Posts Tagged ‘Search and Rescue’

Search and Rescue; Autism and Missing Persons

December 17th, 2009

Last week one of Re-Search’s readers was in Canada. He e-mailed about an on-going search for a seven-year old autistic missing child.

Interestingly the big story on the TV out here is a missing autistic boy, missing for 2 days in heavy snow wearing a light shirt. They found him today, still alive, no update on his condition but he’s obviously serious. The media had written him off, goes to show that there’s always hope and for me a clear example of just why we all do it.

http://news.sympatico.cbc.ca/Local/NS/ContentPosting?newsitemid=novascotia-ns-delorey-monday&feedname=CBC_LOCALNEWS&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True

… might be good as a post for your blog. Shows what’s possible after people have lost hope. Certainly struck a chord with me.
… Not a happy ending :(
I decided at the time to not post anything about it; trying to follow my “rule” of not commenting on individual searches. However, searching the internet tonight I have found two articles that comment upon the search whilst discussing how Search and Rescue Organisations can train for missing persons with autism. They are quite basic, but it is good to see people thinking more about it.

It is an unfortunate fact that we see a lot of lost kid stories in the autism community. Elopement—running away—is real and serious.

I’m always caught in what to do when these stories come up in the media. The stories affect me greatly as this is one of the big fears of an autism parent. It affects me even more when I think of the fear for the lost autistic. I remember being lost. I remember the terror. Most of the stories area about kids, and I know I was a much more capable kid than many of the autistics mentioned in those news stories. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be for the lost autistic. I feel like anything I write could trivialize their experiences.

Read more: http://leftbrainrightbrain.co.uk/?p=3756#ixzz0ZzEj9Gbo

and

SYDNEY — The Autism Society of Cape Breton is calling on first responders to be trained to deal with a person with autism during a crisis situation.

Michelle Gardiner, the society’s executive director, said special skills are needed because people that fall under the autism spectrum respond to the environment in a myriad of ways. “It’s a bigger picture than just helping the (first responders). It’s about learning for all components so that those who are making decisions in a crisis situation have all they need to be able to ask the right questions,” Gardiner told the Cape Breton Post in a telephone interview Wednesday. [Read more here...]

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SEBEV trains its members in AED use

December 10th, 2009

First Aid training is a contentious issue in lowland search. Due to the nature of our “work” we do not often find mispers in need of emergency medical care; they are either well past that or more fortunately in need of a little TLC and not much else.

However, the “image” of Search and Rescue and indeed the charitable medical cover services that many ALSAR Units provide means that many provide their members with good quality first aid training.

SEBEV SAR recently trained all its members in the use of AED (Automatic External Defibrillators);

Chairman Sam Avery said “Given SEBEV’s primary function for Search & Rescue in Berkshire and our role in providing first aid and stewarding at local events, it is essential that all our members are proficient in the use of AEDs. Almost every single member of the team is now qualified in the use of the AED and the accompanying Basic Life Support (BLS) skills. We consider this an absolute minimum requirement of all members regardless of role.” [Read more here...]

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Busy weekend for ALSAR Units

November 17th, 2009

More news slowly filtering in about other ALSAR callouts over last weekend.

Wilsar had a callout on the 14th Nov. “to assist Wiltshire Police with search for vulnerable missing male in Swindon area. 21 members attended, assisted by members of ISAR. Male located safe and well.”

Essex SAR also had a callout, on the 15th Nov. “to assist in the search for a missing male in the West Horndon area, but was stood down en route.”

Amazing the amount of work done by volunteers every day around the UK in Search and Rescue…

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Search and Rescue Knowledge Exchange

November 12th, 2009

I found another interesting Search and Rescue website start-up whilst searching the other day. The Search and Rescue Knowledge Exchange has been launched as a “place to ask questions about Search and Rescue”.

As the website states;

As long as your question is:

  • detailed and specific
  • written clearly and simply
  • of interest to at least one other person somewhere

… it is welcome here. No question is too trivial or too “newbie”. Oh yes, and it should be about Search and Rescue. We also like reviews of equipment; you can find equipment reviews elsewhere but in Search and Rescue we use things a bit differently so we’d like to see your reviews of equipment as a SAR practicioner.

There has been little ‘action’ on the site so far and the questions/answers are a little dire, but it’s only in its infancy – whether it lives or dies, as always is up to the search and rescue community. Why not take a look?

www.sar-knowledge.com

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