Topics covered: Essential Navigation, Communications, Team Equipment List, Mounted Skills, Patient Assessment and Transportation, Mounted Search Theory, Realistic POD, SAR Specific Packing, and Leave No Trace for MSAR
The course fee is $300 per participant with reductions given for more than two members from any one team and for more than 6 participants in the clinic.

Students learn to track by learning to identify and age sign. This 24-hour class is open to all levels of trackers. It will mix classroom and field exercises to create optimal hands-on learning environment.
“Tracking” is a primary first response search resource used to verify witness statements, establish the “PLS,” establish the direction of subject travel and then follow the physical evidence to the missing person. Trackers use teamwork, cooperation and communication as tools for mission success.
This is a “skill development” training program. Novice students will progress from identifying a print to following that print using the “step-by-step” method. Basic, Apprentice and Journeyman Tracker students will be introduced to practical tracking techniques and applications necessary to become a viable resource for SAR missions.
Students at all training levels will be individually challenged with additional advanced tracking concepts and techniques. Journeyman Tracker students will be provided advanced training objectives working with Novice and Apprentice students and separately in simulated actual SAR and law enforcement mission scenarios.

For Paddlers, Professional River Guides, Whitewater Instructors, Search and Rescue Personnel, and Firefighters. The skills necessary to perform rescues in a whitewater environment are essential for all paddlers and rescue personnel, from the professional raft guide, to the private kayaker, to a Search and Rescue team member. At Wet Planet, we offer our knowledge and experience to those looking to increase their swift water rescue skills.
To reserve your spot on the course, contact Wet Planet or register directly online.
Course location is approximately 1 hour from Goldendale, WA in Husum, WA.  Free camping is available at the Wet Planet Whitewater facility. 

Registration deadline is April 8th!
See www.GAK9.com for more information.

Registration deadline is April 8th!
See www.GAK9.com for more information.

Registration deadline is April 8th!
See www.GAK9.com for more information.

This eight hour small-group workshop is intended to give SAR Deputies and Officers a practical grounding in reading and using topographic and aerial maps for SAR planning, mission management, and documentation. The workshop includes: map interpretation and insights; short near-classroom field walks with map and GPS; and grid systems. No prior map experience or equipment is required. Limited to 18 deputies/officers; open to non-law enforcement on a space available basis.

SMS is an integrated, practitioner based search management course. SMS consists of field proven techniques and tools and is based on the philosophy that all searches have a common beginning. This initial response phase might last several hours to several days. Characteristics of this phase include an emphasis on hasty searching and investigation, relatively small number of resources and agencies, a limited overhead staff and a loosely defined search area. Current research indicates most searches are resolved in this initial response phase. However, regardless of how large or complex a search may become the proper initial actions are identical and crucial to success. This ICS based course focuses on providing participants the tools needed to confidently initiate operations aimed at finding the lost subject as quickly as possible while providing the structure to expand the search operation if that becomes necessary. The fourth day (optional) of this course is described in the “Search Management: The Practitioner’s Perspective” presentation described below.  Class size limit is 32.  Presented by Hugh Dougher.

Whatcom County Deputy George Ratayczak will share effective tricks of the trade he’s utilized for investigating, managing and resolving missing person reports during his twelve years as SAR Deputy.  Baker County (OR) Special Deputy Chris Galiszewski will provide insights into the investigative/search techniques and challenges his agency faced in two recent major incidents: the 2007 13-day Wallowa Mountains search for 76-year-old Doris Anderson; and the 2011 search for Al and Rita Chretien, who disappeared while travelling between Canada and Las Vegas.   And Washington State SAR Coordinator Chris Long will provide a one-hour overview of the State system, including mission numbers, resource coordination, and liability coverage for volunteers. In addition to the 32 Search Management Systems attendees (for which this is day four) an additional 18 slots are available to SAR Deputies and County SAR Coordinators..  Presented by Hugh Dougher.

Primary duties and responsibilities of the planning section chief and subordinate units will be examined.  Designed to meet a portion of the training needs of the planning section chief.  Topics include information gathering, strategies and briefings, incident action plan (IAP), interactions, forms, documents, supplies, demobilization, and an optional technology section. In the final module, the students observe a simulated planning meeting and use the information derived to find errors in an incident action plan (IAP). Presented by ERI International.

Primary duties and responsibilities of the logistics section chief and subordinate units will be examined.  The need for this section to be skilled in various trades and crafts will be discussed as well as the technical services, such as medical and security, provided by this section.  Students will understand the resource mobilization and demobilization processes and be able to apply them in terms of local systems.  Students will understand the key interactions which must occur between the section chief, other members of the command and general staff, off incident organizations, and the host agency for successful incident management.  Students will determine section staffing needs and develop medical and traffic plans for an incident of moderate complexity. Presented by ERI International.

Primary duties and responsibilities of the operations section chief and subordinate units will be examined. The role of the section chief in developing and implementing incident strategy and tactics will be reviewed, along with the management difficulties unique to the operations section chief position. Students will understand the key interactions which must occur between the section chief, subordinates, other members of the command and general staff, off incident organizations, and the host agency for successful incident management. Students will determine section staffing and organization requirements, and learn to apply both strategy and tactics to achieve incident objectives through a series of exercises involving incidents of simple and moderate complexity. Presented by ERI International.

The SMS Practicum is an eight-hour seminar designed as an intensive review and update for SMS course graduates.  Through a series of multi-operational period exercises this course will utilize case studies to explore, review, and reinforce the Search Management Systems (SMS) course principles.  This course will incorporate all the concepts taught in SMS, but from an application - not lecture, perspective.  Prerequisite: previous Search Management Systems course attendance (graduates of other search management courses may also be accepted.)  Course limited to 24 students.  Priority to SAR Coordinators and volunteers with SAR Incident Command and/or General Staff responsibility.  Presented by Hugh Dougher.