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The WV Search and Rescue Council meeting scheduled for Sunday, November 16, 2014, has been cancelled.

The Council will meet in December as planned.

The WV SAR Council will meet on Sunday, 11/16/2014, at 10 am.

As usual, the meeting will be in the WV Rural Emergency / Trauma Institute - RETI Training Center.  Conference room on the 3^rd floor.

I look forward to seeing you all.

Thanks, Rita

DIRECTIONS

I-79 Exit 67 Flatwoods, WV

Up the hill past the Days Hotel

Go past jail on left

Turn left after passing the Braxton County Emergency Services

The WVSARCO meeting that was postponed from 9/14/2014 and planned to occur at the SAREX on Sunday 10/26/2014 will not be held due to unforeseen circumstances.  Notice of the new date and time will be made as soon as arrangements have been finalized.  Thank you for your patience.

The WVSARCO meeting scheduled for Sunday, September 14, 2014 has been postponed.

Notice of the new meeting will be posted once the details are finalized.

WV SAR Council Meeting, Sunday, June 22nd, 10 am, Flatwoods, WV

Due to the low turnout for the WVSARCO meeting on June 8^th, there was not a quorum to conduct business. 

Therefore, the Council will meet on Sunday, June 22^nd at 10 am in Flatwoods.

As usual, the meeting will be in the WV Rural Emergency / Trauma Institute - RETI Training Center.  Conference room on 3^rd floor.

DIRECTIONS

I-79 Exit 67 Flatwoods, WV

Up the hill past the Days Hotel

Go past jail on left

Turn left after passing the Braxton County Emergency Services

The FUNSAR class that was to be offered in May in Elizabeth, WV has been cancelled due to the low enrollment.

The Staging Area for the SAREX is located along Rt 39 East of Richwood on Kennison Mountain. It is approximately one quarter of a mile West (on the right at a forest service gate) of the Intersection of Rt 39 and the Scenic Highway Rt 150. The Wildlife Center is across from the intersection.

Coordinates: 38 10 51N 080 15 35 W

UTM:
Zone:  17
Easting: 42 25 950
Northing:  5 64 814

We have three openings on the equestrian search team for the SAREX in May.  If you are at least a SARTECH III and are an experienced rider, contact Mike Kelley at 304-643-2688 or mrkelley@zoominternet.net for more information.

Over the last 4 years, TACTICs primary objective has been and always will be that “Training Saves Lives”. 

In 2013,  233 emergency service workers (FD, EMS, LEO)  lost their lives in the line of duty.   How do we lower those numbers?  How do we do everything possible to make sure that Everyone Goes Home? 

At TACTICs we strive to offer innovative and progressive training to prepare all branches of the emergency services for the job they do.  Our goal is not just to train until we get it right, but to train until we can’t get it wrong! We are proud to have been offering this quality training for 5 consecutive years.

Join us for our 5 year anniversary and be part of the TACTICs experience!

We have Rob Speiden's team in teaching Basic SAR and a Land Nav Class again this year and many other classes for emergency service workers.

www.tuckertactics.org

Sandy Green, Chief

Canaan Valley VFD

IC - TACTICs

Basic SAR   Rob Speiden 16 hrs

This course is designed for law enforcement and emergency services personnel who are the first responders to a search and rescue (SAR) incident. The intent of the course is to provide enough tools to adequately evaluate an incident and to take appropriate initial actions. 

Basic Land Navigation Rob Speiden 8 hrs

This course will provide a thorough classroom introduction to compass use and map reading. Practical field exercises will improve your understanding of using topographic maps in conjunction with a compass to navigate accurately and confidently.

FUNSAR Class
When:  May 9-11 and May 17-18, 2014
Where:  Elizabeth, WV  (Wirt County)
Cost:  No cost for class but see note below.
Instructor:  Mike Kelley
Contact:   Bo Wriston
                Email:  wirtcooes@gmail.com
                Phone:    304-629-3735

There is no cost for the class, but students must bring a complete SARTECH II pack with them to class.  Details on the contents of this pack may be found at http://www.nasar.org/files/education/NASAR_SARTECHTM_II_MINIMUM_PERSONAL_EQUIPMENT_LIST_11_2004.pdf.

The Council is continuing to study the complex liability insurance and workers compensation/accident and sickness insurance issues facing search teams in West Virginia. Please contact Rita if you are willing to work on this.

On March 10-14th, United States Air Force personnel from the National Search and Rescue School conducted a 5 day Inland Search and Rescue Planning Course for search managers from West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland and Washington, D.C.  The course was hosted by the Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department.

Please see the Policies & Procedures page for documents that will be discussed and voted on at the June 8, 2014 meeting.

1) Conflict of Interest Policy DRAFT

2) Communications Plan DRAFT

WVSARCO Meeting June 8, 2014 at 10 am RETI Training Center (Rural Emergency Trauma Institute) Flatwoods, WV 

All search teams that want to  participate are welcome, including out of state teams.

Respond:  The number of team members from  each team who plan to participate should be forwarded to  Mike Kelley, WVSARCO Treasurer, at mrkelley@zoominternet.net or 304-643-2688 no  later than April 11, 2014 so that arrangements can be  made for adequate food and other resources to support the  exercise.    

An interagency search and recovery  exercise to be held in cooperation with the West Virginia  Air National Guard, Civil Air Patrol, WV Search and Rescue  Council, WV Department of Homeland Security, Forrest  Service, and county (Pocahontas and Greenbrier) EMS,  emergency management, and law enforcement  officials. 

Scenario:  A rocket, launched from  Wallops Island, VA suffered a malfunction shortly after  launch.  A satellite, with unknown nuclear and/or  hazardous chemicals aboard, reentered the atmosphere to the  west of the launch site and broke up shortly after entering  West Virginia.  The debris field is extensive and  widely scattered.  NASA has requested the assistance of  all available search resources to recover as many pieces of  the destroyed satellite as possible. 

Objective:  Ensure that all search and rescue resources within the state  can work together, communicate effectively, and successfully  complete a wide-area search mission. 

Information:  Primitive camping will be  available. All meals on Saturday (including a  MRE lunch) will be provided.  Sunday breakfast will  also be included.  Pocahontas SAR will handle staging  and site registration.This is an announced exercise, in  order to obtain maximum participation for all  organizations. Incident Command will be handled  by the Forest Service.  Search management organization and  execution will be coordinated by Bill  Kersher, WVDHSEM. A UH-72 Lakota and a UH-60  Blackhawk will be on site for both inspection and  participation in the drill.