U.S. SARR Corps

In today’s world, search and rescue (SAR) images appear continuously before the public eye. In recent years, natural disasters, individual disappearances, abducted children and other high profile missing person cases have caught the attention of the public at large. There are many agencies, organizations and individuals that lay claim to the fact that they perform various endeavors for the task of looking for missing persons. Some public safety agencies lay claim to performing SAR missions, but this is not their primary mission. Consequently, their training and effort is not totally dedicated to SAR but to their primary task.

Although over the past couple of decades there has been a fragmented effort to formerly organize this important task, there is still no national uniformity on how a search mission should be conducted nor a clear consensus of who should be tasked to perform the mission or who should be in charge. Recent cases of missing persons in Camden, New Jersey, Oregon and any number of other searches around the country that have gone wrong demonstrate the inconsistency of our overall effort.

In many parts of the country, there are those assuming the responsibility of conducting searches that have some or very little training or experience to undertake this effort. Many times there is no clearly defined protocol; consequently those involved operate in a vacuum. Missing persons are still dying because of improper or lack of knowledge of proper SAR procedures.

The question is why does this situation exist?

The term search and rescue extols visions of excitement, an adrenalin rush, an emotional high. This brings everyone out to help. Well meaning individuals, other public safety members who feel that their position in the public safety community is an automatic acceptance of their help, and curiosity seekers all rush to the scene.

What exactly does this exotic term, search and rescue, mean?

It seems that it is a task that is being performed by anyone with little or no formal training, and this brings some very negative implications. It does not allow for any kind of standardization of performance or any true uniform method of training or certification process. There are many exceptions throughout the country, albeit, local or regional. The performance of a search mission becomes a random guess, left open to the discretion of those participating. This also leads to a huge question of exactly who is responsible or liable for the results, whether good or bad. Lawyers may have the last word.

So what is the answer? Establish Search, Rescue and Recovery as a profession.

First, let’s look at an analogy of awareness versus professionalism.

Case in point – Anyone can take a basic American Red Cross First Aid Class. Does this make one a medical professional? No, as it is stated, it is only a basic understanding of medical assistance. But, should one decide to become an emergency medical technician (EMT), or a paramedic, then one is then considered to be a medical professional. The distinctions are clear. To become a professional in any field there must be a recognized course of instruction that includes a level of training exceeding that of basic understanding. This requires extensive study and participation in formal classes of instruction and testing to prove competency. Also, professional competency in a field such as public safety, requires constant training to maintain skills. It also requires continuing education and practice. Basic tasks such as first aid do not require this type of effort, although it should.

There is a vast amount of knowledge and procedures concerning search, rescue and recovery that abound throughout North America and the rest of the world, and are already accepted as standards of care. So much so that it is no longer acceptable to accept mediocrity. Peoples’ lives are at stake, and as mentioned early, lives have been lost because of this situation. The only real answer is to bring search, rescue and recovery to a professional level – to make it a profession of its own.

What are the benefits of this system?

An example of an organized response under the suggested system.

A Katrina type disaster –

A disaster strikes a county – the county's unit for all practical purposes would be considered out of action.

The region responds by alerting and sending in county units that form around the affected county.

A second ring of county units prepare to move in for immediate support if needed or be prepared to rotate in for relief.

This procedure continues until all the necessay effort has been completed. It presents a uniform and immediate response.

Final Comment

If such a system were to be nationally implemented, many of the problems we have experienced in the past and continue to see occur, could be greatly reduced or eliminated.

Thirty-five years ago just such a plan was conceived and 20 years ago research and development of the concept was begun. It began as Rescue-40 Search, Rescue, recovery Team, and has since been renamed U.S. SARR Corps. It is a regional organization operating throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.