepare SAR members for urban, rural and night tracking under "ideal" conditions. Course content includes: General awareness - use of all senses, Tracking glossary, Types of sign, The tracking team, The tracking stick, Guidelines for recording tracking hours in a log book, Measuring and documenting the track, Tracking on various terrains and ground covers, Pressure releases, Backtracking for clues, Day tracking, Night tracking.

Instructor: Fernando Moreira

Course Title: Meth Lab Awareness

Course Description: This course is designed for the field searcher to recognize the signs and indicators of methamphetamine labs and/or lab dumps that could be in the found search area. Searchers will be familiarized with hazards associated with meth labs, chemicals and waste as well as safety precautions to use if encountering labs or waste.

Instructor: Brad Dorr

Course Title: Project Lifesaver

Course Description: Locating and rescuing lost wanderers suffering from mental disabilities can be a very expensive undertaking and one which often results in serious injury or death. As a result, such SAR operations often lead to lawsuits that can be devastating. Ten years ago a law enforcement group on the East Coast sought a solution to this problem and founded Project Lifesaver International (PLI). They adapted animal tracking technology and came up with a system that works. This track is an introduction to PLI and results in certification or recertification as an Electronic Search Specialist. It will be in four segments: the first is a stand-alone overview of PLI, the second is familiarization with the radio equipment and search techniques, the third a timed basic search for three nearby subjects (a requirement for certification), and the fourth will consist of advanced search exercises. You can take just the first to see if your agency has a need for PLI membership, the first three (or second and third for recertification) for certification, and the all four to take home the elements for qualification to become an instructor. Agencies who are already PLI members are encouraged to bring your own tracking equipment. There are currently three versions of tracking receiver systems in use, so this is an opportunity to compare them.

Instructor: John Meloy

Course Title: Open Highline/River

Course Description: This course is an introduction to basic highline rigging. The course will cover rigging a highline from start to finish.

Instructor: Keith Lober

Course Title: Patient Packaging

Course Description: This in an introduction to basic patient packaging. Students will be exposed to several packaging methods needed to secure patients in stokes litters and other equipment.

Instructor: Keith Lober

Course Title: Basic GPS Navigation

Course Description: This course will familiarize team members with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to the basic level. With classroom and field exercises, this course will include, but not be limited to: history behind GPS, GPS equipment setup, entering coordinates, finding location, waypoints, routes, and tracks. If you have a GPS, please bring it to train with as it is always best to become familiar with the equipment you will use in the field.

Instructor: David Thorpe

Course Title: Cave Search, Rescue, and Recovery

Course Description: Underground rescue and recovery presents special challenges. Caves and mines are both underground, dark and have constant temperatures. These are the only conditions both have in common. This presentation, with an emphasis on cave rescue, provides a background into what to expect underground. The origin of caves is briefly outlined and terms defined. A video is shown to establish a baseline for rescue conditions found underground. Opportunities for cave rescue training will be presented.

Instructor: Ken Laidlaw

Course Title: Rope Rescue Considerations

Course Description: Rope rescue presents special challenges, especially in remote areas. With new equipment constantly appearing on the market and techniques continuously being refined, the craft is a very dynamic experience. This presentation will expose new students to safe, basic fundamentals. Advanced students will increase their knowledge of proper techniques. All experiences are based on current testing and review the techniques of application used by different groups, from cave explorers to mountain rescue personnel. OSHA considerations will be considered. Many of the principles can be applied for team or small party self rescue. At the end of the presentation, each participant should be able to make safe decisions based on their needs and budget restraints. They will also know the best references for additional information.

Instructor: Ken Laidlaw

Course Title: Search Analysis

Course Description: The search and rescue community should learn more from failed searches than from successful ones. Over 6,000 hours were spent looking for a subject. A lot of information was available when the search started but it seemed to be ignored. Analysis of that information might have predicted where the subject would have been found. Six months later his remains were found within 400 meters of where his car had been parked.

Instructor: Ken Laidlaw

Course Title: Medical:

Course Description: A rapid and highly-opinionated review of some hot topics in rescue medicine, including altitude illness, hypothermia, snakebite, lightning strike, trauma management and first aid kits.

Instructor: Dr. Ben Schifrin

Course Title: Fire Safety

Course Description: This course will focus on fire safety as it applies to SAR members. As part of the Sheriff's Offices of each county, SAR members are often called to assist with wildland fire evacuations and due to the remote location of most search assignments, can often be in areas affected by wildland fires. This course will provide a basic overview of fire behavior, emergency sheltering and other precautions.

Instructors: Cal-Fire Snelling

Course Title: Public Safety Diver Awareness

Course Description: Discuss and demonstrate new equipment and methods in public safety diving equipment. This course is a demonstration in surface supplied diving for public safety. In cooperation with the Merced County Sheriff's Underwater Recovery Team, the latest equipment in the industry will be explained and demonstrated.

Instructor: Mike Von Albensleben

Course Title: Anaphylaxis and use of Epinephrine for SAR Personnel

Course Description: This is a epinephrine use training course for Search and Rescue EMS providers. Two hours of EMS CE provided. Participants will be provided a training certificate. Note: This is a training course only. Authorization to use medications can only be given by the EMS provider's agency.

Instructor: Dr. Ashley Laird

Course Title: 24 Hour Pack