If your looking for training in communication[restricted radio-walkies-] first aid {basic to advanced} -wilderness/urban evac- basic wilderness/urban survival- training in ground or rope rescue- seach patterns- knots- map & compass - gps- avalanche saftey etc.
Join your local search and rescue.
I live in British Columbia, Canada in bc we have the Provincial emergency program = P.E.P. you can join the local groups and they train you- give you an awesome manual -they have night/weekend training + seminars- where you form seach parties and pratice mock seaches using different seach patterns -map & compass -radio's -night vision gear-repelling and climbing- tracking- in using these skills,finding the lost or injured person or party, we administer first aid if needed- to loading a spine board and as a team -to how to carry an actual person in the spine board or basket in a remote wilderness setting or urban disaster zone and pack them out ...by hand.
There are several specialty cources offered for free or a small cost. example for free =advanced first aid -rope rescue -restricted radio cource /certificate-etc. To be a certified tracker for SAR, you will have to pay and train by an gov approved school.
I personaly joined 3 municpalities sar units to speed up my training =2 ground sar units and a rope rescue unit -did every training event i could get my hands on-from tracking-to night searches, using night vision equipment-training in driving [ split shift-to giant multi ton trucks ]-to using the jaws of life-repelling of off a cliff & then using pressic knots to climb back up the rope-fire rescue= ladders and hoses etc
The bigger the city =the bigger the budget! And the bigger the hand me downs. Pep gets dibs on police-fire-city-tools,equipment,supplies and vehicles.
It is incredible how much you can learn and accomplish in volunteering a few nights and weekends a month!
cheers!
Good advise I looked into the one here
Preparedness is like a condom , I've rather have it and not need it, rather than need it and not have it
March 4th I'm going to the meeting at 7 pm anyone else in lethbridge want to come lol
Preparedness is like a condom , I've rather have it and not need it, rather than need it and not have it
For those of you who are not in a location where you can join a S.A.R. group please give some consideration to joining your local volunteer fire department. Not only will you be performing a public service but you will pick up many skills including alone with some of the training mentioned in the first post of this thread.
A prepper can never have too many skills.
great post and ideas,
In Durham Region there is O.V.E.R.T.
NOT TOO many volunteer fire departments though until you travel farther North.
C.E.R.T. - Civil Emergency Response Teams - training from Emergency Management Alberta is another good course to get. Usually offered to members of SAR, EMS, Fire and Police. Not sure if Emergency Management Alberta still exists, but they had good courses.
Mountainman.
Griz,
Here is a post started last year. It also has some ideas about getting affordable training.
http://internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=690
Cheers,
Mountainman.
I too was part of a local SAR team. Unfortunately egos and politics seemed too thick and sadly half the team quit within a year as a result.
That said though it's great training and experience for anyone that likes the outdoors and helping others. Not to mention some of the friendships that I connected through training.
I have a 2005 edition of the PEP SAR training manual if anyone wants it, PM me and I can send it off.
For folks living in Calgary, looking for some great training. Best to join a smaller town as you will have more opportunities to be called upon and the training groups are smaller. Didsbury, Alberta had a wonderful Search and Rescue team. I joined them back in about 2000. No longer a member, but I definitely would recommend.
Good starter training for topics like:
-Man tracking(no ladies...not that kind)
-Survival skills
-Search and Rescue on horseback
-High altitude rescue
-Winter survival
-Identifying edible and poisonous local plants.
-Ice and water rescue
I've worked on both urban and rural teams. Definitely would recommend a more rural team as the closer you are to big hubs the more urban/town searches you're called out for. Like dementia patients, lost or runaway kids etc. It all comes down to the same principals but I personally found it much much more fun being in the bush rather than walking city streets looking in and around dumpsters etc.