2023 ASARA State SAR Conference2023 ASARA State SAR Conference

November 16, 2022November 16, 2022

Pictures from the 2023 ASARA State Conference

Original Conference Information

Updated April 19, 2023

The Arkansas Search and Rescue Association Board is excited to announce that we will be hosting the 2023 ASARA State Conference May 18-21, 2023 with pre-conference training on Thursday, May 18 and Friday, May 19. The conference will be hosted at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, AR.

Conference Cost and Information

Conference Cost:

  • Non-ASARA Member Teams: $35/day for conference day fee + any course/certification fees (see course details) + book(s) (if required) + meals + lodging
  • ASARA Member Teams (must be listed on team membership roster submitted with yearly application): $25/day for conference day fee + any course/certification fees (see course details) + book(s) (if required) + meals + lodging

Big News:

For the 3rd year in a row, the Arkansas Search and Rescue Association has received donations from some individuals who are very dedicated supporters of Arkansas’ Emergency Responders.  These scholarship donations have been earmarked to pay the NASAR fees for attendees of the National Association of Search and Rescue courses held at our pre-conference training this year.  The courses covered by this scholarship donation are:

  • NASAR Initial Actions (IA)
  • NASAR Urban Search Management (USM) (COURSE PENDING CONFIRMATION)

The scholarships will be automatically applied when your invoice is created.

NOTE: The scholarships are for Arkansas residents.

NOTE: This scholarship only applies to the NASAR fees — this is not a substitute for your Conference Day Fee or any additional course fees.

Please Note: Class days, cost, and other details are subject to change!

Please Note: Extra items such as books and ASARA merchandise will be available for purchase at the conference for additional fees.

Total cost for the Conference will vary depending on which classes you choose to attend, meal ticket, lodging, and any cost associated with optional extras such as ASARA merchandise purchases.

Registration Deadline is Sunday, April 23 by 23:59.

Late Registrations will be available after April 23 with an additional $20 late registration fee and no guarantee of room availability.

Pre-Conference Course Information

NASAR Initial Actions (IA) Course

  • 8 hours
  • Cost: $65 ($35 conference day fee + $30 NASAR fee)
  • Days: Thursday, May 18
  • Lead Instructor: Fred Mullen & Klay Rowbotham
    • Phone: 479-209-0818 or 479-970-6542
    • E-mail: fred . sar 2020 @ gmail . com or  sar @ klayanderin . com (be sure to remove spaces)
  • Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
    • Lost Person Behavior: A Search and Rescue Guide on Where to Look – for Land, Air and Water by Robert Koester
      • Either/or the LPB book or “Lost Person Behavior” mobile app
        • Book is available from dbs-sar.com, NASAR bookstore, Amazon, and other sources
        • Mobile app is available from Google Play Store or Apple Store
    • NASAR Initial Actions For Search & Rescue Missions Guide (Available from NASAR bookstore)
    • Recommended: NASAR Response Pocket Guide (Available from NASAR bookstore)
    • Pen or pencil
    • Notepad
    • Laptop (recommended)
    • Map grid reader
  • Course Description:
Have you ever been one of the first personnel to arrive at a Missing Person (MP) call? If you haven't your time will come. You will ask yourself these questions and many others— “What can I do right now with the resources I have on scene to help find this child?” “What information do I immediately need to obtain?” “Where is the Missing Person most likely located?” “What resources and how many do I need?” This is the class that will help you answer those questions.

Target Audience: LEOs, Firefighters, SAR Teams, and Park and Forestry staff.

Topics will include:
  • SIZE UP—what has happened? What do I need to do?
  • REFLEXIVE TASKING—this strategy provides you with tactical applications that very often find the MP fairly quickly or produce clues and leads that helps you determine where you need to look next. Perhaps, most importantly, it may help you eliminate some of the MPs risk of peril due to hazards in the area.
  • ESTABLISH CONFINEMENT—This search strategy is designed to help prevent the MP from traveling greater distances from the Last Know Point (LKP). Remember, if you don’t know the Direction of Travel (DOT) of the Missing Persons, the search area expands exponentially relative to the distance traveled(Example, if the MP goes one mile, the Search Area is 3.14 square miles; If 2 miles, the search area becomes about 12.5 square miles.
  • ATTRACTION—Using Light and Sound to lead the MP to your searchers. Highly effective tactic when applied correctly. Confusing and frustrating for everyone when poorly applied. Let’s get it right and go home sooner rather than later.

Patient Extrication Field Exercise

  • 8 hours
  • Cost: $35 ($35 conference day fee)
  • Days: Thursday, May 18
  • Lead Instructor: Robert Shepherd
    • Phone:  501-681-4573
    • E-mail:  shepherdr @ wind stream . net (be sure to remove spaces)
  • Minimum attendees: 6
  • Maximum attendees: 20
  • Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
    • Type III PFD
    • Eye protection
    • Well fitting leather gloves
    • Boots
    • Long pants
    • Tubular webbing
    • If you have a harness and climbing helmet or wildland fire helmet, please bring them.
  • Course Description:

NASAR Urban Search Management Course (USM) (COURSE PENDING CONFIRMATION)

  • 8 hours
  • Cost: $65 ($35 conference day fee + $30 NASAR fee)
  • Days: Friday, May 19
  • Lead Instructor: Klay Rowbotham
    • Phone: 479-970-6542
    • E-mail: sar @ klayanderin . com (be sure to remove spaces)
  • Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
    • Urban Search: Managing Missing Person Searches in the Urban Environment by Chris Young
      • Book is available from dbs-sar.com, NASAR bookstore, Amazon, and other sources
    • Lost Person Behavior: A Search and Rescue Guide on Where to Look – for Land, Air and Water by Robert Koester
      • Either/or the LPB book or “Lost Person Behavior” mobile app
        • Book is available from dbs-sar.com, NASAR bookstore, Amazon, and other sources
        • Mobile app is available from Google Play Store or Apple Store
    • Pen or pencil
    • Notepad
  • Course Description:
The Urban Search Management (USM) course is designed to teach students the essential knowledge and skills necessary to manage missing person searches in the urban environment. This course will prepare managers and search personnel for the specific tasks and special techniques needed for searching in the urban setting. This will include comparing and contrasting the urban/suburban/rural interface with the wilderness search processes. Discussions will start with evaluation of the pre-planning and vulnerable assessments and move into managing the urban incident from the initial hasty search through multiple operational periods. Special attention will be given to additional investigation considerations, including the modification and additional documentation required, as well as the use of SAR resources and their additional skills and training. Practice sessions and map exercises will also be part of the learning experience.

Orientation to Light Structure Collapse

  • 8 hours
  • Cost: $35 ($35 conference day fee)
  • Days: Friday, May 19
  • Lead Instructor / Point of Contact: Robert Shepherd
    • Phone: 501-681-4573
    • E-mail: shepherdr @ wind stream . net (be sure to remove spaces)
  • Minimum Attendees: 4
  • Maximum Attendees: 20
  • Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
    • Job aid book (Available at conference check-in for $15.00)
    • MUST HAVE:
      • Durable long pants
      • Long sleeve shirt
      • Sturdy work boots
      • Hard hat
      • Hearing protection
      • Eye protection
      • Leather work gloves
      • 16 oz+ framing hammer
      • 30 foot+ tape measure
      • Speed square
      • Carpenter’s pencil
      • Sharpie marker
  • Course Description:

This class is a basic introduction to the FEMA Type 3 Structural Collapse Incident and is derived from the NFPA 1670 Standards.  Although this is an Orientation Level class, there is a significant “HANDS ON” portion included. In a disaster event—flood, tornado, earthquake—buildings of all sizes and qualities of construction will be impacted.  We have all seen the damage to light wooden and metal structures—most of us have responded to this Kind/Type call.  Heavy rescue units will be tied up responding to multi-story structures.  Responding to the residential and light commercial areas will be our assignments.  We need training and techniques beyond CERT (Type4).  So, what NOW?  We need an action plan that will allow us to use common materials and tools we already have and know how to use.  This class is the starting point to answer this question. 

  • Topics included:
    1. Recognizing the Hazards and Challenges
    2. Shoring and cribbing
    3. PPE, Equipment, Supplies List
    4. Cutting Steel
    5. Lifting and moving debris
    6. Others

Lost Person Behavior Course (LPB)

  • 8 hours
  • Cost: $35 ($35 conference day fee)
  • Days: Friday, May 19
  • Lead Instructor: Fred Mullen
    • Phone: 479-209-0818
    • E-mail: fred . sar 2020 @ gmail . com  (be sure to remove spaces)
  • Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
    • Lost Person Behavior: A Search and Rescue Guide on Where to Look – for Land, Air and Water by Robert Koester
      • The LPB book or “Lost Person Behavior” mobile app are required for every student
        • Book is available from dbs-sar.com, NASAR bookstore, Amazon, and other sources
        • Mobile app is available from Google Play Store or Apple Store
    • Pen or pencil
    • Notepad
  • Course Description:
Lost person behavior is the cornerstone of search and rescue efforts. Based upon a landmark study, this 8 hour course is based on the book Lost Person Behavior – A Search and Rescue Guide on Where to Look – for Land, Air, and Water by Robert Koester (published 2008 by dbS Publications), and is the definitive guide to solving the puzzle of where a lost person might be found. This course will cover the latest information and research found in the book regarding the lost person behavioral profiles. Particular emphasis is placed on the latest research concerning Alzheimer's, despondents, mentally challenged, psychotic, abducted children, cross-country skiers, mountain bikers as well as 41 separate categories of lost or missing persons. The participant will learn important background information, its implications for search and rescue, how to establish a prevention program, search statistics, behavioral statistics, and how to plan a search for each subject type. Additional discussion will cover behavioral profiles, urban verses wilderness statistics, suggested initial tasks, and specialized investigative questions.
 Either the Lost Person Behavior book or mobile "Lost Person Behavior" app is required for each student.

Breakout Session Information

Saturday, May 20:

08:00-08:30

  • Opening Ceremony

08:45-10:15

  • ESF 9 Orientation – ADEM/ESF 9 Coordinator
  • Comms (title pending) – 
  • K-9 (title pending) – Arkansas Alliance of Bloodhound Search Specialist
  • Shore-based Rescue – Pope Co OEM SAR

10:30-12:00

  • ASARA Task Force – Robert Shepard & James Mason
  • CART Overview – Justin Drittler
  • K-9s for Search Managers – Arkansas Alliance of Bloodhound Search Specialist
  • Virtual Search Planning Overview – Fred Mullen / Klay Rowbotham

14:00-15:30

  • Family Liaison – Morgan Nick Foundation
  • Tree Stand Rescue Demo – Frank Theising

14:00-17:15

  • SARTopo Best Practices – Klay Rowbotham / Fred Mullen
  • Wilderness First Aid Skills (must have current WFA cert) – Chris Charles

15:45-17:15

  • Field Team Leader – Dave Sutter
  • Botkinburg Search – Brian Tatum, AG&F

18:00-20:00

  • Saturday Evening Banquet with Guest Speaker and Door Prizes

Sunday, May 21:

09:00 ~ 12:00

  • Management and Field Operations Skills Development
    • Management Skills Development
    • Field Operations Skills Development

Immediately following morning activities

  • Debrief

Other Conference Features:

  • Thursday Evening: TBA
  • Friday Evening: Arkansas Search and Rescue Association General Membership Meeting and Election (Note: Must be a member of a current ASARA member team to attend)
  • Saturday Evening: Banquet with Guest Speaker and Door Prizes
  • Morning Briefings with last minute announcements and schedule changes will be announced in the lobby of Brown Hall at 07:40 each morning

Lodging and Meals

On-campus lodging is available in Nutt Hall Wednesday, May 17 – Saturday, May 20: $30 per Night

Virtual Tour of a Nutt Hall Dorm Room – https://youtu.be/Wu-qpW6mn9s

Attendees will need to provide their own linens.
No alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or pets are allowed.
You may also secure your own lodging off-campus if you prefer.

Please Note: Couples that wish to lodge together will need to specify this on their registration form.

Please Note: The fees for meal tickets and lodging are in addition to the conference day fees and any other fees you may have.

Meal Tickets for Chambers Cafeteria are available (PLEASE NOTE CHANGES FROM PREVIOUS YEARS):

Thursday and Friday only: $20 / day

  • Includes Breakfast & Lunch ONLY for selected days

Saturday Night Banquet Meal only: $25

  • Includes Saturday night Banquet meal ONLY
  • The planned menu for the Banquet dinner is: (subject to change)
    • Chile and beer braised brisket
    • Macaroni and cheese
    • Garlic roasted red bliss potatoes
    • Roast brussels sprouts
    • Tossed garden salad
    • Fudge brownie
    • Unsweetened iced tea
    • Water

Please Note:

  • Thursday and Friday dinner will be only your own
  • Saturday and Sunday Breakfast and Lunch will be on your own

Please Note: Class days, cost, and other details are subject to change!

Please Note: Extra items such as books and ASARA merchandise will be available for purchase at the conference for additional fees.

Total Cost for the Conference will vary depending on which classes you choose to attend, meal ticket, lodging, and any cost associated with optional extras such as books or ASARA merchandise purchases.

Registration Deadline is Sunday, April 23 by 23:59.

Late Registrations will be available after April 23 with an additional $20 late registration fee and no guarantee of room availability.

On-line Conference Registration Form

If your team enjoys having events such as our State Conference, please consider having your team join ASARA to help support our efforts. Please see the Membership page for information.

Please check back here or follow our Facebook Page for updates.

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