While SAR trains all members in basic rescue skills like rope systems, basic emergency medicine and tracking, not all SAR members will ever climb 5.12 rock, ski 70 degree slopes, or run for miles to clear trail.
When we need specialized skills, we rely on our special teams.
SAR special teams consist of team members with experience and training in areas including:
- Cave
- Communications/Radio
- Dive (SCUBA)
- ELT (downed aircraft)
- Fleet
- Flat Ice
- K9
- Mass Casualty
- Medical
- Mountain Rescue Team
- Open Water
- Singletrack (motorcycles)
- Swiftwater
- Tracking
Many SAR teams around the nation only require a few special skills. Other teams may only call members when their specific expertise is needed. One enjoyable aspect of participating on the Utah County SAR team is the need for various exciting skills and the opportunity to learn basic or advanced skills in as many fields as the member wants.
Each team has a sergeant tasked with organizing trainings for all interested team members to keep up on skills and teamwork, keeping up to date on rescue techniques and gear, and submitting budget requests for team gear and training as needed.
Dear SAR, I am very interested in your K9 unit. I am adept at training and working with dogs. I have a personal history of training hunting dogs, both pointers and retrievers. I was also a member of NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association). Now I would like to put my ability to good use. Please contact me with as much information as possible.
Thank You,
Ronald
[Last name and phone number removed for privacy]
Thanks for your interest, Ronald.
I’ll pass your message along to our K9 special team. We have several dog handlers who practice on a regular basis and have been used extensively for avalanche recoveries and other missions.
Our team interviews annually in October for new members, then trains them while they participate actively during the following year. We can always use a few more dedicated members, especially with special skills like yours. You can find an application form on the http://www.ucssar.org website.
If you haven’t already, you might also check with Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs http://www.rockymountainrescuedogs.net/), another locally active rescue dog association who we often cooperate with.
Shaun Roundy