SAR 2004
Number 32 is Now in the History Books!
The NASAR Board and Staff are breathing a collective sigh of relief this week,
now that SAR 2004 is a memory! We are very pleased with the outcome of the event
overall, despite a relatively poor showing by local, state and federal attendees
from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.
NASAR AWARDS RECIPIENTS
2004 Hal Foss Award Winner -- Cheryl Kennedy (Colorado); Citation: For exceptional leadership and contributions
to the development and promotion of NASAR education and standards.
2004 NASAR Instructor of the Year -- David Comstock (Arkansas); Citation: Through dedication to providing quality
search and rescue testing and willingness to assist at any mission in any capacity,
Mr. Comstock has earned the trust and respect of those who have worked with him.
2004 NASAR Board of Directors Special Award -- Dee Wild (Louisiana); Citation: For perseverance and selfless dedication
to the establishment and improvement of education and certification programs for
canine search and rescue units across America and throughout the world.
2004 Alaska State Award -- Department of Public Safety,
Alaska
State
Troopers; Citation: For extraordinary service and dedication in leading the
United States
in establishing a national response system for Personal Locator Beacons.
2004 California State Award -- Mono
County
Sheriff
’s Department Search and Rescue Team; Citation: For proficient actions during
the many and complex SAR missions conducted in their county under very extreme
conditions as well as outstanding leadership on statewide SAR issues. The dedication
of this team is above and beyond the call of duty.
2004 Colorado State Award -- Julie Kelble; Citation: For countless volunteer hours and unmatched dedication
to the Avalanche Deployment Program and the many important safety enhancements
implemented via the “Lift Ticket” program for the benefit of Colorado’s outdoor
enthusiasts and their rescuers.
2004 Maryland State Award -- Department of Natural Resources,
State
Forest
and Park Service Ranger Tactical Team; Citation: For outstanding achievement
in the field of search and rescue; for the vision and initiative to start a Mantracking
team, the endurance and hard work to follow through and complete training, and
for the courage and teamwork to put the training to use to locate missing individuals
and bring criminal activity to closure.
2004 Vermont State Award -- Department of Public Safety,
Vermont
State
Police; Citation: For extraordinary service and dedication in leading the
United States
in establishing a national response system for Personal Locator Beacons.
2004 Canadian Province Award -- John Rotheisler, Search and Rescue Association of
Alberta; Citation:
In recognition of the exemplary dedication and consummate professionalism exhibited
through involvement in national, provincial and local search and rescue organizations
and community groups.
DOOR PRIZE DRAWINGS
Each year, NASAR receives a wide variety of donations from various sources which
are raffled off to attendees. Here are some of the "big prize" winners from SAR
2004:
Lifetime Membership to NASAR donated by NASAR was won by Annette Gaston
2 packages of 4 nights complimentary lodging to SAR 2005 in Oakland donated by Kathryn Marshall of Marshall & Associates were won
by Annette Gaston and Peter Christensen
ANNUAL SAR PHOTO CONTEST
Winners of the annual Search and Rescue Photo Contest are as follows:
3rd place ($25 prize) - Randy Servis of Flagstaff, Arizona (
Mr. Servis has graciously donated his prize back to NASAR)
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
As required in the NASAR By-Laws, the Board of Directors hosts a meeting for
the General Membership at each conference. Our deepest appreciation goes to the
100 dedicated members who attended the final official conference event on June
5th. Highlights of the meeting are as follows:
-
NASAR Board voted to eliminate the requirement for online SARTECH III examinees
to have a proctor in order to receive official certification. When this becomes
effective on June 14, 2004, those desiring official recognition as SARTECH III's
will be required to pay $38 for the testing procedure. Those who wish to take
the exam as "practice" and/or who do not desire to be officially certified may
take the exam for $15.
-
NASAR Board voted to recognize ASTM as the standards-producing entity for Search
and Rescue and unanimously agreed that NASAR will officially participate in the
ASTM F-32 Committee on Search and Rescue. Further, the NASAR Board voted to cease
producing its own standards in the future and to submit its current standards
to ASTM for processing.
-
NASAR President, Randy Servis, named two ad hoc committees and named the Chair
for each as follows:
1. Flood and Swiftwater Rescue Committee will be chaired by Tim Rogers
2. Standards Committee will be chaired (in the interim) by Steve Hudson
