Two types of SAR
VIDEO: 40 seconds of ERT SAR's Disaster Response Search and Rescue mission to the Philippines in resonse to Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) which was NOT a typical GSAR mission - but a disaster response SAR Mission.
PHOTO: Members of ERT SAR discuss and plan mission
Search and Rescue Teams train year around and stand ready for that single call:
“… to find the lost, to help the vulnerable, and to save a life ….”
DEFINITION OF SAR
"Search and Rescue is the activity of locating and recovering persons either in distress, potential distress or missing and delivering them to a place of safety”
SOURCE: UK SAR Framework Red Document
There are two types of Search and Rescue that ERT SAR responds to.
- Disaster SAR (our primarty raison d'etre)
- Missing Person SAR
This GSAR program more specifically addresses the Missing Person SAR.
The Disaster SAR is a specialised Search and Rescue topic which includes many sub-disciplines of search and rescue and often, for ERT SAR, in an international capacity (although not always.)
ERT SAR is primarily a disaster Response SAR team but will respond to calls for assistance and missing persons when needed and useful.
When people go missing / lost - we respond with a teach of specialists training in GSAR as well as complementary subjects like water and Wilderness SAR.
ERT SAR usually complements this GSAR team with Technical Rescue and Medical responders.
There are also many many different types of SAR environment and specific disciplines. (See next)