This article gives a good overview of what volunteers for search and rescue (SAR) operations can expect from these experiences. It starts off with explaining what volunteer SAR teams are. Most of these teams are considered non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and need funding from their communities for support. These teams tend to work as nonprofit organizations and help in times of need.

The type of work SAR teams do can vary wildly. Some of the examples included are:

• An Amber Alert is issued for a missing child.

• A camper wanders off into the woods and gets lost.

• A driver abandons his stalled truck in a blizzard.

• A person leaps into a river in a suspected suicide attempt.

• A hurricane or tornado causes widespread destruction.

• A family doesn't return from its boating excursion.

• A dangerous criminal is at large.

Not only are volunteers needing to do the actual “searching and rescuing”, but there are also SAR volunteers that can help by coordinating the team or using tech skills that enable the teams to perform better. Some volunteers might be there to just offer moral support at the base camp by bringing hot food and drinks to people or offering comfort to the people affected by this event. This help can be classified as critical incident stress management (CISM).

In order to provide help and not hindrance to others, SAR volunteers should be properly trained and/or certified before going out into the field. There are a lot of different trainings out there, but here are some that most teams will probably need in some capacity:

• First aid and CPR training.

• Basic search and response training.

• SAR TECH training.

• Land navigation skills, such as using different types of maps, a compass, and GPS.

• Hazardous materials (HazMat) training.

• Emergency Response to Terrorism.

• Federal Community Emergency Response Team training.

• Tracking skills.

• National Incident Management System training for First Responders.

There is a lot of gear that can be used by the SAR teams and it all depends on what the mission needs are. Most teams will have a gear requirement for their members, other than that it is up to the individual as to what they want to bring. Some teams even have uniforms, which makes it easier to identify SAR members and helps maintain organization. Here are some items that can be helpful on a mission:

• Comfortable, appropriate shoes, and multiple pairs of socks

• Protective headgear

• Heavy-duty gloves

• Pocket multi-purpose tool or Swiss Army knife

• Large tarp

• Signal flares

• Reflective tape

• Life vest

• Dust mask

• Safety goggles

• Wading boots

• Flashlight

• First aid kit

• Trail mix or snack bars

• Protection against heat and cold -- such as extra water, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, gloves, thermal underwear, ear and face protection, pocket hand warmers and an insulated jacket or jumpsuit

• Backpack with padded straps for toting your supplies around

• Dogs can also be used to help volunteer SAR teams on mission. It turns out that one trained dog can be as effective as 20 to 30 humans due to their smelling ability. However in order to become an effective SAR dog, the dog and its handler needs to go through a lengthy training process that can take up to 24 months to get certified. It is usually best to go through these processes with puppies, as it is the easiest for them to learn these skills successfully. If a dog is not properly trained, then they should not go on SAR missions as they can be more of a hindrance in that sort of high stakes situation. Horses and donkeys are sometimes used in SAR efforts as well to get to places that vehicles have trouble reaching.