Your best bets for starting SAR work are to contact the local NASAR group or Civil Air Patrol.
CAP is a para-military (USAF Auxiliary) organization that focuses on small aircraft SAR, as well as other emergency response, a youth leadership program, and general aerospace education - join this if you like airplanes.
I've worked with CAP for 15 years now, and have found it very rewarding, although I've never personally had a "rescue" - mostly recovery, and occasionally false alarms. CAP searches primarily for Emergency beacons (they already own all the electronic search equipment). We've been called out for aircraft, watercraft (EPIRB), individuals (PLB), missing persons (mentally disabled person wanders off), disaster relief, and military grunt work at air shows - "ma'am, please don't let Johnny play with the aircraft". Some cost is reimbursed by the government, some by donations, and some personal expense. Much of the equipment is provided by US military surplus. Radios are government frequencies, although HAMs are certainly appreciated.
NASAR is a generic training organization all sorts of SAR groups. Most groups (notable exception is CAP) require NASAR SAR Tech training. In our area, the groups do not respond to electronic beacons unless specifically requested. They do have dogs, aircraft, boats, 4x4s, atvs and just about any other sort of equipment their members can manage to obtain. I've worked with NASAR-type groups, but not for them. They also work off donations, grants, and member expense. Many teams require at least one HAM license, but cell phones and FRS (family radio service) are now taking over.
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CAP is a para-military (USAF Auxiliary) organization that focuses on small aircraft SAR, as well as other emergency response, a youth leadership program, and general aerospace education - join this if you like airplanes. I've worked with CAP for 15 years now, and have found it very rewarding, although I've never personally had a "rescue" - mostly recovery, and occasionally false alarms. CAP searches primarily for Emergency beacons (they already own all the electronic search equipment). We've been called out for aircraft, watercraft (EPIRB), individuals (PLB), missing persons (mentally disabled person wanders off), disaster relief, and military grunt work at air shows - "ma'am, please don't let Johnny play with the aircraft". Some cost is reimbursed by the government, some by donations, and some personal expense. Much of the equipment is provided by US military surplus. Radios are government frequencies, although HAMs are certainly appreciated.
NASAR is a generic training organization all sorts of SAR groups. Most groups (notable exception is CAP) require NASAR SAR Tech training. In our area, the groups do not respond to electronic beacons unless specifically requested. They do have dogs, aircraft, boats, 4x4s, atvs and just about any other sort of equipment their members can manage to obtain. I've worked with NASAR-type groups, but not for them. They also work off donations, grants, and member expense. Many teams require at least one HAM license, but cell phones and FRS (family radio service) are now taking over.
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