To familiarize first responders with basic response procedures and considerations for a missing person, and to provide tools to assist them in responding effectively

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 Search and Rescue (SAR)  The application of all available resources to locate and assist persons who are, or are feared to be in potential or actual distress.  PLS = Point Last Seen  Last place/time/date the person was observed  LKP = Last Known Position  Last location where the person was known to be

 Increase awareness of key SAR principles among emergency response personnel  Give participants essential knowledge of priorities in initial search operations  Increase awareness of SAR resource availability and common errors  Present an overview of the initial response to a SAR incident by local responders

Represents 46 Land SAR agencies or organizations serving Illinois  Education  Training  Standards  Networking  Resource Coordination  Professional Development

 Land SAR is its own distinct technical rescue discipline, and requires distinct training  This course gives an overview of what should be considered and performed during the initial response to a missing person search  Additional training or development of specific procedures for your jurisdiction may be necessary to ensure effective response

 Search & Rescue Initial Operations (3)  Initial response & reflex tasking for a missing person incident  Basic Land Navigation (8)  Basic searcher skills, patterns, and techniques  G649: Ground Search & Rescue Operations (16)  Basic searcher skills, patterns, and techniques  SAR Water Rescue Level I (8)  Land-based search of moving water and self/shore based rescue  Ground SAR Crew Leader(16)  Individual resource unit leader for the Land SAR environment

 Search & Rescue Initial Operations (3)  Covers first 3 hours in which over 85% of incidents are resolved  G679: Search Management (16/24)  Covers first operational period in which 95% of incidents are resolved  G659: Technical Search Planning (16/24)  Covers ongoing incidents beyond 12 hours making up <5% of all searches

 45 y.o. Male  Last seen alive crossing Ötztal Alps

 45 y.o. male  Last seen alive crossing Ötztal Alps  1991 by German hikers  Last seen alive 5300 years ago  Initially believed to have died from exposure/hunger  2001 discovered homicide

Learning Points  Need Police in SAR  All searches potential crime  Preserve the site as a crime scene  Through secondary survey  Determining subject category not always easy

 1863 Swiss Alpine Club  Each valley team of climbers and guides  2006 there were over 3000 SAR members  97 stations throughout the region

 1973 Dennis Kelley  308 cases from Montrose Sheriff searches  Several characteristics of subjects described  Did not break subjects into categories  Survival curves  Cited Koopman & Bridges

 1977 William (Bill) Syrotuck  229 cases from New York and Washington (USA)  Introduced data by mountainous and flat land  Presented some survival statistics, looked at weather  Introduced probability rings  Introduced behavior description

International Search and Rescue Incident Database

Despite years of searches and learning from SAR missions, we still see incidents with:  Lack of leadership or clear authority  Confusion and wasted effort due to a lack of preplanning  Failure of responders to implement pre-plans which do exist (lack of training)  Improper use of resources  Failure to begin planning for failure

 Price County, WI  March 2009  Missing 70 Year Old Female who suffered from dementia  The news clip you will see is a follow up story on this search

 We show this case study as a recent example of the need to strive to do better in SAR  ‘Common Sense’ is not a substitute for training backed by science and research  Technology, plans, resources, methodologies, and training should always be improving  “If we always do what we’ve always done, we’ll always get what we’ve always had”

 Statistically at any given time in Illinois, there is a search for a missing person somewhere in the state  Mostly the young or elderly  Cases are not limited exclusively to forested or wooded areas as thought of in popular culture  Local and County law enforcement agencies are usually the first to be contacted and respond  Immediate actions taken early on will usually “make or break” the search

Much like HazMat, treat a missing person as an emergency until you know otherwise!  The subject may require emergency care  The subject may need protection from himself or his environment  Time and weather destroy clues  The size of the search area increases with time  Not everyone will, if left alone, survive & walk out

1. Locate 2. Access 3. Stabilize 4. Transport

 Aeronautical SAR  Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC)  Maritime SAR  U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)

 Inland SAR  National Park Service (NPS)  Department of Defense (DoD)  Department of Homeland Security  National Incident Management System (NIMS)  National Response Framework (NRF)  Urban Search and Rescue (US&R)

 Civilian Air Force Auxiliary component  May be utilized in ground SAR  Primary resource for missing aircraft and ELT searches  Aerial assets may be used in support of missing person searches  Other assets & capabilities are also available to assist local agencies

 There is no statutory reference to SAR in Illinois Law – other states vary  An agreement between the Governor and the USAF assigns an “executive agent” for SAR  In Illinois, this is the Illinois Emergency Management Agency  This outlines the lead and support roles for various types of civil SAR missions

 Who get’s the call…911 does!  Local Law Enforcement are typically the first to arrive and begin the SAR response  The actual conduct of SAR typically falls upon units of local government  Assisted by local volunteer and nonprofit groups  Jursidictional authorities may vary in County, State, or National Parks / Forests

 Law Enforcement  Emergency Management  Fire/Rescue/EMS  Forest Preserve/Parks & Recreation Departments  Private volunteer non-profit SAR groups

 Interview the reporting party  Investigate to confirm the facts  Attempt to identify the PLS/LKP  Ask people in the vicinity for help  Contact subject’s acquaintances  Contact people in the area the subject was planning to go

 Is there actually a problem?  How serious is it, or could it get?  Where is it?  Who is already involved?  How did it happen?  When did it happen?  What are you going to do now? Use these to guide your information gathering

 Evaluate the source of initial information  Evaluate the information itself  Circumstantial or eyewitness  Consider the facts  Consider the probabilities  Consider the possibilities  Combine the information objectively  Initiate intensive and ongoing investigation  Protect clues that may exist

Organize essential information on the missing subject, specifically:  Name and address of subject(s)  How long have they been missing?  What were they doing?  What equipment did they have?  Age, sex, and physical description  Physical, mental, and emotional condition  Are they comfortable in the outdoors  What is the point last seen (PLS)? Use ISARC Form 502 to document this information

 Some kind of response should always happen immediately  Consider containment actions  Consider initial search tasking  Action you take will primarily based on the subject profile and the manpower and resources available  There is a tool available to help you determine how urgent your search situation is…

S U R F Search Urgency Rating Factors

 Rapid assessment of overall search urgency based on initial information  Tool to rapidly assess “how bad is bad”  You will not always have all the information you would like – don’t get hung up on it!  Should get you thinking about  Initial actions to be taken  Initial resources to be called out

A. Number of Subjects B. Age C. Medical Condition D. Physical Condition E. Clothing Profile F. Weather Profile G. Equipment Profile H. Subject Experience Profile I. Terrain & Hazards Profile

The lower the total, the more urgent the search If you have any 1’ s on the urgency profile, immediately! initiate action immediately!

 A search without a subject is nonsense  Unless the area is contained, the search area continues to expand exponentially  Include prominent non-search areas  Home  Work  Friends  Known hangouts  Assign someone to conduct the “bogus search”

One Hour Two Hours Time doubles, search area is now 4 times as large. The chance of success is directly related to the size of the search area.

 Confinement is the initial tactical procedure used to limit the size of the search area  It is imperative to establish a search area with specific boundaries beyond which the subject could not have reasonably passed  Because of time criticality, initial resources should be used to establish confinement

 Road or trail blocks  Perimeter patrols  Lookouts  Track traps

If arriving within the first two hours since the person was last seen, suggested containment distance is:  Children under mile radius  Children mile radius  Alzheimer’s/Dementia0.75 mile radius  Autistic / Mental Deficit0.75 mile radius  Despondents0.5 mile radius These recommendations are based on lost person behavior profile statistics for each group

 Initial Search  Search of high probability points and routes with immediately available resources  Efficiency Search  Search of high probability areas using techniques that cover high probability areas rapidly using small groups of specially trained searchers  Thorough / Evidence Search  Slow systematic search of all areas using the most thorough techniques

 Expedient search of high probability points and routes by immediately available resources  Check the obvious or likely locations effectively  Initial search should never last beyond 3 hours  During initial search, contact a trained Search Manager for assistance and have them respond to assist you  Search manager can find resources to expand the search if initial search is unsuccessful Use the ISARC initial search checklist Form 501

 Search area immediately surrounding the PLS to 100 yards in all directions – repeat often with different personnel  Search likely places that the subject may have reason to be at (points)  Run trails and paths (routes) looking for the subject, or someone who may have seen the subject  Protect clues and scent articles which may exist  Establish & continue confinement activities  Continue investigating and gathering information  Call out additional trained resources to assist in the search  Begin planning for search expansion if initial search is unsuccessful in locating the subject

Bike ModelStepsTasks Axial1. Mark the IPP  Preserve IPP  Immediate locale search  If structure, search and re-search repeatedly  Signcutters/trackers  Tracking/trailing dogs Rim2. Use statistical lost person data to mark 50% and 95% rings. 3. Reduce search area using subjective and deductive. 4. Mark search area boundary on map.  Establish Containment.  Consider camp-ins, road/trail blocks, track traps, patrols, attraction, and string lines. Hub5. Immediate locale search  Canvass campgrounds/ if appropriate.  Thoroughly search to 25% when less than 350 yards (0.2 miles) Spokes6. Hasty travel routes  Hasty trails, roads, drainages, and other travel routes leading away from IPP. Reflector7. High Probability areas  Send hasty teams to areas of high probability, high hazard, historical locations of finds.

 Untrained searchers  Source of manpower  Not ‘clue aware’  Unknown quantity  Trained SAR teams  Trained specifically for SAR  Certified to a particular standard and have known capabilities  Have to be called and available

 Search Dogs  Must know what standard they are trained to, and what capabilities they have  Tracking – nose down  Trailing – nose everywhere  Air scenting – nose up  May not be readily available  Have limited time during high heat / humidity  Have special considerations for use

 Mounted SAR  Horses also use their senses to search  Must be trained and available  Man Trackers  Specialized vehicles  ATVs  Watercraft  Mountain bike

 Fixed wing aircraft  Low POD for objects as small as a person without extensive SAR observer training  Useful for route searches for vehicles or overdue aircraft  Usually limited to daylight search  Have relatively long time on station  Require airports for landing  May require hours before response

Rotary wing aircraft  POD as high as 65% in open areas with qualified observers  Capable of ‘low and slow’ search when terrain & conditions allow  May serve as an attraction  Possibility of rescue & medical transportation  May use hasty landing zones  Have limited time on station  Require special fuel  Response time varies

 Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR)  "Sees" heat, but is blocked by vegetation  Useful in detecting an object with a different temperature from its background  POD much lower than visual search  Touchy - must be used by a qualified operator  Hand Held Thermal Imaging Devices  Much the same as FLIR, less range, easier to operate  Night Vision Devices  Not useful unless the user has been trained to operate with the device in the search environment

 This slide can be used to discuss local resources, such as those from the host jurisdiction or your jurisdiction

 Stay focused on completing the tasks outlined on the checklist  Ensure you are documenting what is done and who did it  Continue to develop your ICS structure  Begin planning for what you will do if your initial search does not find the subject

Properly managed searches:  Are statistically more successful  Enhance searcher safety  Allow for more efficient use of resources  Are well executed and documented, which will help in any litigation

Developed by Anthony Marzano, CEM Illinois SAR Council Photo / Image Credits Patrick Keane Illinois Emergency Management Agency US Air Force Rescue Coordination Center US Coast Guard Will County EMA SARBC National Association for SAR Halifax Regional SAR (Canada) “Peanuts” © United Feature Syndicate, Inc. All rights reserved. Images used exclusively for educational use. All animal action was supervised and simulated No animals were harmed in the production of this presentation. Portions of this power point are original works that may be subject to copyright law. Unauthorized use or distribution is prohibited. Produced by Anthony Marzano