I arrived in New Zealand in 1988 from England. With a keen interest in the hills I soon joined the Otago Tramping Club and the Alpine Club. Like many others through the Tramping Club I got involved in SAR. Early in 1992, with a wedding present from my wife Kate - Tasman, a Curly-Coated Retriever - I joined the Dunedin group of New Zealand Alpine Search Dogs. Up until that time, I had had nothing to do with dogs or their training.

Tasman was formally trained to find people by "air scenting", although as described below he was also good at tracking. Air scenting dogs find people by smelling human scent in the wind or air. The source of the scent for such a dog is either the person themselves or an article that has the person's scent on it. The dog will quarter an area back and forth into the wind until it picks up the smell and then home in on it. In addition to finding people or articles, a search dog also has to "indicate" to its handler that it has made a find. To start with I was training Tasman to bark on find. This involves having the dog stay with the find and to keep barking until the handler arrives at the location the dog is barking. Tasman unfortunately never was a good barker. On finding someone, he would give off a few barks and then make no more noise until told to speak. Tasman never seemed to progress past this point of a few spontaneous barks. After trying this method for over 18 months, I gave up and Tasman was trained in the "recall-re-find" method. This method involves the dog returning to the handler after it has made a find and then taking the handler back to the find. On returning to the handler the dog may indicate it has made a find in various ways, some dogs bark at their handlers (Tasman did this), others jump up and grab their handlers' arms, and others just sit in front of their handlers.

At age three years Tasman was consistently indicating finds of both people and articles on relatively long unseen exercises and was judged sufficiently competent to be used for operational purposes. It had only taken me in excess of a 1000 hours of training to get him to this stage! He was one of the first civilian search dogs in our District to be used for real operations. Over the next two and a half years we were called upon about 20 times to assist in looking for lost people. Tasman never did find anybody in a real incident, but then again the areas we were tasked to search never did contain the missing persons.

In remembering Tasman, two particular incidents come to mind that I shall not easily forget. The first of these I'm sure many in the Dunedin Police SAR team shall never forget. On a trip to Milford I rather think many had wished he never been born. As part of a contingent from Dunedin SAR, we were invited to take part in one of Works Civil Construction's annual avalanche training and awareness days. Tasman's consumption of a plate of saveloys the previous night, however, necessitated we all had to travel in the Police van with the windows wide open!

On a SAREX in North Otago, Tasman, I remember, really did me proud. A senior search Adviser had drawn to my attention a lost article of clothing he had found during a search exercise for a missing woman. While we waited for a bloodhound to arrive to be scented on the article, I suggested I would use Tasman to search the nearby area within a short radius of the article. In deploying Tasman, he was drawn by air scent to the article (which annoyed me because I didn't want him messing up the scent for the bloodhound), and after a couple of sniffs of the article he was off and out of sight with his nose on the ground. The next thing I knew he came back and barked and off we went to find the woman about three hundred metres away from the article. The woman had been out for over three hours, and hence the track he followed was equally as old. A rather impressive feat for a dog not trained to track.

Tasman was put to sleep at 5 and a half year's old this past July due to mast-cell tumour (cancer).

Thank you Tasman for all you ever taught me about search and search dogs and for your contribution to Dunedin SAR. I shall miss you and I shall always remember you.

Markus J Milne.
Otago District

Below is an article courtesy of the NZART magazine "Breakin". It is written by Noel ZL3QC and gives an interesting account of SAR from an AREC perspective

Search and Rescue personnel out in the field in wind, rain and snow, often wonder what it would be like controlling the operation from the snug comfort of the Field Search Headquarters (FHQ) instead of slogging through creeks, matagouri and steep gorges.

Once a year in Christchurch, the teams get their chance to sample the life of a Search Controller in a simulated exercise known as "Paperex". Working to a prepared scenario, usually based on real life situations, they learn how to deploy search teams, receive and analyse clues reported, obtain weather reports, handle media enquires and pressure, coordinate search patterns among several search teams, cope with emergency situations affecting the searchers, arrange for helicopter assistance if available, etc. In short they have to learn how to keep the whole operation running smoothly and be responsible for its successful conclusion. They also discover that quite often the controllers would rather be out in the bush slogging through the matagouri!

Communications for Paperex was arranged by Geoff Chapman ZL3PX/ZL3EX and his team from AREC. The setup involved eight separate FHQ’s each communicating with their own field teams and using the same scenario. The exercise was held in the Hillmorton High School in one large room and the "search teams" in various other rooms. Arranging communications without causing interference between the teams has been worked out over the years. Three teams were issued with hand held VHF radios using separate CD frequencies, two teams used PolSAR and Codan HF radios on SAR frequencies and three teams were direct-wired between remote control units with ZC1 microphones at each end.

The exercise scenario covers two days but the exercise itself is covered in two three hour sessions, 0900 to 1200 and 1230 to 1530. The trick of equating scenario time (dawn to dusk) with the three hours exercise "day" was achieved by using a neat little computer programme driving slave clocks at the various team and FHQ positions. Time is advanced by half a minute every "x" seconds depending on the time ratio required. All the wiring and other setting up was done on Saturday afternoon and we were back on deck at 0800 to issue radios and make sure all was in readiness.

The exercise started on time at 0900 and our main involvement then was to sort out any equipment problems (mainly flat batteries) and to observe operating procedures. it was interesting to observe that the teams became increasingly absorbed in their tasks as the day went on, indicating that there was quite a sense of realism being experienced.

At the conclusion of the exercise the teams were debriefed and their performance with good and weak points highlighted. Radio procedure weaknesses were outlined, such as the importance of using geographic call signs instead of "base to Team 1", collecting thoughts before transmitting, sending dictation speed and when to use it, and avoiding the use of "over and out" and so on.

Certificates of attendance were issued and these have high value because in real operations when places are being offered on helicopter lifts, it seems that those with certificates will get preference. Everyone went home satisfied that they had benefited from the exercise and now when they are bushbashing they can appreciate what goes on at Search Headquarters.

Noel ZL3QC
Canterbury District

Search and Rescue Education Resource Kit

A perusal of the above will show a number of Districts not visited. Please be patient, funding provided, we intend to visit your District next financial year

Roscoe Tait
Training Subcommittee Chairman

Anyone who has "surfed " the net and searched on ‘SAR’ realises where the rest the of the world has gone in applying technology to search and rescue. Whether it is GPS (Global Positioning Systems) or GIS (Geographical Information Systems) or cellular fax machines, the applications are slowly creeping in.

The purpose of this short article is to list out what is known to be happening in an attempt to share information.

There is a model currently being used called Mattson consensus. This model which can effectively be scribbled on the back of an envelope or a whiteboard also has more sophisticated versions that run on DOS (Casie3) and Excel. The model basically takes decisions from a number of individuals on the probabilities of search areas (POA) and arrives at a consensus priority. As the search progresses the computer model analyses clues and completed search tasks and using some tricky mathematical formulae updates the POA.

Tom Clarkson - a Wellington Adviser has taken a version of the computer model from the net and modified it slightly. He is more than willing to share an Excel version and advise on its use. He can be contacted at (04) 568-6691 or t.clarkson@xtra.co.nz

• Databases

Computer databases are used in NZ SAR organisations for both operational and non operational reasons. They are an excellent aid to store and retrieve commonly used data.

Hawkes Bay use an Excel spreadsheet database to form teams, maintain records of team tasks and issue team briefing sheets. Talk to Graham Thorp the NZ Land SAR Chairman for details.

Here in Wellington we maintain an MS Access database of our first response team. This database maintains all contact information that is then used for:

• Production of adviser contact lists
• Production of club contact lists
• Production of mailing labels for newsletters and training course details

Also maintained is a history of training and operational attendance. This attendance information is used for:

• Assessing team members qualifications
• Ensure team members are attending the required courses
• Maintaining statistics on operations and courses
• Planning future years training needs

This database is very flexible and powerful and can be adapted to meet local requirements. One of the next developments planned is using the database to form team schedules and briefing sheets for an operation - similar to Graham’s Excel ideas.

I am more than willing to share this database with other SAR groups. Contact me at (04) 562-8839 or michael.sheridan@nbnz.co.nz

• Long lat conversion to NZMS grid coordinates

• Urgency assessment model

• Portable phone technology

• VHF networks

• GPS

The Internet is an interesting place to catch up on what is happening in SAR internationally. To catch up on the national scene we now maintain a web site at "http://www.sar.org.nz" - check it out sometime.

Mike Sheridan
Adviser Wellington District

NZLSAR, from the work of the Communications Subcommittee, recently submitted a budget, looking ahead over the next four years to the Police for the upgrading or replacement of SAR communication equipment. The financial figures for 97/98 have been accepted by the department and it is now with Treasury as part of a larger package for their approval. If this comes to pass, the budget calls for the replacement of a number of VHF radios. If any SAR group is contemplating making, from their own funds, purchases of similar equipment, there may be an opportunity to "bulk buy" and make some worth while savings. If you wish to avail your group of this opportunity contact the NFO at the earliest.

This annual event, run for the twelfth time, is designed to test the ability of teams in the Canterbury District and is becoming increasingly competitive. The standard of SAR skills is noticeably improving each year. In fact the difference in scores between the first and last teams are so close that the rules will be looked at with a view to incorporating other aspects of SAR. Currently, although it is necessary to locate the patient within a certain time, and radio operating procedures are scored, the emphasis is on treatment and management of the victim. Maybe next year we'll include some "observation" exercises and maybe test specific search techniques? Or why not blindfold and handcuffed them?

Or perhaps we'll return to the same area and award extra marks to the team that finds a Red X radio that went out with a patient and never came home! We reckon we've the sharpest SAR teams in the country and anyone who disputes that claim is challenged to enter their best SARbods in the 1998 competition.

Incidentally, the injury this year was particularly gruesome, consisting of a bolt from a crossbow through the leg. Trousers with an extra couple of holes were issued to each patient and an elastic band under the trousers and around the calf kept the head on one side and the feathered bit on the other. Some blood and a tinge of blue to the lips and ears completed the picture. It isn't easy to transport someone with a stick through a leg but everyone successfully trussed up their patient to avoid movement although points were deducted from a few teams who gnawed through the shaft to shorten it!

In the past there has always been some criticism about the accuracy of the grid references supplied to the competitors, so this year a GPS unit was used and guess what? There was still a disputed reference!

E-mail queries to dave-s@chch.planet.org.nz or write to me at 150 McCormacks Bay, Chch 8.

Dave Saunders
Adviser Canterbury District

SAR services will continue to be provided by the Department of Conservation for the 1997/98 climbing season. Improvements have been made to the overall operation covering the following:

• The agreed updated Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are in place for helicopter strop rescues, and are being adopted by all parties.
• The aircraft provider is now able to meet the Civil Aviation Authority regulations in relation to strop rescues.
• The role of the parties involved providing the service has been clarified for this season (DoC, Police and helicopter provider).
• Rescue equipment has been maintained.
• Resource material has been updated; eg. aerial photographs.
• Training needs have been reviewed and staged implementation commenced.
• Administrative procedures such as log keeping and debriefs have been reviewed and refined.
• The role and functions of the Police and DoC at the local level have been clarified and agreed for this season with Aoraki/Mt Cook staff.
• Temporary mountaineer staff have been employed and are receiving training in rescue techniques.

The development of SOPs has resulted in the mitigation of some of the high risk factors facing rescuers. .

Paul Dale
Department of Conservation.
Southern Regional Office

To Graham, Marcus, Noel, Gill, Roscoe, Mike Dave and Paul a big thank your for your articles. To those who proof read and check the spelling or grammar, thank you also. To those who gave me articles which I have not published, many thanks for them. My apologies but please be patient and they will printed next time.

As Graham has mentioned the Christmas holidays are nearly upon us. To all those who have helped me in my job, I have met in my travels or contribute to SAR, I thank you and wish you all the very best for the Christmas festive season and New year.

Copy for the February News is most welcome and the close-off date is Friday 23 January. Articles on gear, SAR training or operations are most welcome. Please either mail as neatly hand-written, printed hard copy or on a disc to NZLSAR, PO Box 12081, Thorndon, Wellington. Alternatively email it to tristram.nzlsar@xtra.co.nz . Even a phone call and a verbal description to me if you are diffident about writing has produced articles, so please contact me as the merits of this newsletter is entirely in the hands of the contributors.

Regards John P Tristram NFO