Search team trains trackers
courtesy photo
Lake County Search and Rescue members Chris McGuinness, left, Chris Moldenhauer and Bill Merritt look for evidence and tracks during a training on Jan. 17.
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Suspects fled approximately 1 mile down Duck Road outside Ronan before Lake County law enforcement apprehended them. Officers asked Lake County Search and Rescue trackers to search the scene for any evidence dropped or lost during the flight.
This was the scenario for a LCSAR training on Jan. 17, according to Hannah Elmore, incident commander at the drill.
About 20 first responders participated, including Lake County Sheriff Don Bell.
With approximately 50 members, LCSAR has a tracking team; a horse team, which they call the horse posse; an all-terrain-vehicle team; incident commanders; two boat teams in the summer; and rope teams, which could be either ice or mountain rescue.
The group is also putting together a “hasty” team.
“Basically they are the first ones out,” Elmore said. “They do a reconnaissance, meet with the deputies on scene.”
Incident commanders attended a training in September 2014, and the trackers work with instructor Joel Hardin. In February, two LCSAR members will take confined space training.
“(As a group) we do a training about every other month,” Elmore said, so LCSAR members can keep their skills sharp. “We are working right now to get everyone basic certified — the first level.”
