Meeting September 16, 2006
Official minutes
MEMBERS and GUESTS PRESENT:Art Jordan, Glenn Schultz, Jake Weber, Sharon Fisher, Darrell Monroe, Brooks Hanford, Sarah Jordan, Charlie Arvidson, David Brinkman, Bill Gillespie
Next SARVAC Meeting: March 17, 2006 Camp Murray
The future meeting dates and locations are as follows:
March 17, 2007 Camp Murray, WA Board Meeting 11:30 a.m. General Meeting 12:00 p.m. May 2007 WA State SAR Conference TBA
September 22, 2007 Yakima, WA Location to be announcedThe meeting was called to order at 12:08 p.m.
Introductions Everyone at the meeting introduced themselves to the group.
Acceptance of the minutes. Brooks Hanford moved and David Brinkman seconded to accept the minutes as written. The motion passed unanimously.President's Report:
EMC meeting
Secretary’s Report:
How to post state resources was discussed. It was suggested that websites for Snohomish County SAR, Kitsap ESAR, and Pierce County SAR be looked at as possible models for the information. The question was also asked if the resources could be listed by unit type and by county. It will be explored.
Treasurer’s Report:
Current balance: $ 978.62 $938.62 balance 5/19/06
+ 500.00 returned from King County (from SAR 2006 Conference)
+ 50.00 dues from Whatcom County
-10.00 to Secretary of State
-$500.00 to Pierce County (for SAR 2007 Conference)
$ 978.62Paid Counties 2006-07: Pierce, Grays Harbor, Okanogan, Yakima, Clallam, Cowlitz, Snohomish, Kitsap, Asotin, Whatcom.SARVAC’s goal is to continue to help with the WA State Conference by providing start up funds for the next host county. Also, in addition to the plaques, award winners will have their registration fee for the next year’s state conference fee paid (does not include food). The award winners (May 2006) were: Ruth Hanson, Yakima; Mike Lemmons, Cowlitz; Matthew Thompson, Snohomish.
Committee Reports:
None.
Old Business:
NIMS requirement of 100 & 700 for all emergency workers goes into effect September 30, 2006. In order to have a DEM card after that date, you must have your class registered with your local DEM. Different counties are handling the requirement for NIMS 100 & 700 in different ways, but no DEM cards will be issued to volunteers after Sept. 30, 2006 unless the classes have been taken.
Additional NIMS classes, 300 & 800, will be required of those who participate in operations as IC or Operations Chief.
It was moved by Brooks Hanford and seconded by Sharon Fisher to send a letter of support from SARVAC to Marty Lentsch, Yakima County SAR Council member, who is working to establish a National Search and Rescue Memorial in Seattle.
SARVAC has been asked to create a form for counties who would like to host the Washington State SAR Conference. Bill Gillespie will draft a proposal and bring it to the November meeting.
New Business:
Credentialing vs. Certification. A discussion about this was held. The question was asked, “Where is SAR in what is happening?” It was felt that for some counties, it will be very difficult for volunteers to meet possible new requirements. It was decided that a discussion with Chris Long should be held about this.
HB 1850, which provides extended immunity for all volunteer emergency workers, has been introduced in the legislature. This bill does not cover negligence, willful misconduct, or bad faith. It was moved by Bill Gillespie and seconded by Charlie Arvidson that SARVAC support this legislation with a letter to Chris Long with a copy of the letter sent to SARVAC attendees and also posted on the website.
Concern about state gas reimbursement was expressed. Pierce County was told that reimbursement would only be provided if the distance was over 100 miles or 24 hours. Can this be changed? Art will contact Chris Long about this.
Information about the 2007 Washington State SAR Conference was shared. It will be held at Crystal Mountain. Ideas for possible classes to be held at the Washington State SAR Conference in May 2007 can be emailed to David Brinkman at N7UN@earthlink.net He will pass any ideas submitted on to the conference planning committee.
It was discussed and decided that all SARVAC award nominees will receive a certificate stating the SARVAC award for which they were nominated. That way all nominees will be recognized for their outstanding service to search and rescue and not just the award winners.
Regional/County Activity:
Yakima: A Yakima County Search and Rescue dog was found shot to death, under mysterious circumstances, on July 19, 2006. The trained SAR dog was found shot to death in the driveway of the owner’s home. The handler/owner was Ruth Hanson, the co-winner of the 2006 Senior Volunteer of the Year Award at the State SAR Conference this year.
The entire $6,000 cost of a Thermal Imaging Camera (T.I.C.) was donated to Yakima SAR by a local family. A three year old boy in the family was located in good condition last January using a T.I.C. that had been borrowed from an area Fire District. The area where the boy was located had been searched, minus the T.I.C., twice before without success.
Other missions this summer have included four responses to Mt. Adams, at least four successful project Life Saver finds (the same person), and a number of water rescues/recoveries, including the recovery of a 3 year old boy who was swept into a one mile long underground irrigation tunnel.
Kitsap: “Walk aways” were the subject of two searches. In one case, the subject was found sleeping on the grounds and in the other case, the subject was found locked in a store room. Both searches were a reminder to carefully search the buildings and grounds whenever someone is reported as a “walk away”.
Kitsap ESAR helped with searches in King, Pierce, Thurston, and Kitsap counties.Okanogan: The fires and SAR calls made for an interesting summer in Okanogan. In the spring floods, a young man drove off a bridge. His body floated out of his vehicle and was found after a month.
A family, including a man allergic to horses, went into the wilderness area where the man had a heart attack. He was helicoptered out for treatment.
In the Washington Pass area, a man broke his ankle and was brought out on horseback.Fire fighters trying to control a forest fire found the remains of a man who had been missing for five years. It was feared at the time that he’d been killed, but his body had not been found. Evidence was also recovered in the area.
Snohomish: Project Life Saver turn arounds, a drowning in the Skykomish River, an unsuccessful evidence search, an ongoing cadaver search, a search for man located in Bend, OR a week later, and an injured biker kept Snohomish busy.
No additional information has been released about the mother and daughter who were murdered on a hiking trail this past summer. The reward money for information leading to an arrest is now at$26,000.
Cowlitz: Evidence searches over multiple days were completed. Drowning recoveries and Dive Rescue 1 training kept searchers busy in Cowlitz.
Pierce: Securing a portable repeater 24 hours/day during a forest fire kept a rotation of 3 units occupied until the fire was contained. The repeater kept communication lines open for those individuals involved in the incident.
Pierce County’s Communication Post is under contract by DNR with Snohomish, King, Pierce and Thurston counties for these types of incidents. It can also be requested by the State Duty officer through Pierce County. The Communication Post will be available for viewing at the State SAR Conference in May (unless it is “on duty”).
Adjourned: Meeting was adjourned at 2:57 p.m.
SARVAC‘s mailing address
Any information you would like to see announced, may be addressed
to SARVAC‘s web manager.
Noel McRae, a life member of Cowlitz County Search and Rescue Team, has agreed
to be the webtech.
For information about the site you can contact the webtech at webtech@wasar.bizland.com
Chris Long [the State SAR Coordinator of WA]
can be reached at the web address: c.long@emd.wa.gov,
WA-SAR.net: www.wa.gov/wsem.