The Hall County EMA Team focused it’s September Field Training on techniques used to search for people wearing the Project Lifesaver bracelet (http://www.projectlifesaver.org/ ).  7 field team members and 2 overhead team members participated in the training event held at the future Don Carter State Park.  The team planned a search for two points using data that simulated information from the Project Lifesaver direction finding equipment.  After planning the search the field team executed the plan and successfully found both points.  In addition to that major target for the training the team practiced movement techniques, land navigation and area searching once in the target vicinity.  Collaboration and teamwork among all participants contributed to the success of the training event.

Introduction To Managing The Lost or Missing Person Emergency
Sponsored by the Hall County EMA Search Team in conjunction with the Ga. SAR Advisory Council
A “SAR Saturday” (+Sunday) Event
October 22-23, 2011
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Hall County Emergency Management Complex
470 Crescent Drive
Gainesville, GA 30501
UTM: 17S KU 4318 0126

RSVP to: Robert Copelan at rcopelan@gmail.com or 678-971-9876 by 1 October 2011 so that class size can be determined and materials prepared.

A two-day, 16-hour class providing emergency managers training in how to: effectively manage a land search through the initial phase, anticipate changes in incident complexity, utilize the proper search sequence, effectively utilize search theory and lost person behavior, learn proper resource selection and deployment as well as utilization of ICS. Class includes limited table top exercises allowing students the opportunity to begin using the knowledge learned during the class. As a prerequisite, it is recommended students have completed ICS 100, 200 and 700. POST credit for law enforcement officers.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: At the completion of the class the student will understand how to effectively manage a land search through the initial response phase. Most searches are completed in less than 12 hours so this course focuses on proper initial efforts. The class will allow the manager to anticipate and manage changes in incident complexity. The class will bring significant understanding of lost person behavior and how historical data can aid in current operations. The student will be introduced to job aids to manage search efforts and make effective – efficient strategy and tactical decisions. The class will cover the search sequence from initial call to mission end. Students will practice skills in table top exercises involving actual search incidents.

Instructors: Southeast Search and Rescue Associates
Allen Padgett, now retired from Georgia DNR after 34 years as a Wildlife Technician, WMA Manager and law enforcement officer, has been personally involved in over 100 searches. He is currently training officer for the DNR SAR team.

Bob Bolz, now retired after 34 years with Georgia DNR having served as a Park Manager, Region Resource Manager and law enforcement officer, has been personally involved in over 100 searches. He served on the DNR Search & Rescue Team from 1979 until 2009 and held the team Chief position from 1987 until his retirement in 2009. He continues as a volunteer member of that team.

Class Flyer can be downloaded HERE

Members of the Hall County Search Team participated in  Project Lifesaver training.

Project Lifesavers motto is “Bringing Loved Ones Home”.  Team members learned how to use electronic tracking devices to find missing Alzheimer, Dementia, Autistic and Down Syndrome patients.

On Sep 25, 2010 our team spend the day in the field doing extensive land navigation training.  In addition to our active field team spending over 5 hours on the course, we began training new team members on the basics of wilderness search and rescue.

The Hall County EMA Search Team will participate in a joint training exercise with elements of the Georgia Civil Air Patrol on 28 Aug 2010.

The training scenario will begin with a simulated missing aircraft that is possibly located within northern Hall County.

Training objectives include familiarizing our team with the ground search operations for missing aircraft in order to possibly support CAP ground teams in future missions.

The Civil Air Patrol is the primary resource that is tasked with searching for missing and overdue aircraft.  This is done with both trained ground teams and air crews.

Remember : SEARCH IS AN EMERGENCY

Even though most downed aircraft in mountainous / wooded terrain results in no survivors, there is always a possibility that passengers may survive the crash.  In the late 80′s there was a mission in North Georgia, where a 4 passenger aircraft crashed in the mountain around 8:30 am.  A CAP ground team was dispatched around 7pm that evening and by means of electronic search and navigation skills was able to located the wreckage on the side of Gooch Mountain (north of Dahlonega) around 1am.  A 14 year old girl survived the crash (with injuries) and was saved because of the hundreds of hours of training they previously conducted in mountainous search and rescue techniques.  This mission also drives home the importance of training at night for mountainous search operations.  Members of this same CAP squadron will be participating in our joint training activity.

Here is some additional training materials that should be reviewed prior to the exercise in order to give you some background on the technical aspects of the search :

Hunt for the ELT

DCCS Crashsite Student Guide

A detailed write-up on this excellent training was written by one of our team members, who is also a member of the Georgia Trackers Alliance and can be read at “First Georgia Lost Person Behavior Class“