SAR teams train on mock scenarios
By Terry Murry on Monday, June 5th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
TOLLGATE – The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office hosted more than 60 search and rescue workers for special mock scenario training this weekend at Camp Meadowood near Tollgate. Participants included people from the Civil Air Patrol and Umatilla, Baker, Wallowa, Union, Grant, Harney and Gilliam counties. K9 teams also participated.
There were classes about the skills that needed to be honed, especially in more complex rescue operations. Ground, ATV, and drone teams deployed on the first day. Mock weather reports kept the Civil Air Patrol grounded. Realistic obstacles were set up during the training to present challenges to the searchers. Those included locked gates and challenging terrain. The ground searchers discovered the mock wreckage of a plane, a blue shirt, a glove, and no humans.
Saturday’s training escalated as the team leaders prepared goals for searchers to locate the passengers or more wreckage, and to perform a more complete search of the area. The Civil Air Patrol was also no longer grounded on Saturday.
A K9 team located two survivors (role-played by actual persons) with some minor mock injuries and diabetic issues. Shortly after that, the pilot of the plane was located with critical medical issues requiring extraction from the scene. The survivors provided vital information that their plane had collided with another small plane.
The objective of the mock rescue then changed as teams began searching for that second plane and missing pilot. Civil Air Patrol assisted, flying two planes over the search area. By the end of the day, the plane’s mock wreckage and deceased pilot were recovered.
Participants attended training on and participated in an after action review Sunday. An AAR is a professional discussion of a mission by those who were involved. The purpose is to look at what occurred, why it occurred, find and sustain the strengths, and improve on the weaknesses. The goal is to improve after every mission.
The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office expressed thanks to everyone involved in the training. UCSO also encourages anyone interested in being a volunteer on a search and rescue team to contact their local sheriff’s office and inquire about how to apply.
Photo of the mock drill via Umatilla County Search and Rescue
