Mission:
BERTS seeks to create a challenging learning environment that encourages high expectations for success through instruction that allows for individual differences and learning styles. Our school promotes a safe, orderly, caring, and supportive environment. We are committed to instilling in each student a desire to learn, to take appropriate risks, and to accept challenges that face them in the field. We must always remember, “This we do, so others may live.”
What is BERTS?
We offer National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) educational courses in Introduction to Search and Rescue, Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, Advanced Search and Rescue and all NASAR Wilderness Emergency Medical Care courses. We also offer NASAR certification exams for SARTECH I, SARTECH II and SARTECH III as well as workshops for SARTECH Evaluators, Lead Evaluators and Instructors. We offer numerous First-Aid, CPR, emergency oxygen, and wilderness medical courses through the American Health and Safety Institute (ASHI). Additionally, we offer other courses and topics relating to emergency services, search and rescue.
Why BERTS?
BERTS is not the know all/end all. We take search research and theory, best practice, real world experience and put it into a structure for the student to use effectively both as volunteers and paid professionals. We use a hands-on approach to help you learn and be able to apply your skills. One advantage to the BERTS program is having two or more Instructors with advanced level search and rescue training who are NASAR SARTECH I’s, Wilderness-EMT’s or have other advanced wilderness medical training. We bring multiple levels of SAR and real world perspectives to the classroom beyond the book. We are prior military, backpackers, and hunters. We are trained as professionals in emergency and public service disciplines such as Law Enforcement, Firefighting, EMS, Social Work, Rope Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Underwater Rescue/Recovery, Lost Person Behavior, HAZMAT, SAR Incident Command, Public Education and Higher Education. This is provided only to let you know our program is more than a “couple of guys” who simply regurgitate what comes from a book.
What our students have said:
“To start with, let me thank you for the positive and morally clean atmosphere you provide in your classes. It enhances learning, at least for me. Not having the distraction of off-color comments, etc. is a benefit and blessing that I have failed to appreciate enough. May your cups run over.”
“I have to commend you all for putting on a fantastic class – one that brought me back to why I fell in love with EMS in the first place – and reminded me how I do miss it as a full time career. The team members that were able to attend this weekend learned so much an appreciate all the time and effort that went in to putting on the class!”
“We had our first search last week and everything that you taught us worked! We used our learned skills and the missing person was found very quickly. Thank you!!”
“Many courses I have taken where all they do is give you the answers to the test, a certificate and you don’t really learn anything. This course was not the case. I was over-confident, cocky and thought I knew everything coming in and I was quickly humbled. I learned more than I ever expected. Thank you for an excellent class!
“I am SO GLAD I came to this course (vs. other local teams offering this course). Having such knowledgeable instructors made the difference and having different instructors teach the area that they enjoys most showed each strength and passion! I am looking forward to more and I will recommend to others!”
“In my 35 years of Fire/EMS I have NEVER had a number of instructors that were so respectful!!! Helpful and really cared about the group they were teaching.”
“Thank you for a very professionally presented course. I was impressed with your patience and willingness to give extra time with struggling students without holding others back.”
“Craig and Jerry are fantastic instructors! They (and their cadre) more than meet expectations- the environment is one of respect and great opportunity to learn.”
“Instructors help out a lot, went out of their way to explain and made a hard course easy to understand.”
“Instructors were great! Exceeded my expectations!”
“Never imagined I would have learned as much as I did!”
