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what training do you need to be a Search and rescue team member, and what are the requirements?

although i am still young, i would like to do greater things with my life. i would like to know what training is necessary to become a member of either local, state, or federal search and rescue teams? where can i get this training? and what are the prerequisites? and what type of job can i get? i have already had extensive safety and emergency response training, so i doubt the course would be too difficult, but is there anyone who is a current or previous member that can tell of your experiences, tips for the job, and possible carreer fields? thanks everybody.

Public Comments

1. Civil Air Patrol has classes and is a fun club, you can go on practice searches as young as 13.
2. most US urban search and rescue teams consist of county or large city fire department personnel. you would likely need to become a member of such a department or become an expert or a specialist in an area that a fire dept may not routinely handle.....like a search dog handler or structural engineer. Your best chance to become involved in such a team would be to apply to a career fire dept that takes part in state level or federal level search and rescue response. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue in Va. are the only 2 federal level teams in the US that leave this country for USAR responses.
3. I would assume that joining the Coast Guard or National Guard would be a way to get into a Search and Rescue type team.