ERT Search & Rescue

There are so many different Search and Rescue disciplines and new ones being added but in essence this list covers most of them and usually any SAR organisation covers one or several types of these SAR disciplines.  The key about SAR activities are their 'team' applications so by definition require awareness and training in various 'team roles'.  These are not just activities - like "Rappelling" / "Abseilling" is often used in SAR but it's not a title of a SAR discipline by itself.

There are a lot of different SAR terms. Sometimes they are not ‘obvious’ – for example many people say ‘Urban SAR’ to mean the opposite of rural – or wilderness SAR. However, ‘URBAN SAR’ is almost always assumed to mean Search and Rescue from ‘collapsed structures.’ Some SAR Proponents in the worlds refer to the Landslides during earthquakes for example, as a ‘collapsed structure’ and therefore a part of URBAN SAR. Others strictly call that ‘Trench Rescue’ and even ‘Confined Space SAR’ when the earth has all but engulfed the subject in it.

Photo: ERT during Pakistan earthquakes response in the mountains of the NWFP in 'stack' formation.  This is one of 3 trained team formations and reduces FOD (Foreign Object Debris / Damage) to aircraft.

Remember this is not a list of ‘organisations’ but ‘types’ of SAR (Search & Rescue) and whilst not exhaustive does highlight some of the related disciplines that one can train and specialise in.

• Ground Search and Rescue
• Land Search and Rescue
• Reconnaissance
• Fire and Rescue
• Mountain Search and Rescue
• Alpine Search and Rescue
• K-9 (Canine) Search and Rescue / Dog SAR
• Mounted Search & Rescue / Equine Search And Rescue
• Mountain Bike Search & Rescue
• Medical Rescue
• Wilderness SAR
• Water Rescue / Marine Rescue
• Ocean Rescue
• Coastal Search and Rescue
• Surf Rescue
• Flat Water Rescue
• Swift Water Rescue
• Dive RescueAir Rescue
• Air Sea Rescue
• Sea Rescue
• Disaster Search and Rescue
• International Search and Rescue
• Cave Rescue
• Wilderness Search and Rescue
• Ice Rescue
• Tech (Technical) Rescue
• Rope Rescue
• Trench Rescue
• Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
• Light Urban Search and Rescue (LUSAR)
• Medium Search and Rescue (MUSAR)
• Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (HUSAR / USAR)
• Vehicle & Machinery Rescue
• Subterranean SAR
• Confined Space Search and Rescue
• Combat SAR / Personnel Recovery
• SERE (Pronounced: S’air) stands for Survival, Evasion, Resistance &
• Escape. Cf. CSAR

 Excerpted from our friends at www.disaster-managers.com