Tracking in the Wilderness Enviroment

Hosted by the Thames group

THIS IS THE SECOND OF THE TRACKING COURSES FOR SAR FIELD TEAM MEMBERS.

It develops the important skill of sign “cutting” - how to locate sign, determine its age and evaluate its relevance.  You will also learn how to apply decision pointing in the field, identifying specific places where there might be sign or clues.

TWE is a practically based course, meaning you will be outside much of the time so wear appropriate clothing and boots.

You need to come equipped for the weather – wet weather gear may be needed.

There will be one evening/night exercise that will finish between 7-8pm on Saturday evening.  

You must have attended and successfully completed Tracking Core Skills prior to attending this course.

GEAR LIST (please bring)
 A hi-viz vest
 Head torch and handheld torch with spare batteries
 LandSAR field guide
 LandSAR aide memoir
 LandSAR waterproof notebook
 Pen/pencil 
 Magnifying glass
 Silva prismatic compass or GPS
 Penknife
 Tracking stick

TRACKING CORE SKILLS

Hosted by Hamilton Group

TCS PROVIDES AN INTRODUCTION TO TRACKING FOR SAR FIELD TEAM MEMBERS.

In this 2 day training event, observational skills are developed so that sign or clues can be found. You will learn about the sign left by people as they travel through the environment, and develop your tracking skills in order to be able to follow an individual in the wilderness. You will learn about the use of tracking sticks and using a light source to help with the tracking process, whilst learning about the importance of processing a clue site correctly.

This course covers the theory of the topics, but also offers plenty of field based skills practice. Some pre course is required but there is no post course work and there are no prerequisites.

This is a practical based course, you will spend most of the time outside. Please wear appropriate outdoor clothing.

GEAR LIST (Please bring)
 A hat to assist you in the practical exercises
 Head torch
 Handheld torch
 Spare batteries for your torch
 LandSAR field guide
 LandSAR aide memoir
 LandSAR waterproof notebook (if you have one)
 Pens/pencils
 Hi viz vest
 Tracking stick (a 1 meter stick/garden cane is sufficient)
 Wet weather gear

There will be one evening/night exercise which will finish between 7-8pm on the Saturday night.

Processing Wilderness Clue Sites 04/05 Aug 2018 Katikati

This is the third of the tracking courses for SAR field team members.

In this 2 day course, students are expected to have knowledge and field experience of the skills taught in the 2 previous courses (TCS & TWE).

PWCS teaches the skills necessary to deduct the subject’s likely physical and mental condition and equipment carried, and to then make search decisions based on these deductions.

Emphasis is placed on identifying, analysing and processing clue sites in wilderness environments such as camp sites, fire sites, washing and water collection points.

This is fundamentally a practical course with students developing skills previously gained and extending those skills through the application of new theory and practice in the field, with the assistance of expert tutors. 

There will be one evening/night exercise and you will be required to camp out on the Saturday night.

T18018: Extended Search Planning (Management)

Wellington area

MANAGING THE INITIAL RESPONSE

THIS COURSE PREPARES THE STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE IN AN INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM DURING THE INITIAL RESPONSE PHASE OF A SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATION.

It covers a wide range of topics including operational pre-planning; conducting search urgency assessments; collecting information for the initial response; applying lost person behaviour theory during an initial response period; applying reflex tasking; establishing and confining the initial search area; applying decision pointing; and assigning SAR resources during the initial response period. Students also develop their understanding of lost person behaviour and how it affects the search planning process.

This three day course involves both theory and scenario based practice. Some pre course work is required but there is no post course work. 

Prerequisites are CIMS 2 which is covered in the pre-course material, and Search Techniques.

Minimum number of attendees - 10

EXTENDED SEARCH PLANNING

PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS FORMAL SEARCH PLANNING

It is widely accepted that 94% (or thereabouts) of all search and rescue operations are resolved within the initial response phase, using search management techniques learnt on the Managing The Initial Response (MTIR) course.

Bu what happens when you don’t locate the missing subject in that first phase?  This is when you have to start applying a more formal approach to search management and operate over an extended period.

The ESP course covers topics such as:

• Review of the initial response phase
• Determination of the search area
• Scenario development and analysis (in more detail)
• Planning regions and apportioning POA to those
• Segmenting regions and apportioning POA to those
• Search implementation (right resources in the right place at the right time)
• Search effort evaluation and the reallocation of POA and search effort
• Operational changeovers
• Search suspension
• Critical incident stress
• Operational debriefs
• Managing external influences

The course is designed for those who have already attended the MTIR course and ideally have some search management experience under their belts.  The training will enable participants to confidently contribute in a team environment to the search planning and incident management needs of an extended search operation.

Minimum number of attendees - 16

Further information on ESP training is available on the NZSAR web page here

Stretcher Management & Rope 3/4 March 2018

This course is currently under development and will eventually replace Foundation Rope Rescue

The proposed new course has a strong focus on stretcher management and rope safety as opposed to rope rescue – the learning outcomes being:

• Work as a member of a team to carry and manage a stretcher over low angled terrain
• Select and apply knot craft in general field based Land SAR situations
• Demonstrate knowledge of properties and appropriate care of rope safety equipment
• Identify and manage risks, scope of practice and system limitations for low angle rope safety and stretcher management

The new course has been approved by SARPAC and the SAR (ACE) Governance Group and development is currently underway. 

K Walker 29/11/2017

LandSAR

SARTrack User

This 1 day course (15 Sept) is aimed at those who will use the SARTrack software during search and rescue operations, from management personnel who will be inputting data to those who will use SARTrack to manage the incident.

Participants will learn how to log into the software and start and manage an operation using SARTrack as a tool to aid search management.

Further information on SARTrack training (Link)

Participants will also learn how to:

• manage resources during an incident
• assign and track tasks to teams
• log messages and information
• use mapping functions, including live tracking of teams

The course will also teach current best practice in terms of naming conventions for operations, teams, tasks and equipment and will show how to use features that will aid in the overall management of a search.

The course is a hands-on practical application of SARTrack and caters for all levels of computer skill.

Prerequisites – CIMS level 2 (Unit Standard 17279) which can be completed by way of a TPP e-learning module – participants can register for this course on the Training Calendar on the LandSAR website. It will take no more than a couple of hours to complete.

What to bring – everything is provided, but a pen and a notebook might be useful. Participants do not need to bring their own laptop.

SARTrack Technical User

This 1 day (16 Sept) LandSAR facilitated workshop is aimed at technically proficient people who are able to setup, maintain and administer computers within a search and rescue environment.

Participants will learn how to install and setup the SARTrack software suite to their own computers and networks.

Participants will also learn the basic concepts of networking along with the implementation of SARTrack clients and local servers.

Participants will also learn the basic concepts of networking along with the implementation of SARTrack clients and local servers, to achieve a distributed system.

This includes how to progressively implement SARTrack into an operation as it escalates, including those located at remote sites such as staging areas.

The tutors will also cover such topics as how to setup live tracking, and advanced features of bulk importation of people, timeline manipulation and managing imported data such as GPS tracks.

The workshop is a hands-on practical application of SARTrack with participants working cooperatively with their own equipment.

Participants should be familiar with computers, particularly their own group equipment and have some basic networking knowledge.

Prerequisites – ideally all participants should have attended a SARTrack User course however equivalent proficiency with SARTrack will be accepted.

What to bring – participants will need to bring their group's computer gear.

T18170: Tracking Core Skills

TCS PROVIDES AN INTRODUCTION TO TRACKING FOR SAR FIELD TEAM MEMBERS.

In this 2 day training event, observational skills are developed so that sign or clues can be found. You will learn about the sign left by people as they travel through the environment, and develop your tracking skills in order to be able to follow an individual in the wilderness. You will learn about the use of tracking sticks and using a light source to help with the tracking process, whilst learning about the importance of processing a clue site correctly.

This course covers the theory of the topics, but also offers plenty of field based skills practice. Some pre course is required but there is no post course work and there are no prerequisites.

This is a practical based course, you will spend most of the time outside. Please wear appropriate outdoor clothing.

GEAR LIST (Please bring)
 A hat to assist you in the practical exercises
 Head torch
 Handheld torch
 Spare batteries for your torch
 LandSAR field guide
 LandSAR aide memoir
 LandSAR waterproof notebook (if you have one)
 Pens/pencils
 Magnifying glass
 Small mirror
 Hi viz vest
 Tracking stick (a 1 meter stick is sufficient)
 Wet weather gear

There will be one evening/night exercise which will finish between 7-8pm on the Saturday night.

There is no pre-course assessment for this course, however it is recommended that you read this website article before you attend the course.

http://www.squidoo.com/man-tracking-find-follow-tracks#module59998842

T18159: Swift Water Awareness

THIS 2 DAY COURSE IS AIMED AT keeping SAR field personnel safe who may be deployed in the vicinity of a swift water environment, such as a river or flood generated incident.

Basic hydrology, equipment, river crossings and swimming, throw bag use, and strainer drills are all covered from both a theoretical and practical perspective.

Minimum  number of attendess - 12

POC info sheet available for download

Course Material

• SWA for POC.pdf