Search & Rescue Graduates 29 New Team Members

MADERA COUNTY — After months of rigorous training, both in the field and in the classroom, 29 new volunteers have graduated from the Madera County Search & Rescue Academy, and joined the ranks of those ready to respond.

During a swearing-in ceremony at the main Sheriff’s Office in Madera on Friday, 24 graduates raised their right hand to take the oath, as more than 60 family members looked on. Five of this year’s graduates were unable to attend the formal ceremony, and will be sworn in at a later date.

The 2016 MADSAR Academy graduating class includes 18 men and 11 women — 15 from the Valley, and 14 from Eastern Madera County.

Sheriff Jay Varney and Commander Tyson Pogue welcomed the new team members aboard, and Sheriff Varney administered the oath of office.

Academy Leader Mike Perreira then congratulated the graduates on having completed the rigorous training, and thanked the families for supporting the volunteers in their desire to become MADSAR team members.

He also urged the volunteers to keep a good balance between their jobs, their families, and their work with MADSAR, telling them not to take it badly if they can’t respond when a call goes out.

“Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t make it to all the searches,” he said. “We don’t expect that. You need to keep the right balance in your life or you won’t be around for long. Or your family won’t be.

“When you’re working a job with regular scheduled hours, you might make plans to go to the zoo or a ball game, or camping with the family,” he said, “and then the boss calls and you need to work overtime or work on a weekend. That jams you up — but you’re getting paid for that.”

These volunteers don’t get paid — they do this out of a sense of service and a love for their community.

“You have to understand — family comes first, job comes second, SAR comes third,” said Perreira.

There were 50 recruits on the roles at the beginning of this process, which started with applications in November 2015, but some decided that the commitment was too great after learning all that is involved.

But those who forged ahead went through 120 hours of training — half in the classroom and half in the field — starting on Jan. 9 and culminating in a mock field exercise at the San Joaquin Experimental Range on Saturday, May 7.

With graduation behind them, the next step in the process is for each new MADSAR member to be matched up with the specialty team that fits them best. Each has expressed interest in their chosen discipline, and will meet with team leaders and choose one of several specialties: Technical Ropes, Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV), 4×4, Snow Machines, K-9, Dive Support and Type 1 teams.

Type 1 teams consist of those who have been physically qualified for longer missions. The test for Type 1 searchers is modeled after the U.S. Forest Service Arduous Pack Test, which involves a 3-mile hike carrying a 45-pound pack which must be completed in under 45 minutes. While on SAR incidents, they must also carry food and water for three days, a small stove and cook kit, and a sleeping bag and pad, or bivouac supplies.

OHV, 4×4, and Snow Machine team members will likely have their own vehicles, which must be keep in top shape, and are inspected on a regular basis to ensure they can deal with the toughest terrain. Some equipment is available through MADSAR, and whether using their own or agency vehicles, volunteers are required to be certified to operated this equipment.

Though the Academy is behind them, the training doesn’t end there. Once a month there is a training session that deals with something they learned in their basic training.

“Skills are perishable, you wanna keep them sharp,” says Perreira.

What it takes to become a member of Madera County Search & Rescue —

Becoming a MADSAR volunteer requires a major commitment of time and energy, plus the finances to outfit oneself with the necessary equipment. Though many are interested and willing at the outset, the attrition rate from application to graduation is about 40 percent.

Training was held over thirteen Saturdays at Minarets High School in O’Neals, covering a broad range of disciplines including Navigation and Maps, CPR and First Aid, Rope Rescue, Helicopter Safety, Search Techniques and Theory, Radio Communications, Tracking, Survival and Improvisation, Travel Skills, Physiology and Fitness, Safety in SAR Environs, Clothing and Ready Pack Prep, even Legal and Ethical issues.

Volunteers are required to have all the necessary supplies and equipment, and those costs can run into the many hundreds of dollars, depending on how much gear they many already own.

Team members need to be prepared with a map and compass, headlamp/flashlight and extra batteries, waterproof matches or firestarter, gloves and rain gear, carabiners and cord, flagging tape and light sticks, rope and measuring tape, sunscreen and sunglasses, water bottle and filter, multi-purpose knife and duct tape, an emergency shelter, and extra clothing, food and water.

They must also have a complete first aid kit containing everything from bandages and protective gloves to antihistamine, Benadryl and acetaminophen.

Final written and field tests were administered on Apr. 23, and the service of all volunteers is subject to the results of background checks by the Sheriff’s Office and the F.B.I.

The MADSAR Academy is held every two years. Recruitment for the 2018 class will begin in November 2017.

New MADSAR Team Members:

Lyn Bockmiller

Will Boyer

Giana Cardoza

Ben Catrina

George Chinn

Linda Cuthbert

Maricela Davis

Edward Gallegos

Gina Hartley

Arthur Hussey

Maria Lazaro

Nickolas McBeath

Tanner Meeks

Gabriel Mejia

Ryan Simon

Hailey Smith

Zachary Stone

Justin Swanson

Cliff Talley

Laura Unti

Faustina Washburn

Sally Wider-Reda

Freeman Wilfong

Adam Wilkinson

Lee Lang

Makenna Hunziker

Bob Day

Becoming A MADSAR Volunteer – It’s All About Service