September 13, 2023 – Arkansas Search and Rescue Association

2024 ASARA State SAR Conference2024 ASARA State SAR Conference

September 13, 2023

Pictures from the 2024 ASARA State Conference

More pictures coming soon

Original Conference Information

Updated May 30, 2024

The Arkansas Search and Rescue Association Board is excited to announce that we will be hosting the 2024 ASARA State Conference June 6-9, 2024 with pre-conference training on Thursday, June 6 and Friday, June 7. 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: $25/day for conference day fee + any course/certification fees (see course details) + book(s) (if required) + meals + lodging (must be listed on team membership roster submitted with yearly application)
Students: $15/day for conference day fee + any course/certification fees (see course details) + books(s) (if required) + meals +lodging (may need to present valid student ID at check-in)

Big News:

For the 4th 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 Introduction to Search and Rescue (ISAR)
NASAR Wilderness First Aid (WFA)

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.

NOTE: This scholarship does not apply to certification fees. If you choose to take the SARTech III certification exam after the ISAR class, you will be responsible for the $30 NASAR testing fee.

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, May 29 by 23:59.

Late Registrations will be available after May 29 with an additional $20 late registration fee. On-campus lodging room availability cannot be guaranteed after May 12.

DRAFT SCHEDULE as of April 15, 2024

Pre-Conference Course Information

NASAR Wilderness First Aid (WFA) Course

16 hours (2 Days)
Cost: $135 ($35 conference day fee x2 + $30 NASAR fee + $35 course fee)
Days: Thursday, June 6 and Friday, June 7
Lead Instructor: Chris Charles
- Phone:
- E-mail:
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
- NASAR Wilderness First Aid Book
  - Book is available from NASAR bookstore, Amazon, and other sources
- Pen or pencil
- Notepad
Course Description:

NASAR Introduction to Search and Rescue (ISAR)

16 hours (2 Days)
Cost: $130 ($35 conference day fee x2 + $30 NASAR ISAR fee + $30 NASAR SARTech III certification fee, if testing)
- Please Note: If you choose to take the SARTech III exam after the ISAR class, you will be responsible for the $30 NASAR SARTech III certification fee. Certifications are not included in the ASARA NASAR Scholarships.
Days: Thursday, June 6 and Friday, June 7
Lead Instructor: Outdoor Education Services
- Phone:
- E-mail:
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
- NASAR Introduction to Search and Rescue (ISAR) Book
  - Book is available from NASAR bookstore, Amazon, and other sources
- Pen or pencil
- Notepad
Course Description:

Search Management using CalTopo/SARTopo

8 hours
Cost: $35 ($35 conference day fee)
Days: Thursday, June 6
Lead Instructor: Klay Rowbotham
- Phone: 479-970-6542
- E-mail: sar @ klayanderin . com (be sure to remove spaces)
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
- Laptop
- CalTopo/SARTopo Account
- Pen or pencil
- Notepad
Course Description:

Patient Extrication Field Exercise

8 hours
Cost: $35 ($35 conference day fee)
Days: Thursday, June 6
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:

Initial SAR Response with Remote Search Planning

8 hours
Cost: $35 ($35 conference day fee)
Days: Friday, June 7
Lead Instructor: Fred Mullen & Klay Rowbotham
- Phone: 479-209-0818 / 479-970-6542
- E-mail: fred . sar 2020 @ gmail . com / 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
- Laptop
- CalTopo/SARTopo Account
- Pen or pencil
- Notepad
- Recommended: Supplies you would typically have with you when doing search management
Course Description:

ATV/UTV SAR Field Exercise

8 hours
Cost: $35 ($35 conference day fee)
Days: Friday, June 7
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:
- 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:

Breakout Session Information

Saturday, June 8:

08:00-08:30

Opening Ceremony

08:45-17:15 (All Day)

Map Reading and Navigation – Outdoor Education Services
Lost Person Behavior –

08:45-10:15

Drone Search: Myths and Misconceptions – Kyle Cromer
Case Study (Title Pending) – Caleb Landers

10:30-12:00

Death and Decomp (Pending Confirmation) – Benton County Coroner
K-9 Scent Theory – Arkansas Alliance of Bloodhound Search Specialist & Quapaw EM K-9

14:00-15:30

Civil Air Patrol Briefing (Title Pending) – Civil Air Patrol
Legal Considerations of Search (Pending Confirmation) –

15:45-17:15

Helicopter Operations (Pending Confirmation) – Arkansas Army National Guard
CalTopo Mobile App and Mutual Aid Events – Klay Rowbotham

18:00-20:00

Saturday Evening Banquet with Guest Speaker and Door Prizes

20:00-21:00

“SAR Fun Night” – Details to be determined

Sunday, June 9:

08:00 – 11:45 (All Morning)

Planner to Field Team Leader Interaction – Fred Mullen & Dave Sutter
Responding to Adventure Bike Subjects (Title Pending) – So Live, So Ride Moto Ranch

08:00 – 9:45

Field Commo (Title Pending) – Justin Drittler
Search Intelligence – Michael Waddle

10:00 – 11:45

Patrol and Confinement (Title Pending) – Justin Drittler
Edge Evolutions (Title Pending)– Robert Shepherd

Immediately following morning activities

Lunch & 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 followed by a “SAR Fun Night”

Lodging and Meals

On-campus lodging is available in Baswell Hall Wednesday, June 5 - Saturday, June 8: $30 per Night

Virtual Tour of a Baswell Hall Dorm Room - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDfLRg1cwTU

Please Note: Lodging will be in Baswell Hall instead of Nutt Hall due to a maintenance issue.

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:

Thursday through Saturday: $30 / day

Includes Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner for selected days

Sunday: $20

Includes Breakfast and Boxed Lunch only

Saturday Night Banquet Meal only: $25 (if not purchasing a Meal Ticket for Saturday)

Includes Saturday night Banquet meal ONLY
The planned menu for the Banquet dinner is: (subject to change)
- Chicken Parmesan
- Fettucine Alfredo
- Caesar Salad
- Garlic Bread
- Cookies/Brownie
- Iced tea or Water

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, May 29 by 23:59.

Late Registrations will be available after May 29 with an additional $20 late registration fee. On-campus lodging room availability cannot be guaranteed after May 12.

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.