Basic SAR Tracker

Description

Search & Rescue Tracking Fundamentals

Basic SAR Tracker is a hands-on training program designed to prepare search and rescue personnel and field operators to locate, track, and recover missing persons in urban, rural, and low-light environments. This course develops the core tracking and sensory awareness skills required to conduct wide-area search operations with accuracy, efficiency, and team coordination.

Speed saves lives. Precision finds the missing.

Through classroom instruction and intensive field application, students learn how to detect and interpret ground sign, identify human movement patterns, and operate within structured team tracking frameworks used in real-world SAR missions.

The course combines visual science, tracking theory, and practical fieldcraft to build reliable tracking capability under diverse environmental conditions.

 

Course Format

This two-day program balances classroom learning with extended field training.

Each day includes:

• 2 hours classroom instruction

• 8 hours field application and practical exercises

Students first develop individual tracking skills, then transition into coordinated team search scenarios that simulate real search and rescue operations.

 

What You Will Learn

• Principles of visual acuity and human perception

• Tracking theory and ground sign interpretation

• Sensory awareness and environmental detection

• Low-light and night tracking fundamentals

• Identifying and interpreting marks and impressions

• Planning, communication, and search coordination

• Wide-area search strategies

• Team tracking roles and responsibilities

• Field tracking techniques in urban and rural environments

• Decision-making and movement in dynamic search scenarios

 

Who This Course Is For

• Search and rescue personnel

• Emergency responders and first responders

• Law enforcement professionals

• Disaster response teams

• Outdoor professionals and field operators

• Volunteers and organizations supporting missing person recovery

 

Prerequisites

None. All experience levels welcome.

 

Training Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to detect and interpret signs of human movement, conduct structured tracking operations, and operate effectively within team-based search frameworks — increasing search speed, improving coordination, and enhancing recovery success.

 

Required Equipment / Pack List

• Note-taking equipment

• Hiking boots suitable for field movement

• Outdoor clothing (pants and long sleeves recommended)

• Day pack

• 100 oz water capacity

• Wide-brim hat

• Gloves

• Snacks

• High-power flashlight with blue, green, and white light

• Eye protection

• Measuring tape

• Small mirror

• Trekking pole or 36” stick

• 5 rubber bands

• Folding camp chair or stool

 

Register or request a course in your area at GreensideTraining.com