GROUND SEARCH AND RESCUE

If you love the outdoors and want to serve your community, the El Dorado Search and Rescue Ground Team is where you want to be.

Every El Dorado Search and Rescue volunteer has the opportunity to learn Ground Team search and rescue techniques when they go through EDSAR Academy training, regardless of which teams they would like to join.

As the eyes, ears, and boots on the ground, the Ground Team covers large areas while enabling a thorough and detailed examination of the search area.

Foundational skills and training together reinforce collaboration, coordination, and communication which is paramount for the systematic and methodical methods used to effectively locate, render aid, and safely extract lost, injured, or missing individuals.

Trained to navigate diverse and challenging terrains, from dense forests to rugged mountains, Ground Team Members must be practiced in capabilities that include:

• Search Techniques and familiarity with various search patterns, such as grid searches, line searches, and area searches. 

• Tracking and Clue Awareness to develop the ability to follow tracks and signs left by lost individuals.

• Map and Compass Navigation using traditional land navigation tools to orient and plot courses in areas with limited or no cellular service.

• Equipment Proficiency in the use of specialized equipment, such as GPS devices, radios, first-aid kits, and rescue litters.

• Physical Fitness to meet the physical demands, stamina and strength required, and agility to traverse challenging terrain.

• Adaptability and Mental Resilience to adjust to changing conditions, unexpected challenges, and the emotional demands of SAR work.

• Survival Skills and knowledge of wilderness survival techniques, such as shelter building, fire starting, and water procurement.

• Respect for the Environment and a commitment to minimizing environmental impact during search and rescue operations.

In California, the SAR typing system is primarily governed by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and is based on the FIRESCOPE resource typing system, which is widely used in wildland firefighting.

Typing is a system used to categorize and classify SAR teams and resources based on their capabilities and qualifications. This system helps ensure that the appropriate resources are deployed to incidents, improving efficiency and effectiveness in SAR operations.

EDSAR's search training progresses from Type 4 Urban Searchers to highly skilled Type 1 Searchers. Type 1 Searchers are extensively trained to handle complex and large-scale incidents, capable of 72-hour deployments in demanding environments. These environments may include rugged terrain, extreme weather (snow, ice, desert heat), altitudes exceeding 7000 feet, heavy ground cover, and steep, challenging inclines.