Members of the New Mexico Search and Rescue team will speak at the Placitas Community Library March 4th at 2:00 on locating and rescuing people lost or injured while hiking mountainous areas of New Mexico. They will discuss the “10 Essentials” you need in your backpack, what the do’s and don’ts are if you are lost in the wilderness, and how a SAR mission develops. They will also explain the resources, teams, and technologies used in search and rescue operations.
Program presenters Bill Kennedy, Larry Zentner, Brad Berry, and Bill Dye are members of New Mexico Search and Rescue Council (https://www.nmsarc.org). They receive calls from law enforcement about lost or hurt hikers and coordinate rescue efforts. They train search and rescue personnel. They also coordinate specialized teams and technologies used in search and rescue operations.
They will explain how Search and Rescue teams function, and how you can be better prepared to use wilderness areas. The presenters will give a brief history of Search and Rescue in New Mexico and the training of SAR volunteers. They will present how a SAR mission develops and then highlight other resources and specialized teams that are used in a search and rescue operation. These may include the use of technical rescue teams, tracking teams, 4×4 vehicles and ATV’s, search dog teams, equestrian teams, the Civil Air Patrol, radio communication personnel, city and county fire and rescue, and open space police. They will also explain the technologies used, such as direction-finding equipment, cell phones, SAT phones, mobile and handheld radios, drones, PLB devices and GPS units.
