Every year the 7 Search and Rescue Teams in Ventura County get together to to a joint training exercise. We are blessed to have seven teams, each with their own specialty or specific region within the county. Three are mountain rescue teams, based in Upper Ojai, Fillmore and Thousand Oaks. The county also has a dive team for underwater rescues and recoveries, a medical team that provides medical aid usually via the Air Unit, a horse-mounted posse team and a canine team.
Team 1 - Mountain Rescue - Fillmore http://vcsar1.org
Team 2 - Mountain Rescue - Upper Ojai http://ojaisar.org
Team 3 - Mountain Rescue - East Valley http://vcsar3.org
Team 4 - Dive http://vcsar4.org
Team 5 - Sheriffs Mounted Posse http://www.vcsd.org/sheriffs-posse.php
Team 6 - Medical/Aviation Unit
Team 7 - Canine
This year was hosted by my SAR Team: East Valley - Team 3. We set up the event at Danielson Ranch which is about 3 miles south of Satwiwa Visitor Center which meant all vehicles coming in needed to be escorted down to limit the vehicle traffic into the area. Sheriff Geoff Dean joined us for the festivities, and an awards/badge ceremony.
For the joint teams training portion of the event, we had several stations set up: Medical, Technical Ropework, and Search Techniques. As fellow Search and Rescue (SAR) Members from the county arrived, they were sent to each station for a 45 minute training activity. This way each person would be working with people from different teams, which hopefully would familiarize everyone with “Joint Operations” skills and get the teams to get to know each other better.
I was helping with the Search Techniques station, which we had subdivided into 3 timed “Challenges”: Swiftwater Throwbag Accuracy and Patient Transport/Raising Challenge, GPS Location & Metal Detector Evidence Search Challenge, and UTM Coordinate/Map & Compass and Bearing Challenge. We patterned the challenges after MRA Certification testing, observing how well the groups self-disseminated into Incident Command System (ICS) style Strike Teams and Task Forces based on skill sets and experience.
Our Swiftwater Throwbag Accuracy and Patient Transport Challenge began with repeatedly throwing and stuffing a rope bag a variety of distances (7-15 yards) until they were able to connect with a 6 foot wide section of orange tape (simulating a person in the water with their arms outstretched). From there, the timer was stopped and participants moved to an area where they were given UTM coordinates for a patient (150 lb dummy). Once the timer was started again, participants were to locate the dummy, load them safely into a litter and carry them about 50 yards to an already set up Raising System to lift the littered patient 25 feet vertically.
The GPS Location & Metal Detector Evidence Search Challenge was pretty straightforward: 8 metal objects have been shallow-buried (less than 6” deep) in the search area. UTM coordinates have been listed for the objects (with accuracy to 100 meters square). Participants were timed while they used metal detectors to find the objects.
The UTM Coordinate/Map & Compass and Bearing Challenge sent participants on a timed course to find a series of twelve, 2”x2” pin flags that were referenced by UTM coordinates (with accuracy to 100 meters square). Participants had to work as a team by first finding the small flags and then communicating effectively to accurately note the Bearing from the last flag. This was done by having a Bearing Shooter with a compass at the last flag, and a person as a “Visual Target” at the next flag.
In all, the day’s training went well and without injury. We broke for lunch—a big camp-style BBQ and a presentation by CMC Rescue on some of the issues of coordinating SAR Rope Rescue equipment and techniques with our county Fire Department’s requirements. We ended the day with a raffle of various donated outdoor items and gift certificates to local businesses and said “Until next year!!” to our Search and Rescue bretheren.
