Before the Search: The Briefing Room | SAR Series Fall 2026
Article 6 of 7
A search assignment can change quickly. A missing person may be injured when found. A teammate may become cold, exhausted, or hurt. Access for additional help may be slow. That is why first aid belongs in the preparation for field search, alongside navigation, communication, and team procedures.
Training does not make every searcher a clinician, certainly not. Instead, it helps them recognize a problem, work within their qualifications, communicate what they observe, and support a safe response while more resources are arranged. I have had the honor of learning First Aid from two of the most outstanding paramedics in the field: Josh and Terri Faulkenberry. Their expertise is beyond reproach. It has been an honor to sit as a student in their classes. They have provided the foundation for my next class: Wilderness First Aid. I am excited to learn new things.
It is always important to remember: the specific care must follow current training, medical direction, and the organization’s protocols. Do what your team leader tells you to do by your team’s protocol.
It is also important to recognize that the team’s condition matters before it reaches anyone else. Are people dressed and equipped for the weather and terrain? Do they understand the assignment and their limits? Can they communicate a location and request help? Are they willing to say when a condition has exceeded their training or equipment? A search operation loses capacity when searchers become patients.
There is also a documentation piece. Time, location, condition when found, care provided, and changes observed can matter to the receiving medical team and, in some circumstances, a later investigation. These notes should be factual, prompt, and handled through the operation’s process.
Here’s what I’ve learned about wilderness first aid before I’ve even taken the class: it is most valuable when it is part of a broader culture of readiness. We practice so that field decisions are deliberate even when the situation is urgent. I’m looking forward to practicing next week!
Our November NASAR academy brings these subjects together for people preparing to take part in search and rescue. If you are joining us, please see our Course Guide for current materials to confirm course requirements and the equipment you need to bring.
Series note: This article is part of Before the Search, our series leading up to the inaugural search and rescue class in LPA’s Mounted Forensic Operations System (MFOS) program. The NASAR Search & Rescue Academy will be held at the Laura Pettler & Associates International Forensics Institute at Crossroads Ranch in Monroe, North Carolina, November 15–22, 2026.
