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I also recomend the new 406MHz PLB's, but PLEASE PLEASE get one with a *good* GPS built in. The 406MHz PLB has to go through the same doppler-shift tracking as the 121.5 ELT's if there is no GPS data with the signal, and the AFRCC will wait until that narrowed-down data has come in before notifying the agency having authority.

And most the time we don't wait until daybreak, we like the challenge ;)
Nick
Butte County Search & Rescue

I am not sure if you have ever listened to marine radio near an ocean, but just from my time near the water and listening in, the US Coast Guard has about 10 ELT (121.5MHz) distress signal activations per day, per Coast Guard Group (IE, San Diego Group, Los Angeles Group, etc). They send someone to investigate each one, eventually, and they are all nearly accidental or malicous trips, not real emergencies. It has almost reached the point of too many cries of wolf.

Nick
Butte County Search & Rescue

Where I live, when there isn't a disaster going on, the county has about 5-10% cell coverage. Even in the largest city in the county if you are indoors normally your cell will barely work, if at all. Most residential areas (outside the one large city) have no cell coverage, along with most the travel routes, save the one large state highway running through the middle. I have 3mbit DSL but can't use a cell in my house.

Cell phones are not a complete answer, and in my case, a very poor one. When I lived in San Diego I could use a cell phone anywhere I went, since moving North I have gotten an amateur radio license because the amateur repeaters around the county cover about 95% of the ENTIRE county, not just the populated areas.

My County
My Team

Whatever dog you speak of must have not been very well trained. If you have ever spent much time with a "working dog" it is amazing what the well trained ones can do. In my Search & Rescue unit we have many dogs that can scent discriminate off a scent article and follow that scent trail only in a world of people. They also have different reactions to a live person, a live person matching the scent article, a dead person, a dead person matching the scent article, and a well-trained handler and dog can work very effectivly. I am not a dog handler, but work closely with them on searches, and it is amazing watching them work.

I have added several topics as well as updated others in relation to emergency services. I find my weird mix of Comp Sci major and hobby of Search & Rescue allows me to be an expert (certified even) in all types of rescue and related equipment. Most poeple that work in emergency services fields aren't going to be big enough into tech to be offering info to the wiki, as I have noticed a lot of miss-information in these entries and have done my part to make it right. For example: Fire Engines and Fire Trucks are different types of vehicles, even if the Wikipedia said they were the same at one time.

It can work well, but sometimes I think there is just a little too much tech stuff and not enough general info, but thats just the nature of the delivery format.

Bang on the head with the news issue. Because of my other hobby, I am often on the news-making end of the reporters. About half the time I wonder if the story in the paper the next day is of the same incident I was at, because it rarely matches up, even for large facts like the most recent: "they used a helicopter to assist in the recovery" when in reality there was no helicopter anywhere near the scene. But all the people sitting at home reading the papers have no way of knowing the reporter wrote nothing that actually happened, quoted people as saying things they never did, and generally just didn't do very well at their job. Wikipedia is just easier for someone to create, but also catch, the mistakes.

The laws vary from state to state, but it is normally all volly as others have said. In my county the sheriff deputies are not allowed to be on SAR, which is a bummer because there are several that would otherwise.
As for what is required, generally good shape and a willingness to spend some money and time. I have spent about $1500 on personal gear and I put in about 12-15 hours a week in training, unit support, and the ever random callout. Some calls are minutes long (responce canceled) and I have been out for a 12 hour snow rescue.
You can checkout my unit's website, which has pretty good info for at least a start of what is needed for our group: http://www.buttesar.org
It has taken way more time and money than I thought it would, but it has also been way more fun and rewarding. It keeps me balanced too, computer science classes by day and swiftwater rescues by night.
Nick - Butte County, CA