Search & Rescue operations begin by bringing people together, and combining their efforts into a cohesive force. Rendezvous is where, from the individuals perspective, this all begins.
Your first task is to sign-in. Find the person assigned to this task. State your name, radio gear, and any limitations on your time or assignment. Keep in mind that the sign-in person is never going to be able to remember everyone's name, I certainly never do. No matter how well your face is known, always state your full name.
If no one is doing it yet, start the sign-in yourself. A standardized form is not required. Any convenient notepaper will work until management people arrive. Remember, your primary obligation as the first to arrive is to prepare the way for the rest of the team. I will qualify this by saying that even if ten people are already there when you get there, no one has arrived until the sign sheet has started. By default, the first to arrive is the one who first started preparing for the rest of the Team's arrival.
Once your signed in, look for the BRIEFING SHEET. This will give you what is known about the situation. All this information is important, especially in a search. Copy down this info so you can take it with you into the field. If non has been started, start it yourself with the information you have. Remember, everybody is hyped so the more you can do for yourself the better. Listen and read. Don't do too much unnecessary yacking. And don't crowd the Operations Leader and do RELAX!
Next is your gear. As information drifts your way, you should start fine tuning your pack. Pay close attention to every scrap of information. With good information you can eliminate extraneous equipment, or add extra items that will be needed. Even if you're perfectly packed for the call, it never hurts to double check that water bottles are full, flashlights work, and that all that other stuff is actually stuffed.
Now that all is ready, spend what time you have listening to radios, studying maps, considering assignments, and finding yourself a team. At any moment, ready or not, the Operations Leader will be shouting your name with an assignment. There is nothing wrong with suggesting your own assignment, or refusing one offered to you. Don't be pushy though, you'll get along better if you show flexibility. The team you go into the field with needs to be balanced. Assigning strong, fast hikers with slow, deliberate ones is a mistake.
My limits and abilities permit me to go deep into wilderness. Also I am capable of carrying considerable loads. But to request me to take some heavy load at a very high rate of speed to some far and rugged point is folly. My greatest asset in terms of physical ability is endurance, not speed. Thus if a load of tech gear is needed high up on the ridge so we can evac the deceased when the sun comes up in 6 hours, I am an entirely appropriate choice. Upon arriving where needed, I'll still have the energy to set up and operate systems, then hike back out. Knowing all this, I am careful to team up with people of similar ability. Obviously this means you must know the other team member's capabilities.
One important note. From time to time someone will accept an assignment they had no business taking on. Not because they're not capable, no siree! Rather because they haven't got the time available to go where they're being sent. If you have an appointment or some other scheduled activity, don't you dare gamble on getting out in time! More than once one volunteer has had to rush another volunteer many miles across 4WD roads so they could pick up a child at day care, or something equally important. So now somebody who could be contributing to the Team Effort isn't. THINK before you say YES! As you may have noticed, this is sort of a pet peeve of mine.
Arriving late for a call is another matter. You may find yourself at a rendezvous at any hour of the day or night without a radio or a clue. This is where the message cone comes in. Read it carefully. The goal is to find the base camp. Call the SARCI message number on your call sheet, an effort to keep the announcement current will be made. If all else fails try telephoning some of the radio base stations listed on the call sheet.
If you arrive while the victim is being stokesed out of the field and no additional people are requested, there are some supporting things you can do. One of my favorites is people hiking in cold drinks for the team. You empty your pack, line it with several trash bags, and pour in ice with cokes and Gatorade type drinks. You will be immensely appreciated.
Consider the difficulties facing this person. An Ops Leader must monitor numerous radios, know who and what has been sent where and why, formulate strategy, and generally keep his/her head firmly rooted in the job despite the best efforts of us all to loosen it from its moorings.
Easing the burden on this person need not be difficult. Start by thinking over your ideas and actions before hand. Don't bother an Ops Leader with some randomly occurring train of thought you haven't really developed yet. A major no no is seeking the Ops Leader's approval of the idea that you're not really needed here, but you thought you should engage in a protracted discussion just to be sure. This may not be wrong in an old, almost over call out, but it's poor form to do it early on.
How do you make the Ops Leader's job easier? Show up equipped for the job, ready to do your best. Sign-in immediately and completely. Offer ideas and suggestions that you have carefully considered. Be aware that from time to time we all, quite unintentionally, contribute to the noise level. Anyone can become a pest rather than an asset if they try hard enough! Above all be a part of the solution, rather than an addition to the problem.
On to CHAPTER FOUR...
 |
Designed by a member of  |
 |
| Maintenance Data:
tm_3.html.html Date Last Revised: November 15, 1998 |
