Search and rescue (SAR)
Search and Rescue (SAR) refers to organized efforts to locate and assist people in peril, often during crises such as natural disasters, maritime incidents, or urban emergencies. SAR teams consist of specially trained professionals who utilize advanced tools like helicopters, cranes, and search dogs to effectively carry out their missions. They are equipped to handle various scenarios, including Air/Sea Rescue (ASR) operations for maritime emergencies and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) for incidents in city environments, such as building collapses or terrorist attacks.
The history of American SAR can be traced back to the late eighteenth century, evolving significantly over the years with the establishment of agencies like the US Coast Guard, which now plays a critical role in maritime rescues. Professional training for SAR personnel is typically rigorous and conducted in specialized institutions, ensuring that rescuers are prepared for the diverse challenges they may face in the field.
SAR operations also encompass wilderness rescues, where teams search for lost or injured individuals in remote areas. These efforts may involve systematic search techniques and the adaptation of strategies based on evidence found during the search. Overall, SAR teams are vital for saving lives in emergencies, showcasing the importance of preparedness and quick action in dangerous situations.
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Search and rescue (SAR)
Search and rescue (SAR) teams are composed of specially trained individuals who find and rescue people in dangerous situations. These situations commonly include natural disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, mudslides, and earthquakes. SAR teams use specialized tools, such as cranes, helicopters, and search dogs, to help find people in peril. They then provide necessary first aid before transferring the individuals to safety. 
SAR teams are trained to rescue people in different types of disasters. Some teams are trained in maritime SAR. They use boats, helicopters, and scuba gear to help rescue victims of shipwrecks and planes that crash into the water. Others are trained in wilderness SAR. They find lost or injured hikers in dense woods. Still others are trained in urban SAR. Those teams help with rescue operations when disasters occur in cities. They use specialized tools to help navigate collapsed buildings and abandoned or broken vehicles.
Brief History
American SAR operations can be dated back to the end of the eighteenth century. In the 1790s, the Revenue Cutter Service helped rescue sailors from dangers at sea. The service members performed this duty independent of government assistance until 1837, when a dramatically publicized shipwreck caused Congress to allocate financial resources to the Revenue Cutter Service.
The Revenue Cutter Service continued providing assistance to shipwrecks and other sailors in distress. However, after numerous deadly shipwrecks, the federal government founded the US Life-Saving Service in 1878. The US Life-Saving Service was a federal agency that provided the same service as the Revenue Cutter Service. It rescued people from maritime disasters. In 1915, this organization became the US Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is responsible for most maritime SAR operations in the United States.
Overview
Professional search and rescue training, such as the training received by federal and military SAR teams, takes place in official schools. The largest and most prominent of these is the National Search and Rescue School at the Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia. The school is operated by both the Coast Guard and the US Navy. It has trained tens of thousands of individuals from numerous nations in advanced SAR techniques.
SAR professionals are trained to react to numerous dangerous situations. They practice recovering realistically weighted dummies from various dangerous situations. They also practice teamwork, prioritization during rescues, and how to handle different types of rescues in varying environments. These environments include vehicle crashes, wilderness situations, and maritime rescues.
While training for SAR, experts are required to pass difficult readiness tests. These tests are designed to replicate dangers and challenges rescuers might face in the field. They include carrying a rescue litter (a stretcher or basket), pulling an unconscious swimmer, and climbing rock mountains.
In most cases, civilian SAR training is not as standardized as military SAR training. Numerous private SAR schools exist throughout the United States, and the style of training differs among schools. Some sheriff departments send their members for training at private schools. However, in many cases, civilians attend private SAR schools to learn the skills that will allow them to help with volunteer rescue organizations.
SAR teams are equipped to handle numerous challenges. The demands of one mission are often very different than the demands of others. Some missions involve Air/Sea Rescue (ASR). These missions are most commonly carried out by the US Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force. They involve shipwrecks, individuals lost at sea, and planes that crash over water. In most of these scenarios, the SAR team spends very little time searching for the victims. Their location may already be known from a distress call, or they may be very easy to locate. However, rescuing victims from cold, dangerous water is often difficult and dangerous. Many ASR teams use helicopters to rescue stranded individuals before they succumb to freezing or drowning.
Urban SAR, often called USAR, provides different challenges from ASR. USAR involves rescuing individuals from dangerous situations in urban environments. These situations include disasters such as hurricanes, mudslides, or terrorist attacks that occur within cities. Unlike ASR teams, USAR teams are often equipped with heavy demolition equipment. This includes axes, bolt cutters, jackhammers, bulldozers, chainsaws, and cranes. The team members also often come equipped with breathing apparatuses, allowing rescuers to operate in smoky or dust-filled environments. These tools allow USAR teams to rescue victims from collapsed buildings, damaged vehicles, or any number of dangerous situations that can occur in an urban emergency.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maintains twenty-five national USAR task forces across the country. When a disaster occurs, the three nearest USAR task forces are sent to the location. The largest USAR mission in US history took place on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked New York City. The attack left countless survivors buried under the collapsed buildings. Twenty of FEMA’s USAR teams, each equipped with search dogs, set out to locate and save survivors.
In many wilderness SAR situations, a team may need to conduct difficult search operations to find people stranded in the wilderness. In many cases, the team is unable to verify in advance if the person in need is injured, was a victim of a crime, or is simply lost. SAR teams begin by establishing a search area, usually based upon the missing person’s last known location. The original search area may be revised if evidence of the missing person is found. Slow and thorough searches, such as grid searches, may be used if the SAR team does not believe the lost person is in any immediate danger. Because grid searches tend to turn up more clues, they may also be used if the person is proving particularly difficult to find. However, if there is any concern that the victim is in danger, more rapid searches may be conducted.
Bibliography
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