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Appendix D – Navigation
Every EPCSAR member who expects to participate in SAR field activities or in overhead planning and operations must be proficient with use of map and compass. Use of map and compass is essential for efficient wilderness navigation, communicating positions, assessing terrain, defining search boundaries, and defining search strategies. Accomplishing these tasks involves a few basic…
Read MoreAppendix E – Advanced Rope Work
ANCHORS Load distributing anchors (LDA’s): LDA’s are used generally for one of two reasons. First, if no single anchor is deemed to be sufficiently strong, several anchors can be used and the load distributed between them. Second, if no anchor is available in a desirable place, multiple anchors can be joined using an LDA so…
Read MoreAppendix F – FOG’s
EPCSAR publishes a series of field operating guides designed to be used as reminders of our normal operating procedures for various field and overhead tasks/positions. These FOGs are continually refined and updated, thus members are encouraged to regularly check them out online and print-out and carry with them the latest versions. Below are the latest versions…
Read MoreAppendix G – Intro to Psychological First Aid and the Peer Support program.
While treating physical wounds seems like the most important way we can help a subject, there’s a lot we can do to care for a subject’s mental health, especially during and following a traumatic event. Psychological First Aid is a set of tools many teams and wilderness medicine practitioners have integrated into their curriculum (e.g.…
Read MoreAppendix H – Detailed Radio use
800 MHz and VHF Radio Operating Instructions Introduction EPCSAR utilizes both the 800 MHz and VHF for communications. All EPCSAR vehicles have a mobile 800 MHz radio, an assigned 800 MHz handheld radio, and a VHF mobile radio. EPCSAR members generally carry their own VHF radio. Field Team Leaders and On Duty Coordinators (ODC) carry an assigned 800…
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