Canterbury Police SAR have been joined by over 70 volunteers from SAR groups in the Canterbury region including Ellesmere, Methven, Rakaia, Oxford, Christchurch and our hosts in Arthur’s Pass. Amateur Radio Emergency Communication (AREC) are also on site to keep the lines of communication open as they would in a real SAR situation.
Sergeant Phil Simmonds, Canterbury Police SAR Coordinator, says “This is the first time we have run a 24 hour SAR training exercise in Arthur’s Pass, which is unusual consider the amount of calls to service the SAR team get in the area. We have set up a series of 11 training stations where the 13 volunteer and Police teams are assessed on their competency and skills which they would need in a real SAR situation.”
“The 13 teams will be scored by independent assessors at each station to give them a total score out of 1000. This introduces a bit of competition and simulates the pressure they will face in a real-time callout. The sorts of skills we are assessing include river crossings, first aid, search techniques, clue processing, navigation and observation. The teams are not allowed to use roads or bridges to travel between stations and will spend the night out in the bush” explained Sergeant Simmonds.
The current weather conditions in Arthur’s Pass are wet but not cold. The forecast is for the rain to stop tomorrow afternoon after the 24 hour SAR training exercise has finished.
“While the conditions add to the difficulty for the teams it is good conditions for training in that the weather is not guaranteed to be blue sky and perfect when we get called out in an emergency. The teams provide all their own personal equipment and Canterbury Police provide them with a 24 hour ration pack, the same as would be provided for a SAR operation” says Sergeant Simmonds.
All teams taking part in the training this weekend are part of LandSAR who certify their competency to be a SAR volunteer. LandSAR run programmes to train and recertify SAR volunteers throughout the year.
“We have received great feedback from the assessors on the high standard being achieved so far this weekend. It is reassuring to know that we have people of this calibre who are willing to give up their time and volunteer to help when we have a SAR callout” said Sergeant Simmonds.
This is a timely reminder in the lead up to the roar where many hunters will be heading to the hills in their quest for trophy animals to carry a personal locator beacon and tell someone they trust where they are going and when they are intending to return.
“Beacons can be hired from many outlets and in an emergency are invaluable as they pin-point your location and allow rescuers and medical personnel to get to you almost straight away. While weather conditions may prevent a helicopter rescue, if we know where you are we don’t have to spend time searching a wider area before we can help you.”
The 24 hour SAR training exercise is due to finish at 10.30am tomorrow (29 March 2015) at the Arthur’s Pass Outdoor Education Centre.
Updates are posted regularly throughout the day on the Canterbury Police Facebook page and Twitter @NZPCanterbury.
ENDS
Issued by: Lisa-Marie Brooks, District Communications Manager, Canterbury Police District. Mobile: 021 942 404
