Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q’s)

Where do I start

How do I start? 

First, ANY training you do make sure: 1)  You get certification for the training.  Many people are knowledgeable and can “train”, but only a few can certify.  Certification is what matters. and 2)  Your training follows a standardized curriculum from a reputable source recognized by your state, national, or international standards for certification; (i.e. ASTM, NFPA, NIMS, NASAR, DOD, Mountain Rescue Association, American Heart Association, ASHI, Red Cross, your states Fire Academy or EMA, FEMA, etc).  Avoid anyone or any program that independently writes their own curriculum and tells you it is the best or only way.  Their intentions, personal knowledge, and training may be good but they are narrow minded and miss-leading, generally with an agenda of selfish motives; (many times they have strayed from a recognized training or program they had a conflict with and tried to one-up the old program by trying to make a better one themselves, often short cutting to try to get ahead).  The ONLY single absolute in SAR is safety. Beyond that, there are many ways to accomplish the same goal.  Using certified standards will help you be in compliance with ASTM, NFPA, NIMS, FEMA, and most local program standards recognized by law enforcement, fire departments, or EMA’s who are the authority in charge (a.k.a. Agency Having Authority or Agency Having Jurisdiction) of a search and all responding resources to that area.    

Your first step is to get trained as an individual SAR asset. This is the foundation to all other training and specialty work you will get into.

Where to start?  

There are some great awareness level courses that can be taken online. These will help wet your appetite and help you understand if the particular topic(s) are what you want to pursue with your time and resources. NASAR has great courses in their ISAR (Introduction to Search & Rescue) course with online exams to gain entry level certificates for SARTECH IV & III.  These are NOT designed to prepare you or certify you for field deployment for a SAR event. They are awareness only, to help you have a larger understanding and overview of what SAR is. 

We recommend NASAR’s FUNSAR (Fundamentals of Search & Rescue).  This is an A-Z educational course for search training.  This course is geared for the person who has no organized or formal search training all the way up to experienced hunters, backpackers, guides, and military personnel.  FUNSAR is the prerequisite course which prepares the candidate for the SARTECH II (Search & Rescue Technician Level 2) certification examination.  The operations level certification.  Once you are a SARTECH II, you are operations level trained, certified, and ready to deploy into a field search environment; day AND night.  Typically you can find the FUNSAR and SARTECH II offered in combination with each other.  The FUNSAR journey begins by contacting NASAR to get your task book and get started.  

Another very important training will be medical.  You may be the first person to contact a missing person and first aid can be very necessary.  Most teams require a minimum of basic first aid and CPR.  This is good.  However, in a wilderness environment, more advanced help may be a while in arriving on scene and thus we recommend more training.  As a minimum, the WFA (Wilderness First Aid – 16 hours) and CPR-BLS brings a higher level of capability to the victim from the onset, and is a prerequisite for the FUNSAR course.  For anyone who is going to be serious about their SAR career, we recommend a minimum of WFR (Wilderness First Responder).  This is an 80 hour course that gives a very strong skill set for patient assessment, field interventions, and patient transport options; (the next step higher is EMT).  In all cases, medical first aid training is necessary.  Regardless the level of your training or how well you think you are trained, you must always act within the standard operating procedures (SOP’s) of your team or the AHJ.  In other words, if you are an EMT but your team protocol or the local AHJ says nobody can operate beyond basic first aid, you may be restricted to only operating at the basic first aid level.  This is a very hard concept for many EMT’s and Paramedics to swallow and why many develop their own teams (mentioned above) to do it “their way”.  Good education should make you wise enough to understand your limitations and legal limits.  In all cases, advanced medical knowledge and abilities are very valuable!  Be sure to get at least wilderness first aid and CPR-BLS trained to treat your own needs or those of your teammates.

Other areas you can start your training for FREE which you’ll need with nearly any team or AHJ you work with, (all fire, law enforcement and EMS personnel need for their professional careers too) are many FEMA classes.  You can find them by doing a Google search for “FEMA IS-100” (or whatever number of course you want).  IS stands for Independent Study.  They are on-line courses from FEMA that you get a certificate at the end of the course.  Courses you should consider:  IS 100, 200, 700, 800, 10, 11, 5.  There are many more, but if you get started with these, you’ll get a solid platform for all your trainings across the board.  You may even go on to take a LOT more.  NOTE:  some of the classes may be 100.a, or 100.b, etc.  This is because the curriculum has been updated from its original number i.d.  You want the updated version.  AND…at the end of each course you can print a certificate from FEMA.  NOTE:  IS-100 is now a prerequisite for FUNSAR.  

It may be worth looking into HAM Radio (a.k.a. armature radio) license. Even the lowest level, Technician, is very valuable and used widely thru ought the country.  Some of the more active teams in multiple states, not all, make this a base requirement to joint their teams.  Others give up to 6 months to get during a probationary period.  In other words, teams who know what they are doing feel this is important.

Avoid using only one instructor.  Keep an open mind and find a host of professionals who can provide diversity to your training.  One thing BERTS does is compiles anywhere from 2-12 different certified Instructors and certified subject experts for a given course to ensure students hear from many trained professionals who practice in multiple fields of public services including law enforcement, fire, EMS, K9’s, Equestrians, military, Incident Management, public education, social services and many more disciplines.  We also encourage and facilitate networking with teams near or adjacent to your home area of operations, interstate and internationally to help build your skills and training opportunities. 

We strongly encourage you to align with a reputable team that is connected with your local law enforcement agency. You do not have a to be a sworn peace officer. What we recommend is being aligned with the Agency Having Jurisdiction. They know what they want and need. If you want to be used, it is best practice to be trained as an asset they need. This strongly contrasts teams built by independents who want to be in charge of their own program and have the attitude of not needing to follow a given law enforcement program. Often times this is identified by law enforcement as trust issues and a growing reason law enforcement shy’s away from using “volunteer SAR people”. Law enforcement has to know they have people they can trust to do the right things, make the right and defendable decisions that match with the political stance and structure of their department/office. Independent teams do not typically fit that mold. Hear me now/believe me later on this. We have been doing this in a lot of states for a lot of years (more than 20) and this is a recuring theme. But, it is only our opinion and your time and money. Use it however you want.

NOTE:  if the concept of networking and/or using other instructors scares, intimidates, or upsets the powers that be within a given SAR program you want to work with, re-read the above information and determine what that team’s goals and agenda are.  You may find or realize the given team may not be the right one for you…you, a professionally trained volunteer.

DON’T start spending money until you know what you need.  If your budget is bottomless, disregard this advice.  If it’s tight and out-of-your-own-pocket like most of us, network, ask, learn what, why, or why not before dropping money for something you don’t want or need; training and equipment alike.  Trust me, in time you’ll end up with 2-3 closets full of stuff you used and then put aside to get better stuff anyway.  Likely, many of your teammates have stuff you can borrow and try before spending money…and if they like you, should give you the same advice too!

This is not an exhaustive list for your SAR education.  It is merely a map to help you get pointed in a good direction as you get started.  Continue reading more Frequently Asked Questions for more information on other topics.  

DO I NEED TO WEAR A HELMET? WHICH ONE…THERE ARE SO MANY???

This is going to be up to your own organizational protocols.  Be sure to consult your insurance provider too! However, if head protection is warranted, our personal and professional recommendations regarding head protection for ground SAR and other taskings are the same as it is to all of our students from all across the country.  Not because we have superior wisdom or training, but because we have done research, asked people – paid and volunteers- in the industry, field operators and technicians, manufacturers, and wholesalers, distributers, and safety directors in multiple fields of rescue work.  Also to be noted, OSHA has started to get involved in discussions and proposals for SAR PPE. Helmets, (not hard hats), on their list.

NASAR requires the wearing of a properly fitting and secured helmet (i.e. chin strap) for all night training and to certify as a SARTECH II. If you are required to wear it to become certified, it should seem reasonably expected that to operate at the certification level would require the same discipline.

Pay attention to the environment you are training and searching in. Urban, light USAR, Wilderness (day &/or night), along roadways, technical rescue, in work zones where hard hats or helmets are required, hot temperatures, cold and sub-zero environments, etc. Match or exceed the industry standard.

In the current text book for NASAR, on page 206 they state: “the following standards and capabilities are recommended for helmets that are used in SAR environment: Meets the requirements of the EN12492 and EN397 for protection against impact; meets requirements of UIAA 106; satisfies optional requirement of the EN397 standard concerning lateral deformation and use in cold temperatures; Optional meets ANSI Z89.1-2014 Type II Class C; Optional includes air vents; Able to securely attach a headlamp.”

BERTS additionally Highly recommends that adjustable retention system(s) be of a wheel design, adjustable with gloves on to reduce distraction and safety – in all temperatures, all conditions without removing gloves (PPE) of leather, medical, or insulated cold weather type.  We encourage air vents to reduce overheating by volunteers who seldom wear headgear. Head lamps from Wal-mart ($12.99) – custom brand name $450 systems alike should fit the helmet’s universal mounts.

We feel we need to look at some standards which not only meet our need, but also reflect the status quo in SAR universally across the country and internationally.  There are a couple of helmets which typically appear to dominate nearly every helmet search on google, top magazines, gear suppliers, and web-sites which sell SAR specific gear.  We are not naming them here, as this is not intended to sway any opinion to one given helmet or manufacturer.  However, the SAR industry offers a very narrow selection of helmets when it comes down to putting head protection as the priority in determining helmet selection.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Resist suggesting only 1 model and 1 color.  While it is a neat uniformity concept, in the long run it may prove to be an act of futile vanity.  Whatever is new, popular, and best today will be replaced by a “new & improved” model next year.  You won’t be able to maintain uniformity but for a moment.  Getting something today will not guarantee new membership coming on board 6, 12, or 18 months from now will be able to get the same item.  Thus, there will always be different types, styles, and brands.  Additionally, many members on teams have already purchased head gear which meets and/or exceeds their current certified and recognized training standards.  Duplication of service in having to purchase another helmet does not make fiscal sense of membership’s personal resources.

Therefore, our recommendations to address this are:

1)  Identify safety certification specifications which you will require as an organization.  You can recommend a given type and color for all future purchases.  However,

2)  Allow membership to determine which brand, model, and style fits his/her own personal budget; as long as they meet established certification specifications.

3)  Grandfather anyone who already has a helmet meeting the required protection standards.

4)  Have a common, standardized decal set for the helmet.  Regardless style, manufacturer, or color, it will still produce a common uniformity.

In conclusion, look like a professional.  If you want to be perceived as a professional in the SAR world, do not show up looking like a CERT team volunteer or construction worker wearing a hard hat.  Show up wearing gear and PPE other professionals are wearing.  Not only will you look like professionals, you will be protected at the level you perform at AND have the respect of the professionals you are called to assist.

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.”

“Craig and Jerry are fantastic instructors! They (and their instructor 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!” 

Additional F.A.Q.’s

1. “What am I paying for?”
   • There is a simple answer that sets NASAR apart from any other curriculum you can find. You are paying for a standardized certification that meets ASTM, NFPA, FEMA, the National SAR Supplement, CSA, ANSI, ISO, Many state SAR guidelines, and other industry and internationally recognized standards.
2. But why do I care about ASTM, NFPA, FEMA, and all of that? I am walking through the woods looking for someone – I find my keys everyday around the house! Why do I need a class to do that? And why do I have to pay NASAR to get certified? Isn’t this just a money grab?
   • No- it isn’t just a money grab. The answer is standardization. NASAR has already done the work to ensure your certification meets the standards identified for wilderness search & rescue among all those acronyms- ASTM, NFPA, and FEMA. In fact, NASAR has spent several years doing crosswalks and references among them all, including legal reviews, to ensure the curriculum you are studying meets these nationally recognized standards. And because the industry and world are ever changing, this requires updates and continual monitoring, ensuing any changes in the ASTM, NFPA, FEMA, the National SAR Supplement, CSA, ANSI, ISO, Many state SAR guidelines, OSHA and other industry and internationally recognized standards get adopted into the NASAR curriculum.
   • Sure, there are people and programs that can teach you information and skills that you can use in the field. The difference is that they do not, and cannot, certify you to these ever-evolving standards. NASAR does this for you. This standardization is what will set you apart as a professionally trained searcher from someone who took a similar class but cannot give you the same certification standards as NASAR can.
   • This might not sound important now. However, if there are ever legal questions about any of your actions or decisions made in a SAR field, if you keep your certifications current and stay within your scope of practice and training from a NASAR curriculum, you can identify your training to be in accordance with the national standards. When it comes down to ‘what would another person of similar training in the same situation do?’, you can have a standard to back your decisions.
3. “What is the cost of the class?”
   • Here there is not an easy answer. In keeping with other similar industry standards and qualification systems, NASAR has instituted a Position Task Book, or ‘PTB’, to allow students to progress at their own pace. This requires the student to make a couple of different payments. First, the student pays NASAR for certification (and standards). Second, the student also pays directly to the instructor/instruction program for a certified instructor/program that will instruct them using the NASAR curriculum. Note that all instructors are volunteers and are not paid by NASAR. As a result, most also have career employment/work and local volunteer SAR team commitments outside of their volunteer instruction roles. Often, instructors are teaching either using their vacation time or their unpaid days off of work, much like our students. Their focus an passion is being able to provide current and quality instruction to those attending a course.
   • Back to costs. The courses that you are taking with BERTS may break down like this:
   • NASAR course/certification fee (i.e. FUNSAR & SARTECH II Bundle package or other course as appropriate), (paid by you, the student, directly to NASAR);
   • Text book from NASAR Book Store (paid directly by you, the student, directly to the NASAR Book Store);
   • BERTS Instructor fees vary by the course being offered (Paid directly by you the student directly to BERTS);
   • And for some courses, a site fee for rental of property or facility may be asked (paid to BERTS and we’ll pay a one-time check to the camp/facility for all students).
   • In short, your professional level of training may seem like a lot, especially if you are new to the SAR industry. If you are thinking, ‘but I volunteer for this!’, please believe, as you progress into your SAR career, you will find professional level certification is exactly that. In taking a NASAR course, you will stand apart from others, gaining credentials that will help to shape you into an asset used by law enforcement when requesting professional resources like you are about to become.

Where can I purchase a ‘ready-to-deploy’ SAR pack?

The larger question is, “Is there a vendor that has standardized the 24 hour ‘Ready Pack” and first aid kits making all items available for a single purchase at one time?”

We are not aware of any SARTECH ready-made kits for purchase. To be honest, it would be self defeating to purchase ready-made stuff. You need to build your own. Here is why.  The best first aid kits we have seen, from the most basic to the most advanced have been built by the user him/herself; (this includes professional EMS ambulance crews; each station/department builds their own kits). There are so many options and they need to be personalized. Ready-made kits are good, foundationally, but they often have extra this/that which may be neat, but not the best use of space and carried weight in a SAR environment. Further, they may be missing some essentials the person really likes/prefers. It is expensive to purchase ready-made vs building your own too; In many cases 3-5x more expensive and you still have ‘stuff’ you don’t want/need & still have to purchase some items not included in a ready made kit.

As for a 24 hour ready pack, same concept applies. There is no one size fits all. The closest thing is the minimum equipment list NASAR puts out. It is up to the individual to individualize his/her pack in a manor which meets their own likes and dislikes. Some people want name brand stuff and others can only afford lesser $$$ items which still meet the need. Personal budgets dictate this a lot. Additionally, and for the same reasons, the type, color, style, manufacturer, and other factors go into what type of pack a person wants to use; Some want internal frames others external, still others want military style Molle packs any which can range from $45-$750. Some like to carry more than the minimum gear on NASAR’s list while some can only physically handle the weight of the minimum; (i.e. K9 handlers have to carry their load plus everything for their K9 certification requirements and still travel nearly 2-3x faster than typical ground pounders following their 4 legged partners). This is the ‘base’ 24hr ready pack. When you start moving into technical aspects of SAR and more advanced levels, your weight increases dramatically. Example: When I made the upgrade to SARTECH I / Crewleader, I had to increase my medical supplies and add rope. This added a lot of weight.  Not because a few more band aids weigh that much, but because as a pre-requisite to the advanced level, I had to have advanced level 1st aid. As a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) I had to add many medical items not on NASAR’s list to be able to provide services to the level of my medical scope of practice (legal issue). When I became a Wilderness-EMT, more stuff and more weight to be able to meet scope of practice. Additionally, I had to add rope which is over 10lbs /100′. I have 150′ because I am also Rope Rescue certified. This means I have to be able to perform to the level of that certification too. In short, I cannot go out using a standard SARTECH II 24 hour ‘ready pack”. I have to carry the gear which allows me to be ready to perform my assigned duties.

If it were as easy just getting “one off the shelf”, someone would have already had them out there. Trained personnel understand there is no such thing. Your Ready Pack and First Aid kit will be a continually developing and changing item as your SAR career goes on, you learn more skills, seasons change, and your SAR environments change (i.e. mountain vs flatlands, snow fields vs flood zones, etc).