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 12 by 23:59.
Late Registrations will be available after May 12 with an additional $20 late registration fee and no guarantee of room availability.
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 Nutt Hall Wednesday, June 5 – Saturday, June 8: $30 per Night
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 12 by 23:59.
Late Registrations will be available after May 12 with an additional $20 late registration fee and no guarantee of room availability.
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.
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:
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.
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:
Recognizing the Hazards and Challenges
Shoring and cribbing
PPE, Equipment, Supplies List
Cutting Steel
Lifting and moving debris
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
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.
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.
The Arkansas Search and Rescue Association Board is excited to announce that we will be hosting the 2022 ASARA State Conference June 25-26, 2022 with pre-conference training on Thursday, June 23 and Friday, June 24. 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:
The Arkansas Search and Rescue Association has received a donation from an individual who is a very dedicated supporter of Arkansas’ Emergency Responders. This scholarship donation has been earmarked to pay the NASAR fees for attendees of the National Association of Search and Rescue courses held at our Conference this year. The courses covered by this scholarship donation are:
NASAR Intro to SAR GIS with SARTopo (SARTOPO)
NASAR Initial Actions (IA)
NASAR Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
The scholarship donation will cover 50 NASAR fees on a first come, first served basis. The scholarships will be automatically applied when your invoice is created until all 50 of the $30 NASAR fee scholarships have been allocated.
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 ASARA T-shirts and books 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 T-shirt purchases.
Registration Deadline is Sunday, May 22 by 23:59.
Late Registrations will be available after May 22 with an additional $20 late registration fee and no guarantee of room availability.
Pre-Conference Course Information
NASAR Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
16 hours
Cost: $140 (2x $35 conference day fees + $40 class fee + $30 NASAR fee)
Days: Thursday, June 23 – Friday, June 24
Lead Instructor: Tom Burroughs
E-mail: swiftwater rescue @ gmail . com (be sure to remove spaces)
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
Wilderness First Aid book by Steve Donelan (Available from NASAR bookstore)
There will be field sessions so dress accordingly
Course Description:
Our Wilderness First Aid (WFA) trains you to understand and avoid wilderness hazards and to do emergency care in the wilderness or anywhere, with whatever equipment you have or can improvise. It also prepares you for disaster situations, when emergency medical services and hospitals are overwhelmed or inaccessible. This course is designed to help you make logical and causal connections (not just memorize lists of signs, symptoms and treatment) so that you understand what you are doing. How do the body systems work? What can go wrong with them because of injury, environmental stress, or a medical condition? How can you tell what the problems are? What can you do to treat the problems and stabilize the patient when you are far from help?
Cost: $65 ($35 conference day fee + $30 NASAR fee)
Days: Thursday, June 23
Lead Instructor: Klay Rowbotham
Phone: 479-970-6542
E-mail: sar @ klayanderin . com (be sure to remove spaces)
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
Highly Recommended: Laptop with external mouse highly recommended.
Recommended: Lost Person Behavior: A search and rescue guide on where to look – for land, air and water (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
Course Description:
The NASAR Introduction to SAR GIS with SARTopo course will help show you how to get started using the on-line mapping tool SARTopo to help address the geo-spatial problems involved with a search and rescue incident. The class will cover from basic usage of SARTopo to using it to help create task assignments and manage a SAR incident. Attendees are highly encouraged to bring a laptop so they can follow along throughout the course. An external mouse is also highly recommended as well as a notepad and pen/pencil. It is also recommended to have a copy of the Lost Person Behavior book or smartphone app available for use during mock scenarios.
Orientation to Light Structure Collapse
8 hours
Cost: $35 ($35 conference day fee)
Days: Thursday, June 23
Lead Instructor / Point of Contact: Robert Shepherd
Phone: 501-681-4573
E-mail: shepherdr @ wind stream . net (be sure to remove spaces)
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:
Recognizing the Hazards and Challenges
Shoring and cribbing
PPE, Equipment, Supplies List
Cutting Steel
Lifting and moving debris
Others
NASAR Initial Actions (IA) Course
8 hours
Cost: $65 ($35 conference day fee + $30 NASAR fee)
Days: Friday, June 24
Lead Instructor: Klay Rowbotham
Phone: 479-970-6542
E-mail: 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 (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.
Rope Rescue Awareness
8 hours
Cost: $55 ($35 conference day fee + $20 class fee)
Days: Friday, June 24
Lead Instructor: Hare Mountain Rescue; Point of contact is David Sutter
Phone: 479-739-3862
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
Eye protection
Gloves
Boots
Tubular webbing
If you have a harness and climbing helmet or wildland fire helmet, please bring them.
Course Description:
Our Rope Rescue Awareness is a course for every emergency responder. We teach real world skills that will assist emergency responders to use rope to access, stabilize and evacuate the victim and themselves. All equipment is provided by Hare Mountain Rescue although departments or teams are welcome to use the equipment provided by their respective teams. We teach basic knots and when and how to use them. We explain when and why to use ropes and rope systems. We use hands on training to share the skills needed to build an anchor, access the victim and secure the victim to a basket and safely remove the victim out of the danger zone. All of our information is based off of real-world missions that we have been involved in. Together our team of instructors put in over 2000 hours of technical rescue training per year. We constantly update our courses to provide the best training with the most modern equipment, but we never forget our basics and the tried and true methods. We feel that this course would be valuable to all FD, EMS, SAR, Game and Fish, Forestry and LEO responders. It is our hope that we will be given the chance to share what we have learned to assist others. So that when the time comes, they can be safe and successful.
Breakout Session Information
Breakout Sessions on Saturday:
Management Track
08:30-10:00 “PLS/LKP & LPQ”
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-12:00 “Alternative Power”
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-14:30 “Field Communications”
14:30-15:00 Break
15:00-16:30 “PLB/ELT”
17:00-18:00 Dinner
Field Track #1
08:30-10:00 “Supporting Large Scale Incident”
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-12:00 “Weather for Searchers”
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-14:30 “WFA Refresher”
14:30-15:00 Break
15:00-16:30 “Field Communications”
17:00-18:00 Dinner
Field Track #2
08:30-10:00 “SAR Packs”
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-12:00 “GPS”
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-14:30 “Crime Scene Preservation”
14:30-15:00 Break
15:00-16:30 “Field Team Leader”
17:00-18:00 Dinner
Technical Track
08:30-10:00 “Mounted Classroom”
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-12:00 “Mounted Field”
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-14:30 “Structure Collapse Overview”
14:30-15:00 Break
15:00-16:30 “Wide Area Overview”
17:00-18:00 Dinner
Breakout Sessions on Sunday:
Field Track #1
08:30-10:00 “UAV for SAR Operations”
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-12:30 “UTV/ATV SAR Operations”
12:30-? Lunch
Field Track #2
08:30-10:00 “K9”
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-12:30 “Observation Skills and Equipment for SAR”
12:00-? Lunch
Technical Track #1
08:30-10:00 “Mountain Bikes for SAR”
10:00-10:30 Break
10:30-12:30 “Tree Stand Rescue”
12:30-? Lunch
Technical Track #2
08:30-12:30 “Boat Operations and Maintenance for SAR Responders”
12:30-? Lunch
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, Awards, and Door Prizes
Lodging and Meals
On-campus lodging is available in Nutt Hall Wednesday, June 22 – Saturday, June 25: $25 per Night
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
Please Note:
No meals are available for the evening of Wednesday, June 22. You will be responsible for your own meal.
You can choose to get a Meal Ticket or eat around town on your own.
You may choose to pay cash at the door for individual meals at Chambers Cafeteria.
Morning Briefings with last minute announcements and schedule changes will be during breakfast in Chambers Cafeteria at 07:35 each morning.
Please Note: Class days, cost, and other details are subject to change!
Please Note: Extra items such as ASARA T-shirts and books 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 T-shirt purchases.
Registration Deadline is Sunday, May 22 by 23:59.
Late Registrations will be available after May 22 with an additional $20 late registration fee and no guarantee of room availability.
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.
The Arkansas Search and Rescue Association Board is excited to announce that we will be hosting the 2021 ASARA State Conference Wednesday, June 9 through Sunday, June 13, 2021. The conference will be hosted at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, AR.
Conference Cost and Information
Conference Cost: $25/day for conference day fee + any course/NASAR fees (see course details) + book(s) (if required) + meals + lodging + any t-shirts ordered
Big News:
The Arkansas Search and Rescue Association has received a donation from an individual who is a very dedicated supporter of Arkansas’ Emergency Responders. This scholarship donation has been earmarked to pay the NASAR fees for attendees of the National Association of Search and Rescue courses held at our Conference this year. The courses covered by this scholarship donation are:
NASAR Intro to Search and Rescue (ISAR)
NASAR Advanced Search and Rescue (ADSAR)
NASAR Into to SAR GIS with SARTopo (SARTOPO)
NASAR Initial Actions (IA)
NASAR Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
The scholarship donation will cover 100 NASAR fees on a first come, first served basis. The scholarships will be automatically applied when your invoice is created until all 100 of the $30 NASAR fee scholarships have been allocated.
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!
Conference Track Options
You may register for an entire “Track” for the whole conference or you may pick and choose which classes you wish to attend.
E-mail: melissa . sar2020 @ gmail . com (be sure to remove spaces)
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
NASAR Introduction of Search and Rescue textbook (Available from NASAR bookstore)
pencil or pen
highlighter
note pad
NOTE: Do not purchase a compass for the class, but if you have one already, bring it for show and tell.
Course Description:
ISAR is the first course in a stepping stone approach to higher-level NASAR courses of training for emergency personnel. It provides a common starting point in training for the new person to SAR and in many cases, an excellent refresher course for the more experience SAR worker. This common starting point provides continuity during SAR operations and future training of all team members. It provides the general responsibilities, skills, abilities and equipment needed by persons who perform SAR activities.
There are no prerequisites for this course.
This class provides responders of all disciplines and agencies with basic training to provide them with knowledge and skills to effectively contribute to a SAR Mission.
Recommended for: LEOs, Fire fighters, EMTs, SAR team members, Dispatchers, NGOs who support SAR missions.
Topics covered include: Search Management; Land Navigation and Orienteering; Search Theory; Search Tactics; etc
Emergency Response International (ERI) Search Management for the Initial Response Incident Commander (IRIC)
16 hours
Cost: $50 (2x $25 conference day fees)
Days: Wednesday, June 9 – Thursday, June 10
Lead Instructor: Fred Mullen
Phone: 479-209-0818
E-mail: fred . sar2020 @ gmail . com (be sure to remove spaces)
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
Please contact Fred at phone or e-mail above to obtain course books
ERI IRIC Text
ERI FOG
Exercise Packet
Course Description:
(NOTE: Though this class title refers to Incident Commander, this is an excellent class the entire Search Management Staff and Agency Supervisor’s who administer SAR efforts.)
This class is designed for Responders who have the duty to provide appropriate search methods to the report of a Lost, Missing, or Overdue person. These personnel will be the Initial Operations Search Managers. Its scope is twofold: #1 upon arriving on scene to begin actions that will quickly locate or contain the Missing Person, and, #2 In the case the MP is not quickly located, be able to provide the Extended Operations Search Managers with succinct and accurate notes that depict what areas have been searched; what clues have been located; what leads have been established; suggestions for additional search effort; resources on scene and what has been ordered; etc—this is essentially the information you need to most effectively complete your ICS 201 form. You will be shown a Information Gathering, Analysis and Task Creation process developed from the International Association of Chiefs of Police known as the Incident Response Process. This process does not replace nor interfere with our NIMS usage—it greatly accentuates it by providing easy to use SAR specific note taking and planning documents including Action Item Checklist.
Suggested Audience: Patrol LEOs and Supervisors; SAR Team Search Managers; Park Supervisors; etc
If you have questions, please contact the Instructor, Fred Mullen at 479-209-0818. (NOTE: There similarities between the ERI IRIC and the NASAR IA . They both use current Best Practices for Initial Actions Incident Action Plans. The NASAR class does not include the Note Taking/Planning Docs packet. They are both excellent classes. Fred Mullen)
Rope Rescue Awareness
8 hours
Cost: $25 ($25 conference day fee)
Days: Wednesday, June 9
Lead Instructor: Hare Mountain Rescue; Point of contact is David Sutter
Phone: 479-739-3862
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
Eye protection
Gloves
Boots
Tubular webbing
If you have a harness and climbing helmet or wildland fire helmet, please bring them.
Course Description:
Our Rope Rescue Awareness is a course for every emergency responder. We teach real world skills that will assist emergency responders to use rope to access, stabilize and evacuate the victim and themselves. All equipment is provided by Hare Mountain Rescue although departments or teams are welcome to use the equipment provided by their respective teams. We teach basic knots and when and how to use them. We explain when and why to use ropes and rope systems. We use hands on training to share the skills needed to build an anchor, access the victim and secure the victim to a basket and safely remove the victim out of the danger zone. All of our information is based off of real-world missions that we have been involved in. Together our team of instructors put in over 2000 hours of technical rescue training per year. We constantly update our courses to provide the best training with the most modern equipment, but we never forget our basics and the tried and true methods. We feel that this course would be valuable to all FD, EMS, SAR, Game and Fish, Forestry and LEO responders. It is our hope that we will be given the chance to share what we have learned to assist others. So that when the time comes, they can be safe and successful.
Water Rescue Awareness
2 hours
Cost: No additional fee if also attending a day class on Wednesday, June 9. $25 for Conference Day Fee if only attending this evening class
Days: evening of Wednesday, June 9
Lead Instructor: Hare Mountain Rescue; Point of contact is David Sutter
Phone: 479-739-3862
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
Needed equipment will be furnished by Hare Mountain Rescue
Course Description:
Our Water Rescue Awareness course is built around a basic fact, 80% of all successful water rescues are shore based. This means that the other 20% includes boat access, helo access and someone actually going in the water to rescue the victim. Water Rescue Awareness teaches to stay out of the water and use the training received to make the best possible decision to assist the victim. It also teaches when a more advanced skill set is required for a safe and successful rescue. It’s our goal to get this info out to all of those who may be called to assist someone in need near or in the water. Hare Mountain Rescue provides all of the equipment needed for the course. We will also assist with equipment purchases and do a safety check on any water rescue equipment you may have.
NASAR Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
16 hours
Cost: $110 (2x $25 conference day fees + $30 class fee + $30 NASAR fee)
Days: Thursday, June 10 – Friday, June 11
Lead Instructor: Tom Burroughs
E-mail: swiftwater rescue @ gmail . com (be sure to remove spaces)
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
Wilderness First Aid book by Steve Donelan (Available from NASAR bookstore)
There will be field sessions so dress accordingly
Course Description:
Our Wilderness First Aid (WFA) trains you to understand and avoid wilderness hazards and to do emergency care in the wilderness or anywhere, with whatever equipment you have or can improvise. It also prepares you for disaster situations, when emergency medical services and hospitals are overwhelmed or inaccessible. This course is designed to help you make logical and causal connections (not just memorize lists of signs, symptoms and treatment) so that you understand what you are doing. How do the body systems work? What can go wrong with them because of injury, environmental stress, or a medical condition? How can you tell what the problems are? What can you do to treat the problems and stabilize the patient when you are far from help?
Cost: $55 ($25 conference day fee + $30 NASAR fee)
Days: Friday, June 11
Lead Instructor: Klay Rowbotham
Phone: 479-970-6542
E-mail: sar @ klayanderin . com (be sure to remove spaces)
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
Highly Recommended: Laptop with external mouse highly recommended.
Recommended: Lost Person Behavior: A search and rescue guide on where to look – for land, air and water (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
Course Description:
The NASAR Introduction to SAR GIS with SARTopo course will help show you how to get started using the on-line mapping tool SARTopo to help address the geo-spatial problems involved with a search and rescue incident. The class will cover from basic usage of SARTopo to using it to help create task assignments and manage a SAR incident. Attendees are highly encouraged to bring a laptop so they can follow along throughout the course. An external mouse is also highly recommended as well as a notepad and pen/pencil. It is also recommended to have a copy of the Lost Person Behavior book or smartphone app available for use during mock scenarios.
FEMA “An Introduction to the Incident Command System ICS-100” Classroom Course
8 hours
Cost: $25 ($25 conference day fee)(NOTE: this is a conference day fee and not a fee for this class)
Days: Friday, June 11
Lead Instructor: James Mason
Phone: 479-228-2165
E-mail: james is retired @ gmail . com (be sure to remove spaces)
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
Required text will be provided electronically
Course Description:
ICS 100, Introduction to the Incident Command System, introduces the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training. This course describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The target audience includes persons involved with emergency planning, and response or recovery efforts.
dbS Lost Person Behavior (LPB)
8 hours
Cost: $25 ($25 conference day fee)
Days: Saturday, June 12
Lead Instructor: Walter Jennings
Phone: 479-200-7628
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
Lost Person Behavior: A search and rescue guide on where to look – for land, air, and water (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
Course Description:
During the Second World War, allied naval forces used the statistical models developed by Bernard Koopman to locate enemy sub-marines. This was the beginning of modern search theory. During the 1970’s, William Syrotuck began to accumulate information regarding distances traveled, and others, of missing persons and categorized by age and activity. In subsequent years, other search managers/researches refined the process. Then in the 1990s, Robert Koester (with funding from NASA, DHS, DOD, USDA, and others) who led a small group of researchers in the development of the International Search and Rescue Database (ISRID). ISRID has gathered and analyzed thousands of missing person cases from many American States, Europe and New Zeeland. This data includes the original concept of median distance traveled factors along with many, many more such as: uphill or downhill; duration of mobility; dispersion angles; track offset; and, others. The database contains 41 categories of missing, lost and overdue persons arranged by: age (children); activity (hiking, boating, hunting, ATV riders, etc); special needs population (mental illness, dementia, autism); etc. The LPB Class is an introduction to ISRID and how to use it to decide ‘Where do I go look?” Attendees will learn about using the database as organized in Koester’s Guidebook Lost Person Behavior. The book provides for each category: suggested investigative questions; reflexive tasking ideas; survival projections; etc The influence of consumer technology(cell phones, GPS, etc) is introduced.
The book and/or smart phone app are required for the class. The book can be purchased at (as well as at other sources):
Includes night session Saturday night starting around 21:00
Lead Instructor: Kathy Nunez
E-mail: kathy . nunez . sar @ gmail . com (be sure to remove spaces)
Equipment, Supplies, and Class Materials:
NASAR Advanced Search and Rescue textbook (Available from NASAR bookstore)
pen or pencil
highlighter
notepad (for classroom use)
24 hour pack
night navigation gear (orienteering compass, grid reader, light, etc)
pocket notepad (for field use)
Minimum PPE: Eye Protection, whistle, reflective vest, field grade clothing and shoes, water bottle/bladder bag
Course Prerequisites:
The Fundamentals of Search and Rescue course and SARTECH II level of certification are recommended
Introduction to Incident Command Course or the (NIMS) IS-200 series course are recommended
Course Description:
Advanced Search and Rescue (ADSAR) is designed to educate the experienced field searcher in preparation for working as a crew leader on a search. This course expands on the knowledge and skills taught in the intermediate level FUNSAR course. Beginning with expanded management concepts, crew tactics, crew and SAR dog tactics, crew safety skills, and continuing through stress management, the course focuses on the added responsibility of a crew leader and how this relates to the crewmembers, search managers, and the outcome of the search.
There are no prerequisites for this class; however, The Fundamentals of Search and Rescue course and SARTECH II level of certification are recommended as well as the Introduction to Incident Command Course or the (NIMS) IS-200 series course are recommended. (NOTE: If you have no NIMS training or want a refresher, the Conference is also presenting a NIMS ICS 100 Class on Fri Jun 11. This class is from the updated more comprehensive version. Consider taking this class to help prepare you for the AdSAR Class. Please check the Class Description.)
Lead Instructor / Point of Contact: Robert Shepherd
Phone: 501-681-4573
E-mail: shepherdr @ wind stream . net (be sure to remove spaces)
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:
Recognizing the Hazards and Challenges
Shoring and cribbing
PPE, Equipment, Supplies List
Cutting Steel
Lifting and moving debris
Others
NASAR Initial Actions (IA) Course
8 hours
Cost: $25
Days: Sunday, June 13
Lead Instructor: Fred Mullen
Phone: 479-209-0818
E-mail: fred . sar2020 @ 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 (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
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.
Breakout Session Information
Breakout Sessions on Saturday:
08:00-09:45 “Mission Weather”
10:00-12:00 “Really Good Drone Stuff”
13:00-14:45 “Command and Tactical Radio Commo”
15:00-17:00 “Smartphone Apps for SAR: SARTopo and Avenza”
10:00-10:45 Arkansas US&R Task Force 1 Briefing
11:00-14:00 Arkansas US&R Task Force 1 Equipment Display and Demonstration
11:00-13:00 Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) SAR Equipment Display and Demonstration
Breakout Sessions on Sunday:
08:00-09:45 “Field Observations: Methods, Techniques, and Equipment”
10:00-11:45 “Field Team Leader”
13:00-14:45 “Staging Area Management”
15:00-17:00 “Wilderness First Aid Best Practices”
08:00-09:45 “Management: Effective Utilization of Canine Resources”
10:00-11:45 “K9 Case Studies: Lessons Learned”
13:00-14:45 “Working with K9s in the Field/Flanking”
15:00-17:00 “Getting Started with a Search Canine: Important Considerations”
Other Conference Features:
Thursday Evening: Arkansas Search and Rescue Association General Membership Meeting and Election (Note: Must be a member of a current ASARA member team to attend)
Friday Evening: Arkansas National Guard / AR US&R Task Force 1 Briefing and Helicopter Demonstration Update: The helicopter demo has been canceled for unforeseen circumstances. We are still working on getting confirmation on a replacement.
Saturday Evening: Banquet with Guest Speaker, Awards, and Door Prizes
Lodging and Meals
On-campus lodging is available in Nutt Hall Tuesday, June 08 – Saturday, June 12: $25 per Night
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: 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:
Wednesday through Saturday: $25 / day
Includes Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner for selected days
Sunday: $15
Includes Breakfast and Lunch only
Please Note:
No meals are available for the evening of Tuesday June 8. You will be responsible for your own meal.
You can choose to get a Meal Ticket or eat around town on your own.
You may choose to pay cash at the door for individual meals at Chambers Cafeteria.
Morning Briefings with last minute announcements and schedule changes will be during breakfast in Chambers Cafeteria at 07:35 each morning.
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 T-shirt purchases.
Registration Deadline is Sunday, May 23 by 23:59.
Late Registrations will be available after May 23 with an additional $20 late registration fee and no guarantee of room availability.
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.
Using technology during a SAR incident can make limited resources more efficient and aid in accountability and documentation of the incident. The hope of this column is to provide a place for you to learn about effective utilization of technology during a SAR incident. With this being the first of these columns, I will discuss a few of the more common pieces of tech that are commonly used during SAR incidents that relate to incident mapping.
A vital component of a successful SAR operation is that command needs to be able to have a clear picture of the tasks that are ready to be assigned, tasks that are currently in progress, and tasks that have already been completed. Having a mapping system that is easy to use is a very important part of maintaining this awareness. A mapping system that has been growing in popularity among the SAR community nationwide is SARTopo. SARTopo is a web-based system that is a version of CalTopo with extra SAR specific enhancements included. It includes a variety of map layers and map overlays. Most of the developers of SARTopo are SAR responders themselves, so they tend to be responsive to the needs of the SAR community. The company behind SARTopo/CalTopo (CalTopo, LLC) provides SAR and other emergency responders a significant discount on their paid plans, but also have the option of using SARTopo completely free. All you have to do is go to www.sartopo.com and you can start creating maps. If you would like to save your maps, you will need to login and create a free account. SARTopo uses your existing Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, or Apple account. Please note that SARTopo is not getting access to your login credentials but will redirect to your selected provider and receive back an authentication token once you have successfully logged in. The basic free account will allow you to do most of the functions you might need during a SAR incident, but if you want to be able to save additional maps to your account, gain additional options for printing maps larger than letter size, and gain access to some additional map layers and customizations then you will want to get an upgraded account. SAR responders are able to get a free upgraded account as well by contacting the company for a discount code. They may request proof that you are an emergency responder before issuing the discount code. Both of these options only allow access to the on-line version. If you would like access to the offline version as well then you will have to either purchase an individual “Desktop” subscription which is currently $50/year with the SAR discount or sign-up for a team account. Team accounts are now available in three tiers: up to 5 users, up to 25 users, and up to 100 users. The 5 user team account is $250/year and does not offer a discount for volunteer SAR responders. The 25 user team account is $500/year or $250/year with the volunteer SAR discount. The 100 user team account is $1000/year or $500/year with the volunteer SAR discount. The offline desktop version is Java based and you will need to download the map layers you wish to use offline. All the currently available map layers for the state of Arkansas are around 250GB with some additional layers, including the new Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) layer from the USFS and BLM, are scheduled to be available for offline use soon. For more information about the individual plans available to the public visit www.sartopo.com/join. For information on the discounted first responder plan options you can visit:
www.sartopo.com/about/pricing/first-responder-subscriptions
or for information about team accounts you can visit
www.sartopo.com/group/join
I plan to discuss how to use SARTopo in future columns and will also be teaching some classes on using SARTopo throughout the coming year. There is also a CalTopo/SARTopo smartphone app currently in development for both Android and Apple that is available to the public as a beta version. It is supposed to be close to being ready for its official release. I will discuss the SARTopo app in more detail in a future column after it has been officially released. As you can see SARTopo has a number of options for a SAR team to choose from to fit their needs and budget.
Another extremely valuable piece of technology that is often underutilized is the handheld GPS receiver. When combined with a mapping system such as SARTopo it becomes a very valuable asset to SAR management. It allows the management team to see where the teams actually went compared to their assigned area and can allow the field teams to more clearly see where their assigned area is while in the field faster and more accurately than using just paper maps and compass alone. It is important to remember though that SAR responders must be proficient with all navigational tools whether it be a GPS, paper map and compass, or even celestial or natural navigational skills. Currently I would recommend either the Garmin GPSMap 64s or 64st. If you have the budget or can find a good sale on the Garmin GPSMap 64sx, then it would be the preferred model to get. I would avoid any of the models that use touch screens since they do not seem to work very well when wearing gloves or during hot, cold, or wet weather which we all know is rather common during SAR incidents. If you get one of the models without preloaded topo maps or if you want additional map options then you can often get free maps to load onto your GPS receiver from websites such as www.gpsfiledepot.com. I am planning on covering topics such as how to use some of the common Garmin GPS receiver models during a SAR incident and how to load maps, firmware updates, download track and waypoint data, etc in future columns.
Smartphones are another piece of technology often seen during a SAR incident. Smartphones have a number of potential positive uses as well as many negatives. I hope to go over a whole spectrum of positive and negatives in a future column but for now will just touch on a few points to think about as related to mapping. Many people, both SAR responders and the general public, are starting to try to use their smartphone for all their navigation and mapping needs. They are relatively light, have larger screens than other devices, and we typically always have them with us anyways so it seems natural to use them for our outdoor mapping and navigation needs. However, it should be considered that features that work fine when using a smartphone to navigate to a location on roads in a vehicle such as the snapping your location on the nearest road don’t work very well in wilderness areas and can even lead you misinterpreting your location. Smartphones GPS receivers are not as sensitive as those in dedicated GPS receivers so they often depend on A-GPS to help them get and keep a GPS fix as well as make it more accurate. A-GPS is where the phone uses cell towers to help triangulate it’s position but in weak signal areas this ability doesn’t work very well and can even lead to inaccurate position reports. The battery saving features of many phones can also have a negative effect on its ability to give accurate position reports when the prediction algorithms and other “shortcuts” commonly used are not very effective. Since smartphone GPS receivers are not as sensitive they are also much more likely to lose their GPS fix due to vegetation or terrain. Downloading tracks, waypoints, and other data from many smartphone apps requires sending an email to the recipient which in the worst case doesn’t work at all due to lack of an Internet connection either on the smartphone itself or with in command. In the best case where both the smartphone and command have Internet and email access, the process is still takes much longer to complete than simply hooking the device to command’s computer and downloading the information. Smartphones can be a useful tool in your navigation and mapping toolbox as long as you understand the strengths and weaknesses they can provide. Currently, I tend to use a dedicated GPS receiver as my primary GPS attached to my radio harness and my phone with an extra battery pack and a hard case inside a pouch on my pack. Most waypoints and in the field changes are done on my dedicated GPS receiver while the CalTopo/SARTopo beta app on my phone is only recording my track directly to the SARTopo map in command in near real-time assuming I have sufficient cell service. Major waypoints that command needs to know immediately may also get marked on the phone app. Smartphone apps for things such as weather updates can be very useful while in the field but again you often need to have proper training and situational awareness to take full advantage of the enhancements offered by the apps. So basically, smartphones can be a useful tool to enhance or backup other tools and skills but in most cases probably should not be used as a complete replacement for specially tools or training.
These are just a few common pieces of technology used during a modern SAR incident. Learning how to effectively utilize whatever technology you have available can greatly enhance your response efficiency, accountability, and documentation but as with all things you must have some degree of knowledge on how to use it properly to get the most use out of it. You don’t want to just blindly use the latest new gadget without knowing how to use it properly or how it can enhance your incident operations. Technology is also not a replacement for having a proper foundation in skills and training. Technology can be a powerful force multiplier in the hands of properly trained individuals but can be disastrous if it is attempted to be used in place of proper training. I hope you found this introductory column useful and I plan to delve much deeper into individual topics in future columns.
The Arkansas Search and Rescue Association Board has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Arkansas Search and Rescue Association State Conference in June this year due to the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. We are looking into the possibility of trying to sponsor some smaller events this fall, depending on how the current situation evolves over the next few months. We will update everyone as new information becomes available.
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SARTopo is a web-based system that is a version of CalTopo with extra SAR specific enhancements included. It includes a variety of map layers and map overlays. Most of the developers of SARTopo are SAR responders themselves, so they tend to be responsive to the needs of the SAR community. The company behind SARTopo/CalTopo (CalTopo, LLC) provides SAR and other emergency responders a significant discount on their paid plans, but also have the option of using SARTopo completely free. All you have to do is go to 
