Cochrane Search and Rescue Association

Search and rescue is the act of "finding and aiding people in distress: relieving pain and suffering in all its many forms" (Cooper, LaValla, & Stoffel, 1996).

Searchers may be called out for several reasons: overdue persons, missing persons, evidence searches, natural or human caused disaster situations, and, most importantly, for public education.

How does a search begin and what is involved?

A search begins when someone contacts their local police (normally RCMP) with a problem and the police determine that they require additional assistance. The police obtain this additional assistance by contacting the volunteer search and rescue team in their immediate area. A callout for the local search and rescue team is initiated and team members start heading out to the scene.

Once on scene, a command post and base of operations is set up. This base of operations is staffed by a search manager, communications co-ordinator (responsible for radio communication), liaison officer (police), and the searchers. Once the base of operations is in place, the search can begin. Searchers sign in and are divided up into hasty teams (groups of around 3 searchers). An assigned team leader for each hasty team attends a briefing with the search manager to determine the area their group will be covering and to receive important information such as a description of the victim(s), last area seen, the direction they were heading in, important behavioural information about the victim(s), shoe prints, and any other relevant information.

There is an initial attempt to establish a search perimeter to confine the area in which the victim is likely to be in. "A SEARCH AREA without a missing subject is nonsense (Cooper, LaValla, & Stoffel, 1996)!" The hasty teams are then dispatched out to their areas. Once in their area, a team will determine the maximum distance that team members can be separated to effectively cover the area. The team then begins a grid sweep pattern through their area and looks for clues that will lead them to the victim.

There are two outcomes:

1. the victim is found and evacuation is initiated OR
2. the area is cleared and the team reports back to the search manager for re-assignment.

The final search step is a debriefing. The first part of the debriefing process is an operational debriefing. This is usually held in two stages:

1. an immediate debriefing of events
2. an organized meeting at a later time to go over procedures and determine how things could be made more efficient

In addition, a critical incident stress debriefing will be held if there is psychological stress caused to searchers as a result of conditions surrounding the search.

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