Search and rescue teams were put to the test this weekend during the 2023 Eastern Oregon Search and Rescue Regional Training.
The event, hosted by the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, took place at Camp Meadowood Springs near Weston.
On Friday morning, participants were briefed on a mock scenario of a 1970s-era Cessna airplane reported as an overdue aircraft. A report from a mock witness also heard the sound of a possible airplane collision near Couse Creek Road outside of Weston. Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office “activated” Search and Rescue to search the site, and the training began.
Participants on Friday included search and rescue teams from seven counties – Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Harney, Gilliam, Baker and Malheur. Civil Air Patrol took part, as well, with two planes used during the weekend.
The training is designed to provide participants with an understanding of how they fit and work together during more complex search and rescue missions.
The training is designed so that participants are not aware of the scenario details ahead of time. This allows for information to be discovered in a more realistic way.
On Friday, searchers were deployed using ground teams, ATV teams and a drone team. Mock weather reports kept the Civil Air Patrol grounded. Realistic obstacles were set up during the training to present challenges to searchers, such as locked gates or challenging terrain.
During Friday’s exercise, ground searchers discovered mock plane wreckage, a blue shirt and a glove, but no passengers.
Friday evening was time to reflect, discuss and plan for the next day.
The second day ended with searchers rescuing three mock survivors, recovering a mock deceased pilot and locating a second mock plane wreckage.
The morning started earlier with a briefing for all involved in the search and assignments were given to specific search teams, including ground search teams, UTV and ATV teams, K9 Teams, drone teams and Civil Air Patrol.
As on Friday, Saturday’s training scenario was designed to be played out in real time with searchers unaware of details until discovered. At around 11:45 a.m. a K9 team located two survivors, role played by volunteers, with some minor mock injuries and diabetic issues.
Shortly afterward, the pilot of the first plane was located and had some critical medical issues requiring special extraction from the scene. These survivors informed rescuers that their plane had collided with another small plane. The objectives of the mission then changed to begin searching for a second plane and a missing pilot. Civil Air Patrol assisted in the search by flying two planes over the search area and all searchers were given new objectives based on the new findings. By the end of the day both the “plane wreckage” and “deceased pilot” were recovered.
Throughout the day, participants had the opportunity to communicate and work together to coordinate a complicated search using many different types of skilled teams, based on the needs of the mission as it evolved.
At the end of the day, all searchers returned to base camp for dinner and some quality down time.
On Sunday, participants attended training on an After Action Review (AAR), which is a professional discussion of a mission by those involved in the mission. The AAR’s purpose is to review what happened on the mission, why it happened, identify and sustain strengths and improve on weaknesses.
Umatilla County Sheriff Capt. Sterrin Ward said the training is intense and can be stressful to those involved.
“It provides opportunities for some to step into leadership roles they have never done in a real search,” Ward said. “Scenario-based training is invaluable when it comes to learning these roles and how to work together efficiently. It pays off greatly when the time comes to work a real search and rescue mission.’
For information about becoming a member of a search and Rescue team, go to the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office website.
