TRAINING

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Inner-Page Navigation: Training Chart 2008 | April Calendar | May Calendar | June Calendar | Course Descriptions

Inner-Page Navigation: Top of Page | Training Chart 2008 | April Calendar | May Calendar | June Calendar | Course Descriptions

For specific training questions, please contact the TSAR Training Officer, Delinda VanneBrightyn at 505-737-5511.

Inner-Page Navigation: Top of Page | Training Chart 2010 | April Calendar | May Calendar | June Calendar | Course Descriptions

Taos Search & Rescue - 2008 Class & Field Training Descriptions

January
Avalanche Safety - understanding snow and slope conditions for avalanche and the related skills necessary for safe snow search and rescue.
Cold Weather Search Skills & Evacuation - avalanche beacon, probing, and practice of avalanche awareness skills.

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February
Communications - understanding basic radio functions, unified communications structure, proper radio protocols, air communications, and communications with multiple agencies
Communication Games - a series of courses that encounters simulated search problems and requires the course runner to communicate the proper information to base: track, crime scene, found items, ROC, and location (without GPS use).

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March
Litter Packaging & Fractures - Litter stations for optimizing hands-on experience utilizing: 1) the Stokes litter, 2 the break-apart litter, 3) the Sked litter, and 4) related knot-tying techniques. Some stations will also encompass how to stabilize fractures during packaging.
Litter Packaging & Evacuation Scenarios - litter games: teams rotate through three different skill scenarios. In each there will be challenges involving specific medical conditions and how to litter package the subject for his/her condition. Search techniques and navigation to each scenario site, along with communications with base camp will also be practiced.

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April
Navigation - Map & Compass - Understanding the map, applying the compass to the map (including bearing, triangulation), and understanding the difference between UTM's and Lat-Long use in search and rescue.
Compass Course - practice your map & compass skills by completing this pratical course.

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May
Medical Games & Pack Check - This is a fun training class which will exercise your medical knowledge as we play "Medical Jeopardy". Followed by a pack check for summer.

Mock Search with Litter Evacuation - Utilize search skills to find a lost subject, paractice medical assessment, package and evacuate a subject.

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June
Crime Scene Preservation - determining what constitutes a crime preservation scene, protocols for different crime scene scenarios and recognizing, understanding and protecting clues and forensic evidence from weather & wildlife.

TSAR Weekend Camp Out: Plan to spend the weekend practicing your SAR skills, enjoying teamwork, and doing a little kicking back in Mother Nature. Exercises for all units will be provided (high angle, K-9, and mounted) plus courses in navigation and survival.

Back To: Training Chart 2006

 

July
Knots & Survival Skills - learn all the basic knots required in search & rescue for basic rigging of equipment and medical evacuation. We will then go through basic survival skills to help ensure our own well-being should the worst scenario be presented to us in the wilderness.

Man-Tracking Lecture & Field Courses - techniques for track identification and description, utilizing sun angle, sign, slope and ground cover, aging, sign-cutting, rate of travel, following a non-visible trail, and other tracking modalities. This will be the next step from the 2006 training.

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August
Basic Search Techniques & K-9 Support - Application of search techniques: grid search, line search, etc. Explanation of K-9 search modalities, basic scent theory, and navigation & communication support techniques and guidelines.
Mock Search - mock search with call-out, full base camp operations, utilizing ground and K-9 teams with full navigation & communications support and including medical scenarios & subject evacuation.

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September
Medical Scenarios - Get first hand experience with a vareity of medical scenarios as each team is presented an a subject with symptoms. It is up to you to access and proceed with the patient in the most appropriate way to stabilize their medical condition.

Low Angle Litter Evacuation - practice rigging skills and teamwork to evacuate a litter through a series of hills and ravines.

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October
Navigation - GPS - a few GPS basics, but mostly delving into hidden features and usage of the GPS and utilizing the unit specifically for search and rescue applications with application to map.
Orienteering Courses & Navigation Games - Hone your skills with the map, compass, and GPS as you navigate through a course with many problems to solve and goals to acheive.

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November
Medical Scenarios & Pack Check - Get first hand experience with a vareity of medical scenarios as each team is presented an a subject with symptoms. It is up to you to access and proceed with the patient in the most appropriate way to stabilize their medical condition. Then, be ready for your winter pack check.
ELT Mock Search - teams will learn to locate a downed aircraft through utilizing ELT equipment standard in aircraft. Base Camp will be set up and navigation and communications will be utilized to unify team efforts in the field.

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December
Environmental Medical - specifics for treating environmental medical conditions (hypo and hyper-thermia, frostbite, etc.)

Cold Weather Search & Evacuation - search techniques for back-country snow situations and litter packaging utilizing the Sked litter & evacuation on skis and snow shoes.

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Additional Training

Helicopter Safety & Field Exercises - understanding the safety measures the team must take when working around helicopters, the different types of helicopters & their use for SAR, evacuation with a helicopter (packaging patients, etc), and establishing an LZ. Field exercises will then give us practical experience with and around a helicopter.

Inner-Page Navigation: Top of Page | Training Chart 2010 | April Calendar |May Calendar | June Calendar | Course Descriptions

We would like to extend a special thanks to the Quality Inn of Taos & their freindly staff. They provide Taos Search & Rescue with a meeting room for our monthly general meeting and classroom trainings, as well as any needed equipment (e.g. VCR, TV and overhead projector) to better facilitate our trainings at no charge. In addition, Quality Inn is a pet friendly hotel & gladly welcomes our K-9s to attend meetings with us, which is an important part of their training with the team. It is through the help and support of community leaders such as the Quality Inn that enables Taos Search & Rescue to continue to serve the people of New Mexico.

Quality Inn

1043 Paseo Del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 87571
505-758-2200

quality@newmex.com email