This guide establishes the minimum training standard as it relates to general and specific knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA), for existing dispatchers, 911 operators and telecommunicators to be trained in the processing and dispatching of potential and actual search and rescue incidents. A person trained to this guide is a Level I (basic) SAR Dispatcher.

Every person who is identified as an SAR Dispatcher shall have met the requirements of this guide.

This guide is to be used by individuals and agencies having jurisdiction who wish to identify the minimum training standards for Level I SAR dispatcher.

This guide is only the first level of training for Search and Rescue Dispatcher (SRD) personnel, and as such, only establishes the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities required for a person to perform SAR Dispatch.

Nothing in this guide precludes a user of this guide from adding additional requirements for its own members.

This guide by itself is not a training document. It is only an outline of the topics required for training or evaluating a Level I SRD, but it can be used to develop a training document or program.

It is up to the training authority to determine the depth or detail of training to meet its needs.

This guide does not stand alone and must be used with the referenced documents to provide the specific information needed by the user.

This guide can be used to evaluate a book or other document to determine if its content meets the necessary topics for training an SRD. Likewise, the guide can be used to evaluate an existing training program to see if it meets the requirements of this guide.

The knowledge, skills, and abilities requirements presented in the following sections are not presented in any particular order and do not represent a training sequence.

Except where a physical skill needs to be shown, it is up to the instructor, evaluator, or tester to determine the best way to evaluate a person’s knowledge. This may be by written exam, oral exam, demonstration, or by some combination of the three.

1.1 This guide establishes the minimum training standard as it relates to general and specific knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA), for existing dispatchers (who have met the requirements of Practice F 1258), 911 (emergency) operators, and telecommunicators to be trained for the processing and dispatch of potential and actual search and rescue incidents.

1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.