3rd, 4th, 5th November 2023 

 or 19th, 20th, 21st January 2024

£30 per person (includes optional camping)

Open ONLY to members of organisations involved in search and rescue operations.

 

This course is self catering. There is a shared kitchen and fire pit available on site.

Arrivals from 4pm Friday. Friday evening will be an introductions session. Course runs from 9am Saturday to 4pm Sunday.

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Welcome to the world of Search and Rescue Tracking Training—a programme tailored to meet the high standards of Search and Rescue operations. This beginner level course is an introduction to the refined art of Mantracking for SAR, an essential time saving tool, that is has been repeatedly proven to increase the success of searches for missing people, and ultimately saves lives.

 

Under the expert tutelage of seasoned instructors, you will embark on an educational journey that seamlessly combines insightful discussions with rigorous hands-on field exercises. Prepare for an abundance of practical training.

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Within this comprehensive curriculum, you will gain an understanding of the indispensable applications of track and sign awareness in search and rescue scenarios, gaining insight into the essential attributes of a SAR Tracker.

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Upon successful completion of this rigorous course, you will possess a solid foundation in the science of human track and sign recognition. You will also begin to gain insight into how to operate efficiently and effectively in tracking teams, and the significance of sign on search planning for controllers and search managers. Most critically, you will acquire the expertise needed to follow a trackline with unwavering precision and the ability to recover it should it temporarily elude you.

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Summary of course content:

• What is mantracking? History, cultural implications and how can it be used?

• Qualities of a tracker

• Rules of Tracking

• Baseline and ripples

• Observation skills & perception

• Sign; What & Why & When & How & Where & Who.

• Using light to aid tracking

• Footwear impressions

• Sign of basic gait patterns

• Factors which affect tracking

• Lost track actions

• Welfare and comfort in the field

By the conclusion of the course, you will know

• What human track and sign is 

• How tracking saves time, ultimately saving lives

• How, where and when to look for sign

• The significance of sign on search planning and effectiveness

• How to establish direction of travel, assisting controllers to effectively task resources into higher probability areas

• The significance of the absence of sign

• Factors that influence routes taken by mispers

• Using geography to your advantage

• The factors that affect tracking

• How to follow a trackline

• What to do if you lose the trackline

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This course is a prerequisite for the SAR Sign Cutter course should you wish to progress.

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Upon completion of this course participants will receive a certificate of attendance.

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This course is available to individuals to book on our scheduled dates.

SAR teams wishing to put members through training at your venue please contact us to arrange a date.