1. WHO SPONSORS IT? Explorer Search and Rescue is sponsored by the Spokane City/County Department of Emergency Management.

2. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN IN EXISTENCE? Explorer Search and Rescue was started in Spokane County in 1970.

3. WHO CAN JOIN? Membership is open to anyone 14 on up and has the motivation to spends numerous hours having fun.

4. WHAT DO YOU DO? We are a volunteer group that helps Sheriff's offices in Spokane County and throughout the State with search and rescue and emergency services. Our "missions" usually involve one of three things: 1) searches for lost people; 2) searches for evidence of crimes; 3) "community service" work, such as providing a first aid station for an event.

5. WHAT KIND OF TRAINING DO I GET? Our training program starts in September and runs through the following April. We meet at Tuesday evenings, and we have two weekends a month where we do field trainings. During your seven months as a "recruit" in ESAR you'll receive over 200 hours of classroom and field training in things like....

• search and rescue techniques

• emergency first aid

• wilderness survival

• radio communications

• Wilderness navigation (map reading, using a compass, etc) ......and more!

At the end of your training, you'll have to pass a 2-hour written test, prove that you can survive by yourself overnight in the woods, and successfully solve a simulated search problem in order to graduate and become a "brushmonkey".

6. CAN I MAKE IT? That's a good question. The training is long, and tough, and each year some of the young adults that start the class drop out before it's finished. Ask yourself some questions....

• ? Do you really want to be in search and rescue (you'll probably think of plenty of reasons to quit . . . . what are your reasons to stay??)

• ? Do you mind hard work?

• ? Do you mind being outdoors - no matter what the weather is like?

• ? Can you get along with people - really get along: in tense situations, in lousy weather, in a cramped snow shelter?

• ? Can you take orders?

• ? Can you handle the time and studying (yes, studying) for search and rescue in addition to school, sports, and your other activities?

7. WHAT DOES IT COST TO BELONG? There's a one-time membership fee of about $45 which covers the supplies during your training. There are no other charges or fees. The major cost is for your personal equipment. We require you to have boots, a sleeping bag, and a backpack with survival gear. We'll help you keep the cost down by giving you some hints on how to get the most for your money, and by steering you to dealers that will give you discounts because you're in search and rescue. We also have some equipment we can loan to people who want to be in search and rescue but can't afford the equipment. We don't want anybody to stay away just because of the cost!

8. IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF WORK. WHAT DO I GET OUT OF IT?? Well, a couple of things. Besides just teaching skills, the training program is designed to do at least four other things: First, to challenge you and to help you develop confidence in yourself. Second, to teach you to work as a member (and even a leader) of a team. Third, to give you some exposure to possible careers in law enforcement, emergency medicine, recreation, and others that might help you plan your future. And finally, to give you a chance to serve the community.

9. WHAT ABOUT MY PARENTS? DO THEY HAVE TO DO ANYTHING? Well, they don't have to hike around in the rain (unless they want to, of course!). But parents - and actually the whole family - are an important part of a young adults membership in ESAR. They are the ones who support you while you're taking the classes and they're (usually) the ones who have to provide transportation to all the meetings and trainings. Your parents will want to come to the first orientation meeting, and we'll want a parent to come with you to the interview.

10. WHERE DO I SIGN UP? You can join the group anytime, we cover training through out the year both summer and winter. So if you are interested stop by one of our meetings or give us a call 509-755-ESAR.

All applicants also have to pass a police background check and a reference check.

call us at: (509)755-ESAR