TRAINING

MASTER THE ART OF RESCUE

Prior to applying to El Dorado Search and Rescue, prospective volunteers must complete the following certifications:

After joining EDSAR, volunteers must maintain current First Aid and CPR/AED certifications as per El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and California Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) guidelines.

El Dorado Search and Rescue Volunteers must stay current in First Aid and CPR/AED certification.

While awaiting the completion of their background check, volunteers can begin their training by studying the Incident Command System (ICS) and completing online self study courses ICS 100, ICS 200, and ICS 700. A copy of each ICS certificate will need to be submitted to qualify as an EDSAR volunteer.

Logo for FEMA Emergency Management Institute
El Dorado Search and Rescue has experts who train searchers on tracking and looking for clues

Tracking experts guide searchers to look for clues

Learning wilderness survival skills is crucial for El Dorado Search and Rescue Volunteers

Wilderness survival is crucial in SAR

Once a volunteer's background check is cleared and they are assigned an EDSAR Member ID number, they are eligible to begin their official EDSAR training, which is free of charge and taught by experts.

EDSAR Academy training, held twice annually over 3 weeks, offers comprehensive instruction in subjects including:

Ground and Specialty Teams engage in all-day monthly training exercises to continuously develop skills and learn new techniques. Dedicated EDSAR Members on multiple teams easily spend over 30 hours of their personal time training each month.

Joining EDSAR demands serious commitment. Volunteers must invest time in training, develop SAR skills, purchase personal equipment, and meet rigorous mission readiness standards.

To help EDSAR Members along in their SAR journey, each EDSAR Team has a Team Leader and Training Officer. EDSAR Members are provided with a Field Training Manual and a Position Task Book (PTB). The PTB outlines the precise tasks and skill sets required for each position within EDSAR. By standardizing training and qualification processes, the PTB ensures that individuals possess the necessary knowledge and abilities to perform their duties effectively and safely, while providing a clear pathway to progress in typing. Showing up consistently for training to learn from your fellow colleagues and building team bonds and trust are key to being successful in search and rescue.

Image of two hands holding a red heart that has the logo for El Dorado County Search and Rescue with text at the bottom in red that says "CLICK TO DONATE"

EDSAR Members dedicate countless personal hours and funds to equip themselves for training and missions.

Your generosity will directly support specialized training from experts and critical team equipment which are costly but essential to ensure our safety and effectiveness.