Welcome to START

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• SAR Coordination and Support

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  • Cospas-Sarsat

    The International Cospas-Sarsat Programme is a satellite-based search and rescue (SAR) distress alert detection and information distribution system, best known for detecting and locating emergency beacons activated by aircraft, ships and backcountry hikers in distress.

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  • NZ SAR Structure

    The NZ Search and Rescue sector is made up of many diverse organisations and entities that operate to provide NZ's operational response capability.

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  • The Rescue Coordination Centre

    The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand is responsible for coordinating all Category II search and rescue operations within the New Zealand Search and Rescue Region.

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  • NZ SAR Resource Database

    This presentation shows you how to locate and contact suitable SAR assets using the SAR Resource Data Base. Participants in the On Scene Coordinators training course will use this Database as part of their scenario work.

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• SAR Response Management

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  • CIMS

    New Zealand's Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS) is the framework for consistent principles, structures, functions, processes and terminology for SAR agencies to apply in an operation.

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  • SAR Leadership

    These resources provide information that supports leadership for a SAR operation.

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  • Family Liaison

    The role of Family Liaison Officers and their interaction with family members plays an important part in SAR operations.

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  • Investigative Interviewing

    Investigative interviewing is a fundamental skill for SAR personnel to obtain and complete, accurate and reliable information.

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  • T-Cards

    T-Cards are a process and system record, account for and report the status of resources during a SAR operation.

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  • Fatigue Guidance Note for Search and Rescue

    This guidance note is for the organisations in the search and rescue sector who train, develop, task, instruct, and direct people providing search and rescue expertise during a search and rescue operation (SAROP) or a search and rescue exercise (SAREX).

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  • GSMEAC Briefing - Marine

    This video covers the key components for delivering a GSMEAC briefing, and illustrates each aspect using a Marine Operation IMT briefing.

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  • GSMEAC Briefing - Land

    This video covers the key components for delivering a GSMEAC briefing, and illustrates each aspect using a Land Operation IMT briefing.

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  • GSMEAC Briefing - Field Team

    This video covers the key components for delivering a GSMEAC briefing, and illustrates each aspect using a Field Team briefing.

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• SAR Exercising

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  • How We Run a Mass Rescue Exercise

    This video highlights how a mass rescue exercise is carried out.

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  • How Responders Work in a Mass Rescue

    This video highlights how responders work in a mass rescue exercise.

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  • RCCNZ Mass Rescue Response

    This video highlights how the Rescue Coordination Centre responds to a mass rescue event.

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• Marine Search Area Determination

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  • Marine Search Area Determination Introduction

    This section contains a series of short video clips for Marine Search Area Determination, broken down by task. 

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  • Evaluating the Situation

    This video demonstrates facts and factors required when evaluating a marine SAR situation. 

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  • Determining the Datum

    This video describes the basics of determining the current position (Datum) of the target you are searching for.

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  • Total Water Current

    This video describes the effect of water currents on a search object.

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  • Leeway

    This video explains the effect of wind (Leeway) on a search object.

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  • Ways to Define a Search Area

    This video highlights useful methods used to define Search Areas.

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  • SARMAP

    This video demonstrates the use of computer modeling for Search Planning. It focuses primarily on software called SARMAP.

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  • Multiple Winds and Currents

    This video describes the use of Multiple Winds and Multiple Water Currents information in Search Planning.

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• Marine Search Area Coverage

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  • Selecting the Search Pattern

    The section contains a series of short video clips for marine search area coverage, broken down by task. 

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  • Types of Search Patterns

    This video demonstrates the types of search patterns for a marine search.

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  • Defining Search Pattern Parameters

    This video demonstrates search pattern parameters.

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  • Search Pattern Calculations

    This video explains the calculations required for search pattern planning.

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• Marine SAR

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  • Marine SAR Technical

    This section contains documents to further support Marine Search Area Determination and Search Area Coverage.

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  • Lifeboat Beach Landing - MA1003

    This short video demonstrates the landing and offloading of passengers from a lifeboat during an exercise.

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• Aviation SAR

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  • Roles and Responsibilities of an Air Observer

    This section contains resources that support the Air Observer training and understanding.

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  • Maps and Charts

    This video explains the type and functionality of maps and charts.

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  • Safety Around Aircraft

    This video explains safety rules for working around aircraft.

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  • Human Factors

    This video explains the role of human factors in the role of an air observer.

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  • Search Planning

    This video explains the development of search plans and search planning process for aviation searches.

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• Land SAR

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  • The Initial Response

    These resources relate to the initial phase of a land search.

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  • Radio Communications

    These resources relate to the use of radio communications for land SAR operations.

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  • Extended Search Management

    These resources support training and refresher training in Extended Search Planning.

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  • Avalanche Awareness

    RECCO® SAR technology is designed specifically to perform rapid searches for missing people in the outdoors year-round.

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  • Missing Person Behaviour

    These resources provide information related to the lost person behaviour.

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  • Tracking Core Skills

    These resources support training for Tracking Core Skills.

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  • Searching Suburban Environment

    These resources support training and refesher training in suburban searching.

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  • Search Techniques

    These resources support training and refresher training in search techniques.

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  • Processing Wilderness Clue Sites

    Resource material that supports training and refresher training in processing clues from a wilderness site.

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  • Tracking in the Wilderness

    These resources support training and refresher training for tracking in the wilderness environment.

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• Air Operators

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  • 1 The SAR system

    In this module you'll get an overview of the global and local search and rescue (SAR) system. This will help you understand where you fit and how your work contributes to the bigger picture.

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  • 2 SAR tasking, briefing, and communications

    In this module you'll get an overview of tasking, briefing, and communications during a SAR operation.

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  • 3 Introduction to Cospas-Sarsat

    In this module you'll get an overview of the international Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue distress alert detection and information distribution system that we use in New Zealand.

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  • 4 Aircraft crash site hazards

    In this module you'll get an introduction to the hazards first responders might face when attending an aircraft crash site.

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  • 5 Search planning

    In this module you'll get an introduction to search planning, including what it is, why we do it, key terms and concepts, and the models that apply.

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• SARdonyx

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  • SARdonyx Introduction

    SARdonyx is the SAR sector operation recording and reporting syste. These videos explain aspects of the SARdonyx system for users.

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  • Entering Incident Information

    This video is about how to enter a new incident into SARdonyx.

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  • Reporting and Search Functions

    This video provides an overview of how to generate reports.

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  • SARdonyx LandSAR Users

    This video describes how LandSAR users contribute to SARdonyx. 

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• Specific Technical Tips

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  • SAR Resources Database

    The NZ SAR Resources database is set up to assist emergency services and those involved in SAR operations. It is password protected. 

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