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

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

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

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

4.3.2 Determining the requirements and qualifications for 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 standard precludes an AHJ from requiring additional knowledge, skills, or abilities for its 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 Leader.

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 Leader.

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

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

4.8 The knowledge, skills, and abilities 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 Leader 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 must be demonstrated the AHJ shall 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.

4.12 Additional skill set-specific endorsements may be used in conjunction with this document 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 lead land search and rescue teams.

1.2 Land Search and Rescue Team Leaders direct search and rescue teams 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 conducting rescues in partially or fully collapsed structures, in or on water, in confined spaces, or underground (such as in caves, mines, and tunnels), or in mountainous terrain.

1.4 Personnel trained to this guide alone are qualified to conduct or lead search and rescue operations on non-technical terrain.

1.5 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.

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

1.5.2 Personnel trained to this standard and having a Rope Rescuer Endorsement (Guides F2752, F2954, F2955) are qualified to supervise rope rescue teams of equal level or lower.

1.6 A Land Search and Rescue Team Leader can be utilized as a team leader for land search or rescue teams, a single resource, or a support person for a canine search team.

1.7 Land Search and Rescue Team Leaders are eligible to supervise Land Search, Land Rescue, Land Search and Rescue, and Untrained teams or crews as defined in Classification F1993 for non-wilderness and wilderness operations. In addition to meeting the requirements of this guide, Search and Rescue Team Leaders shall have the identified endorsement for the reason identified:

1.7.1 Mountainous Terrain—Search and Rescue Team Leaders shall meet the requirements of Guides F3027 or F3028;

1.7.2 Alpine Terrain—Search and Rescue Team Leaders shall meet the requirements of Guide F3028;

1.7.3 Mountainous Operations—Search and Rescue Team Leaders shall meet the requirements of Guide F3175;

1.7.4 ATV-ROHV Operations—Search and Rescue Team Leaders shall meet the requirements of Guide F3175;

1.7.5 Rope Rescue Operations—Search and Rescue Team Leaders shall meet the requirements of Guides F2954 or F2955.

1.8 Search and Rescue Team Leaders supervising Mounted Teams shall also meet the requirements of Guide F2794.

1.9 Further training may be required before a Land Search and Rescue Team Leader can supervise a particular team, depending on local needs, regulations, or policies of the authority having jurisdiction.

1.10 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.