Starting a Search and Rescue Team
The comment made by Brian Johnson on the Inland Flood Rescue Association post started me thinking. He noted that “someone had to take charge and put all of the teams into some useful context.”
This lead me to thinking about SAR teams without a role…
Johnnie Walker commented that T24 “do not provide the services they claim, and take charitable money away from the ‘real’ SAR groups operating in county: SusSAR and Lowland Search Dogs Sussex. Have they been involved in Searches and/or Rescues in Sussex? No. Do Sussex Police use them for the search and subsequent rescue of vulnerable missing people? No.  Did they discuss county requirements with the Police or other agencies before setting up? No” whilst Kris Manning noted that the STAR Team had had “lots of training exercises but as far as I can see not a single callout since 2007.”
Businesses starting up need to do their market research; not only does there need to be a NEED, but the company needs to be able to actually break into the market and sell their product or service. Failing to do this market research means a business goes bust.
SAR charities are different though. They do not require either a need or a market to set-up. All they need is the perception of having both and they can collect money and “play” at SAR.
Not so, of course, in the mainstream SAR world [for want of a better term] – ALSAR, for instance, requires a letter from the local police stating they need and will use the search services of the local team before they can become operational. (This has actually stopped one team from becoming an ALSAR team!)
I’m not suggesting that any particular SAR team is not being utilised or is somehow cheating charitable donations, but I do wonder how many SAR teams are out there that don’t have a role…
February 3, 2010
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Robert Bradley · 
13 Comments
Tags: ALSAR, Brian Johnson, Callout, Inland Flood Rescue Association, Johnnie Walker, Kris Manning, Lowland Search Dogs Sussex, Police, SAR Charity, SAR Groups, SAR Team, SAR Training Exercise, STAR Technical & Rescue Team, Sussar, T24 · Posted in: Search Thoughts
13 Responses
This is very true. However, there have been times where the local culture needs to be changed and this can only take place over a period of time. If a county area has not had a team before then a culture change can sometimes be a time in the making. If one avenue is closed then a slight diverisification is required. Often the police want to see a team up and running before pledging support. There is such a thing as team typing and you would need to be equipped, training and operating in a community role before you could be typed. I think it is very much akin to the chicken and egg syndrome. This does not excuse teams that set up to play SAR and never really look for approval from ALSAR and their local REsiliance forum. As a new team boss I can sympathise but also see it from the other side too!
A similar thing happened on the Isle of Wight during the recent snow when a man appearred on BBC’s Inside Out claiming to be Search and Rescue. He did not appear to be part of any official organisation and is certainly not part of Hampshire Search and Rescue, however he was free to drive around in his pimped up land rover with Search and Rescue written all over it. I don’t wish to take away the fact the he helped several people although it appeared staged for the camera’s the error on his part was claiming to be a Search and Rescue asset.
We have had several similar incidents:
At Beachy Head, when a guy whose wife had died there started interventions and cliff rescues. The local paper took up this individual’s cause, painting the Beachy head Chaplaincy Team and the Coastguard Cliff Rescue Team as ‘dog in a manger’ types trying to stop him saving life.
We also had a guy try and join us with a fully kitted out 4×4 marked up as search and rescue with blue flashing lights on top. Members of Sussex Police mistook it for a Police vehicle! Naturally we didn’t entertain him for long, but it shows the risks of Search and Rescue not being a defended description. I know Adrian and ALSAR are very aware fo this risk and are exploring options.
Finally, another fantasist sent an ambulance away from an RTC they had been called to, claiming he was SusSAR and was handling it. He was nothing to do with us, and never had been.
I can fully understand where you guys are coming from. I have seen “blue light chasers” in the past. I also understand the damage they can do to a teams reputation.
Our team has a strict policy about recruitment and initial training, and new people are kept well clear of team training until they have proven themsleves at a classroom level and has followed our induction programme, and in fact signed a behaviour contract. If they breach the contract they can removed from the team without further notice.
Other steps you can take to stop BLC’s causing problems is to register all vehicles used by your teams. Only these vehicles should ever be used. If you lodge this record with your police partners then you are covered!
In summary, recruit carefully, induct fully, and record everything totally, keep your partners fully informed, and you can’t go wrong!
In Pulaski County Indiana, Theres a huge problem with the Emergency services depts,agencies and teams, They have NO SAR training at all, Not even awareness, and its Free in Indiana through the Dept of Homeland Security (SAR Training academy). There have been cases where bodies are found days later and even months later, Of course after their alleged search’s. And these people are the professionals?????????? (Paid Public Servants).
Wow, No wonder Volunteer Search and Rescue is a more valuable asset to the people’s welfare when lost,missing and or in need of help. Any person willing to volunteer and obtain the gear and PROPER training should be more than welcome to assist any person(s) lost,missing and or in need of specialized help. It does not matter who, why or what these people are, it is a breed of need in america for people to be come SAR operatives at all levels, Fire depts have their jobs, Police have their jobs and EMS has their job and in no logical explanation should these deptments and agencies be charged with duties of SAR when they lack the training and certifications to perform Search and rescue duties and or operations.
Search and Rescue, should be left to the properly trained and certified operatives of SAR, and any person whom desires to become A SAR operative/volunteer (Trained) should be allowed to do so, If error happens , the person who caused the error is the person whom answers for the error. FREEDOM OF CHOICE/FREEDOM OF DICTATOR’S
I can see were you are coming from, but I work for SECAMB and we have used T24 in the snow and they were very helpful, proffesional.
Re Johnnie re mark about someone sending a Ambulance away from a RTC I would love to know who crew was as far as I know no one can stand a Ambulance down a part from Ambulance control or trained Ambulance staff.
Hi people,
I have recently left the British Army & would like to set up a SAR Team in my area.
I am all to aware that there are a vast amount of people who claim to operate a SAR team & in actual fact dont, they just like they image of it!
I really want to do this properly, however long it takes & would really appreciate your help & thoughts on how I can achieve this please?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Peter,
I guess the first question is what is your area? Then we can tell you if there is already a recognised (ALSAR, MREW) ground SAR team operating there.
Assuming the area is not already covered then we can point you to the nearest best source of information (which would be the nearest ALSAR/MREW teamn)
Also, take a look at http://www.alsar.org.uk
Stay safe,
Kris
Well to start there is alot of down play to paid search and rescue but who is going to be the ones out there searching when all the vol. needs to go back to there paid jobs . As a new team on the east coast I am not askong the police or anyone to help pay for my staff to be trained or what I need for my staff so fair I have put all the oney out of y own pocket so Let us look at what can be done to get all teams together and form a set training for all teas
Any person or persons wishing to start up a new search & rescue team should think very carefully indeed. The biggest question is – is there a real need in your particular geographical area or do you just have a ‘warm feeling’ that you would like to start one? If it’s the latter, I strongly recommend you shouldn’t go any further, but instead put your energy into working with an existing team and in doing so make a real contribution that way. Starting a team shouldn’t be about an ego trip, it should be based on a real and burning desire to do something very important but only where it’s wanted. Anyone considering undertaking such a huge task should start in the right place and that’s with the Police. They will tell you if there’s a need and I would suggest again that if they say there isn’t one, stop at that point. Yes, in theory anyone can start up a SAR team but it’s got to be for the right reasons and to answer a real (not just perceived) need. Lots of new SAR-ish organisation have sprung up in the last few years and I have to say that some of them are very suspect indeed. The suspect ones do not help the cause of good volunteer SAR teams at all, as the good competant teams tend to suffer from the effects of the bad press created by suspect ones (no names mentioned of course).
But, if you really have identified a need for a new Lowland SAR Team, you’ve met with the Police and got their blessing, then the next sensible step is to talk with ALSAR because they have the experience that you are definitely going to need and take advantage of. Trust me, you will need their help. Then once all that’s done prepare yourself for the thrill of giving up just about every non working hour you have for at least two to three years – because that’s what it will take to get your team off the ground. Trust me, I’ve been there! Good luck!
Ron Westrup, Founder, Essex Search & Rescue
From 2007 I’ve been sorting the mess out from another team in our area. I’m not saying the area is covered and that’s it, all I’m asking is that teams who rightly processed their application with umbrella organisations such as ALSAR and MR and those who come under the UKSAR Framework, who have policies based on evidence based best practices, and not cut and pasted from other websites, are given a little bit of guidance and support to do what they do best, to search and to rescue. Its the politics that cause the hassle, the heartache and the stress. In this economic climate where all SAR Teams are hit hard, non-registered teams have the time to raise funds for kit as they aren’t being used by the emergency services, it makes our job harder and it causes confusion in the eyes of the public! We return the missing person to a place of safety no matter what the time, what the weather, etc – if non-registered teams supported that fact, they’d assist us not fight us.
In hope that one day the missing person becomes our sole focus without external disruptions.
No offence intended so please don’t take any, I’m simply talking about my experience!
Mojo,
This isn’t just limited to SAR, other voluntary sectors also suffer the same. What concerned me is the increase in teams who try a ‘one size fits all approach.
A point in question is teams who claim they have robust medical training, then posing as cores ponders for an ambulance service. I know of a number of voluntary teams, SAR, MR, retained firefighters who are all well trained and have medical directors in post. It’s these safe guards that make the difference between a safe and sustainable team and one that isn’t.
A number of voluntary aid teams, SJA, BRC and SAR have all fallen on the sword…. Why? Pretending to be something they’re not.
The consequence of this, is that emergency services will be reluctant to setup MoU with the genuine teams. On balance most MRT’s and fire service teams in my experience deliver a world class service that’s safe.
Regulation and unity is the way forward, transparency is the key to ansuccessful future. Non registered teams should reevaluate their aims and work to support the existing networks of teams available.
I wonder how many teams have genuine external verification on training, such as water, medical etc?
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