Our Values

Commitment

We give 100% effort to the task at hand and complete it to the best of our ability.

Initiative

We do not wait to be asked and in our decisions and actions we are accountable.

Comradeship

The member is the group and the group is the member.

Humour

We see the humour in all adversity that we may face.

Humility

None of us shall see him or herself above the needs of the group.

Mission Statement

Hamilton SAR Group provides highly competent and operationally focused teams
that are well led, trained and equipped.

Committee

Michael Bland

Chairman

Matt Hassard

Operations Coordinator

E snapperassasin@xtra.co.nz

Gin Peck

New Member Coordinator

E ninandnim@xtra.co.nz

Dave Pitchford

Police Rep

Barry Were

YSAR Liaison

Russell Lamb

Administrator

Gilbert Southworth

Treasurer

Jake Crosby

Comms & Media

Last Months Meeting

• Gear signout scanner was loaded with people drivers licences, these can be used instead of SAR ID if needed. The scanner also now handles members signin/out of the search.
• Radio message exercise

This Months Meeting

• 7:30pm, Monday 15th October
• Tracking competition presentation.
• Pack contents discussion.

Monthly Training

This month's training will be Wednesday the 24th of October on the East side of Hamilton. The exact location will be decided soon. Note that this was originally planned for the Thursday but has been changed because last month's had to be switched. We will be covering Direction Change, Print Analysis and Communication of Prints.

Reminders

Availability

• If you are going away: Contact Gin with the dates you are unavailable.
• If you are unable to attend a training: Contact Matt.
• If you are unable to attend a meeting: Contact Gin or a committee member.

Pager Test Message

Reminder for all those members with pagers. The first of every month a test message is sent out to ensure your pager is operational, if you do not receive this message you should contact Matt.

Personal Details

Contact Russell if there are any changes to your contact details so the callout list is updated.

Stage 1 (Mini SAREX) New

A Stage 1 will be held for anyone wanting to be assessed to join the group on November the 2nd. We will leave early Friday evening and will be finished by mid day Saturday. Volunteers are needed to help with the weekend as assessors, also feel free to come along and do some training and socialising. Contact Matt if you can come along.

Before the overnight assessment there will also be an information evening on Tuesday the 23rd, 7:30pm of October at the Central Police Station. Anyone wanting to join the group should complete the New Member form on hsar.org.nz and/or contact Gin.

Tracking Competition New

Our advanced tracking team recently went to Dunedin for a tracking competition. They will be giving a presentation on the event at the next group meeting. See sartracking.co.nz and Otago Daily Times for more.

Callouts

• 73 Year old male, Flagstaff. Was found in Auckland, shortly after the callout, he had gone to an air show with a friend. This was worked out by a neighbour who knew his hobbies and who he was likely to be with.

New Course Names New

Because TPP have taken over courses from SARINZ they all have new names:

• Search Techniques: Was Search Methods
• Tracking Core Skills: Was TCA1, Track & Clue Awareness
• Tracking in the Wilderness Environment: Was TCA2, Tracking
• Clue Site Processing: Was TCA3, Clue Processing
• Managing the Initial Response: Was part of Managing Land Search Operations (MLSO)
• Formal Search Planning: Was part of Managing Land Search Operations (MLSO)

Volunteer Hours New

In the past 3 months Hamilton members have contributed a total of 2128 hours to SAR. Much of this is in training and admin. These figures are required from us by LandSAR nationally for their statistics, planning and funding.

Trek n Travel Sale New

Trek 'n' Travel turns 15 later this month and is having a massive sale to celebrate! The sale will run from 20 Oct - 2 Nov and there will be some great bargains! Pop in and see them during this time and to find out more or keep informed like them on facebook facebook.com/trekntravelnz

Waikato SAREX

The Waikato SAREX will be March 9th and 10th next year. Please note this date and keep it free, the expectation is that everyone should be able to attend.

For Sale

• Backcountry ration packs – with breakfast, lunch, dinner and extras pack (tea, coffee, chocolate etc.). They are a bargain at $20. Remember – these are sold to our group at this special rate on the understanding that they will only be used during SAREXs or SAR Operations.
• Hamilton SAR cloth badge, $6.00 contact Russell
• Whistles – Bright and Loud, $12 contact Barry

Discounts for Members

• R&R Sport – 25% Ask for Wayne Addison.
• Trek 'n' Travel – 20%
• Bivouac Outdoor – 20%
• Macpac Hamilton – up to 30%
• Torpedo 7 – 10% Email Barry for discount code.
• Kathmandu – Free summit club membership
• Mountain Designs – 25% off Mountain Designs Products, 20% off others

Feedback for committee New

Got an idea for training or monthly meetings? Happy or not so happy about something we're doing?

To help provide feedback to the committee we are trying out an online feedback form. Your feedback needs to be helpful, constructive and detailed. Ideas for improvements are more useful than problems, rather than saying "I'm happy with training" say why you are happy with it.

Feedback Ideas:

• Courses
• Training
• Callouts / Operations
• Meetings
• Group culture / Social
• Equipment
• Website
• Newsletter

hsar.org.nz/feedback/

Your feedback is confidentially sent to the committee and we will respond where appropriate. You can submit feedback anonymously if you prefer but we won't be able to respond directly or clarify anything. We will assess the quality of feedback received and decide whether to keep the form running.

Monthly Training Plan New

The next years worth of monthly trainings have now been planned out. This plan is subject to change as training needs become apparent. This plan takes into account feedback from members, if you've got suggestions for training please let us know.

1. Acetate foot prints - building a print profile. (Done, last training.)
2. Direction Change, Print Analysis, Communication of Prints
   • Team members to be able to relay print details to another team
   • Identifying prints in relation to lost party
3. GPS Training - New Members
   • Train new members to enter waypoints and understand basic GPS use.
4. Leap Frogging - How, when and where
5. Timelines and Ageing Prints
   • Incorporate timelines into tracking practice in relation to ageing of prints
6. The Bike Wheel - Tracking S.O.P
   • Adapt the Bike Wheel principal to the tracking process
7. Stretcher Carrying
   • Establish S.O.Ps for leadership and commands for stretcher carrying
8. Search Methods - Missing Person Matrix
   • Know what method to use in what terrain based on missing person matrix
9. Debriefing Forms - After SAROP
   • Be familiar with debriefing form and S.O.Ps for fatigue after search.

LandSAR Photo Competition New

This is a reminder for you to send in your photo's for our yearly photograph competition, which closes on the 19th October.

There are four Categories for the competition:

1. Operations/Training
2. General Interest
3. Scenic
4. Historic

The winner of each category wins $100.00 and the overall winner of the photograph competition wins $300.00.

Entries can be sent in electronically. More info

LandSAR Conference 2012 Updated

Friday 16 – Sunday 18 November at Bayview Wairakei Resort, Taupo

To register for the conference you must sign in to the LandSAR website. The instructions given mention the "shop link" this is only visible one you sign in with your LandSAR ID. If you want to post your registration or a cheque send them to LandSAR national office.

We will be sending Matt and Barry as delegates to the LandSAR AGM. As soon as we have the agenda for this it will be distributed for members to comment on.

We are pleased to announce the confirmation of two key speakers at this year’s LandSAR conference:

• Allison Mooney – People Interpreter
• Dr Dave Baldwin – NZ’s very own Flying Doctor

These speakers are Kiwis, who have been chosen to cover topics and general interest areas which we think will be enjoyed by everyone attending the conference.

We are currently researching searches/and or rescues which have occurred in the last 2-3 years which we can use as case studies for discussion. We are hoping that in some cases the lost party will also be able to attend, which will enable us all to gain some insight into their perspective of the search experience.

If you have any great ideas for case studies, which you think would appeal to a wide range of SAR practitioners, please e-mail Karen Forsyth, Conference Manager at taupo@landsar.org.nz.

We are also well underway with planning for pre-conference events, which will be held from the Monday to the Thursday before the conference, and will be based in the National Park area, with accommodation available there.