4.1 This guide establishes the minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities that a person shall have to perform as a Land Search and Rescue Team Member. No other skills are included or implied.

4.2 Every person who is identified as a Land Search and Rescue Team Member shall have met the requirements of this guide.

4.3 This guide is to be used by individuals and agencies having jurisdiction that wish to identify the minimum training required for a Land Search and Rescue Team Member.

4.3.1 Although this guide establishes the minimum training required for a Land Search and Rescue Team Member, it does not imply that a Land Search and Rescue Team Member is a “trainee,” “probationary,” or other similar term member of an AHJ.

4.3.2 Determining the requirements and qualifications for land search and rescue team members is the responsibility of the AHJ.

4.3.3 The AHJ shall determine the depth or detail of training required to meet these needs.

4.3.4 Nothing in this guide precludes an AHJ from adding additional requirements for its own members.

4.4 This guide can be used to evaluate a document or training program to determine if its content includes the topics necessary for training individuals to operate as a Land Search and Rescue Team Member.

4.5 This guide by itself is not a training document. It is an outline of the topics required for training or evaluating a Land Search and Rescue Team Member, although it can be used to develop a training document or program.

4.6 This guide does not stand alone and shall be used with the referenced documents to provide the specific information needed by a Land Search and Rescue Team Member or AHJ.

4.7 This guide can be used to evaluate a document to determine if its content meets the necessary topics for training a Land Search and Rescue Team Member. Likewise, the guide can be used to evaluate an existing training program to see if it meets the requirements of this guide.

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

4.9 A Land Search and Rescue Team Member shall document his or her training by completion of a position task book, compliant with Guide F3068, or by field demonstration under qualified supervision.

4.10 Unless stated otherwise, an ability or proficiency in a skill shall be demonstrated for initial qualification and then as often as required by the AHJ.

4.11 Except where a physical skill or ability shall be demonstrated, the AHJ shall determine the best way to evaluate a person’s knowledge. This may be by written examination, oral examination, demonstration, or by some combination of the three.

4.12 Additional skill set-specific endorsements may be used in conjunction with this guide to train rescue personnel for other rescue disciplines.

1.1 This guide establishes the minimum training requirements, including general and field knowledge, skills, and abilities, for personnel who perform land search and rescue without ropes.

1.2 Land Search and Rescue Team Members perform search and rescue on the surface of the land only, including urban or disaster areas that may be isolated or have lost supporting infrastructure.

1.3 This guide does not provide the minimum training required for performing land rescue in partially or fully collapsed structures, in or on water, in confined spaces, underground (such as caves, mines, and tunnels), or in mountainous terrain.

1.4 Personnel trained to this guide alone are not qualified to direct rope rescues. No knots, rope work, or high angle or low angle rescue skills are included in this guide.

1.4.1 The minimum training required for rope rescue can be found in Guides F2752, F2954, and F2955.

1.4.2 Personnel are qualified to conduct search and rescue operations on non-technical terrain.

1.5 Personnel trained to this guide alone are not qualified to operate in leadership positions.

1.6 Personnel trained to this guide are eligible to be members of Type II search teams or crews as defined in Classification F1993.

1.6.1 Type II teams that may utilize personnel trained to this guide are as follows:

1.6.1.1 Kind A (wilderness);

1.6.1.2 Kind B (urban);

1.6.1.3 Kind J (evidence/cadaver);

1.6.1.4 Kind K (missing aircraft).

1.6.1.5 Personnel trained to this guide are eligible to be members of Kind C (mountainous) teams provided that they are supervised by a Mountain or Alpine endorsed team member.

1.7 Further training may be required before a Land Search and Rescue Team Member can participate on a particular Kind of rescue team, depending on local needs, regulations, or policies of the authority having jurisdiction.

1.8 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 requirements prior to use.