Urban Search and Rescue for CERT and ARES - Stockton, CA

From the ARES E-Letter February 16, 2011

Urban Search for CERT and ARES®

Amateur Radio operators and CERT members can help save lives by learning how to search for missing children and at-risk adults during a one-day training event to be held Saturday, March 19, in Stockton, California.

The "Urban Search for CERT and ARES®" workshop will kickoff creation of a new rapid-response program using Amateur Radio operators and Community Emergency Response Team members as searchers. Volunteers attending the class will become the program's first members.

Taught by leaders of the Alameda County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team, the class will give volunteers the basic skills necessary to safely look for missing kids and at-risk adults in the urban or suburban environment.

The event will be held at the San Joaquin County Agricultural Center, 2105 E. Earhart Ave., Stockton, California, adjacent to the Stockton airport. The event runs from 8 AM until 4 PM. It is sponsored by the Amateur Radio Emergency Service of San Joaquin County. The workshop is open to anyone interested; however, seating is limited and priority will be given to current ARES® and CERT members. You need not be a San Joaquin County resident to attend. There is no fee for the class, although donations will be accepted to support the event and search program.

The workshop marks the second anniversary of the search for Sandra Cantu, an 8-year-old Tracy girl who was abducted near her home on March 27, 2009. Her body was discovered just over a week later. The organizers and instructors were involved in the search for Sandra. While later investigation found the child was likely deceased even before she was noticed to be missing, San Joaquin ARES® hopes this program will make a difference in the lives of children in the future.

Elders with dementia or other cognitive disorders are a second focus of the program. Statistics show that many of these patients will wander from facilities and caregivers. If not found quickly, a significant number will eventually be discovered deceased.

The goal of the program is to, in cooperation with law enforcement, get 10 two-searcher teams on-scene within one hour of notification. Such a response would dramatically increase the resources available to search for the missing person. For additional information, please contact David Coursey, N5FDL, ARES® Emergency Coordinator, San Joaquin County, California