SARTECH II QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Chapter 1 - Define search - Answers :an operation using available personnel and
facilities to locate persons in distress
Chapter 1 - Define rescue - Answers :an operation to retrieve persons in distress,
provide for their initial medical or other needs, and deliver them to a place of safety
Chapter 1 - What are the 3 categories of fundamental SAR skills - Answers :1) search,
2) rescue and 3) survival/support (i.e. navigation)
Chapter 1 - What is NASAR - Answers :a not-for profit membership organization of
dedicated paid and unpaid SAR professionals that offers formal training opportunities
Chapter 1 - What is the purpose of the SAR TECH certification criteria - Answers :these
criteria were developed to evaluate three levels of search responder so that a
measurable level of individual and crew capability could be made available for Incident
Commanders
Chapter 2 - Which 2 organizations coordinate member countries' efforts to provide SAR
services on a global basis - Answers :International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
and the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
Chapter 2 - What are the 5 stages of a SAR operation - Answers :awareness, initial
action, planning, operations and conclusion
Chapter 2 - Which international conventions pertain to SAR - Answers :Convention on
International Aviation, International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue and the
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)
Chapter 2 - Define positive control - Answers :followed by radar and in direct
communication with air traffic controllers
Chapter 2 - What is Cospas-Sarsat - Answers :an international humanitarian SAR
system that uses satellites to detect and locate emergency beacons carried by ships,
aircraft or individuals; the system consists of a network of satellites, ground stations
(Local User Terminal), mission control centers (MCC) and rescue coordination centers
(RCC)
Chapter 2 - What are the 3 different types of emergency locator beacons - Answers
:Emergency Locator Transmitters (aircraft), Emergency Position Indicating Radio
Beacons (maritime) and Personal Locator Beacons (individuals)
Chapter 2 - Define a SAR Region (SRR) - Answers :an area of defined dimensions,
associated with a rescue coordination center (RCC), within which SAR services are
provided; for every SRR, there is one RCC
,Chapter 2 - Who are the SAR coordinators for the United States - Answers :the U.S. Air
Force for the continental United States, the U.S. Pacific Command for Alaska and the
U.S. Coast Guard for the maritime SRRs that coincide with the ocean environments and
Hawaii
Chapter 2 - How are emergency management and disaster response handled -
Answers :responsibility for responding to emergencies and disasters begins at the local
level, the next higher level of response (county, state, national) is activated when
resources and capabilities are exhausted
Chapter 2 - What is the scope of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) -
Answers :NIMS is intended to provide a consistent, flexible and adjustable national
framework within which government and private entities at all levels can work together
to manage domestic incidents, regardless of their size, location or complexity; it is also
intended to provide a set of standardized organizational structures (i.e. ICS) and
requirements for processes, procedures and systems designed to improve
interoperability among jurisdictions
Chapter 2 - What is the National Response Plan (NRP) - Answers :the purpose of the
NRP is to establish a comprehensive, national, all-hazards framework for domestic
incident management across a spectrum of activities including prevention,
preparedness, response and recovery; the NRP incorporates best practices and
procedures from various incident management disciplines and integrates them into a
unified coordinating structure
Chapter 2 - What are the 3 criteria that should be met before an AMBER Alert is
activated - Answers :1) law enforcement confirms a child has been abducted, 2) law
enforcement believes the circumstances surrounding the abduction indicate that the
child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death and 3) there is enough descriptive
information about the child, abductor and/or suspect's vehicle to believe an immediate
broadcast alert will help
Chapter 3 - What the the 5 major functional areas or sections of the Incident Command
System (ICS) - Answers :command, operations, planning, logistics and
finance/administration
Chapter 3 - Define span of control - Answers :important management functions must be
delegated in order to maintain a manageable span of control (3 to 7 persons according
to ICS but 5 or less is preferred)
Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Command function - Answers :the command function
provides overall management of an incident and in ICS this function is carried out by the
Incident Commander (IC) and the Command Staff
, Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Incident Commander - Answers :the Incident
Commander ensures effective management of the incident, selects an overall strategy,
establishes incident objectives, approves the Incident Action Plan and coordinates and
approves requests for resources
Chapter 3 - Who makes up the Command Staff - Answers :the Safety Officer, the
Liaison Officer and the Information officer
Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Operations function - Answers :Operations is the
term used to define all actions necessary to carry out the Incident Action Plan; in ICS,
these tactical actions are performed collectively under one overall function that is
carried out by the Operations section
Chapter 3 - How is medical care handled under ICS - Answers :medical care for the
subject of a search and/or rescue is carried out by the Operations section, but medical
care for personnel involved in the incident (i.e. SAR personnel) is carried out by the
Logistics section
Chapter 3 - Define strike team - Answers :a strike team is a combination of a designated
number of the same kind and type of resources with common communications and a
leader
Chapter 3 - Define task force - Answers :a task force is any combination of single
resources within span of control guidelines, with common communications and a leader
Chapter 3 - Define functional groups - Answers :functional groups are established to
describe functional areas of operation (i.e. medical, rescue)
Chapter 3 - Define divisions - Answers :When incident operations are broken down by
geography, the resulting areas are called division
Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Planning function - Answers :the Planning section
has responsibility for maintaining resource status, preparing the written Incident Action
plan, providing documentation services, providing search investigation, planning and
maintaining and displaying situation status and providing a location for technical
specialists assigned to an incident
Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Logistics function - Answers :the Logistics section is
responsible for requesting all personnel and equipment, identifying and maintaining
staging areas, providing all incident related receiving and stores, distributing all
personnel, equipment and supplies, providing facilities for rest, feeding and
maintenance, providing and maintaining incident communications and providing medical
services for incident personnel
Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Finance/Administration function - Answers :the
Finance/Administration section is responsible for tracking payroll information,
Chapter 1 - Define search - Answers :an operation using available personnel and
facilities to locate persons in distress
Chapter 1 - Define rescue - Answers :an operation to retrieve persons in distress,
provide for their initial medical or other needs, and deliver them to a place of safety
Chapter 1 - What are the 3 categories of fundamental SAR skills - Answers :1) search,
2) rescue and 3) survival/support (i.e. navigation)
Chapter 1 - What is NASAR - Answers :a not-for profit membership organization of
dedicated paid and unpaid SAR professionals that offers formal training opportunities
Chapter 1 - What is the purpose of the SAR TECH certification criteria - Answers :these
criteria were developed to evaluate three levels of search responder so that a
measurable level of individual and crew capability could be made available for Incident
Commanders
Chapter 2 - Which 2 organizations coordinate member countries' efforts to provide SAR
services on a global basis - Answers :International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
and the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
Chapter 2 - What are the 5 stages of a SAR operation - Answers :awareness, initial
action, planning, operations and conclusion
Chapter 2 - Which international conventions pertain to SAR - Answers :Convention on
International Aviation, International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue and the
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)
Chapter 2 - Define positive control - Answers :followed by radar and in direct
communication with air traffic controllers
Chapter 2 - What is Cospas-Sarsat - Answers :an international humanitarian SAR
system that uses satellites to detect and locate emergency beacons carried by ships,
aircraft or individuals; the system consists of a network of satellites, ground stations
(Local User Terminal), mission control centers (MCC) and rescue coordination centers
(RCC)
Chapter 2 - What are the 3 different types of emergency locator beacons - Answers
:Emergency Locator Transmitters (aircraft), Emergency Position Indicating Radio
Beacons (maritime) and Personal Locator Beacons (individuals)
Chapter 2 - Define a SAR Region (SRR) - Answers :an area of defined dimensions,
associated with a rescue coordination center (RCC), within which SAR services are
provided; for every SRR, there is one RCC
,Chapter 2 - Who are the SAR coordinators for the United States - Answers :the U.S. Air
Force for the continental United States, the U.S. Pacific Command for Alaska and the
U.S. Coast Guard for the maritime SRRs that coincide with the ocean environments and
Hawaii
Chapter 2 - How are emergency management and disaster response handled -
Answers :responsibility for responding to emergencies and disasters begins at the local
level, the next higher level of response (county, state, national) is activated when
resources and capabilities are exhausted
Chapter 2 - What is the scope of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) -
Answers :NIMS is intended to provide a consistent, flexible and adjustable national
framework within which government and private entities at all levels can work together
to manage domestic incidents, regardless of their size, location or complexity; it is also
intended to provide a set of standardized organizational structures (i.e. ICS) and
requirements for processes, procedures and systems designed to improve
interoperability among jurisdictions
Chapter 2 - What is the National Response Plan (NRP) - Answers :the purpose of the
NRP is to establish a comprehensive, national, all-hazards framework for domestic
incident management across a spectrum of activities including prevention,
preparedness, response and recovery; the NRP incorporates best practices and
procedures from various incident management disciplines and integrates them into a
unified coordinating structure
Chapter 2 - What are the 3 criteria that should be met before an AMBER Alert is
activated - Answers :1) law enforcement confirms a child has been abducted, 2) law
enforcement believes the circumstances surrounding the abduction indicate that the
child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death and 3) there is enough descriptive
information about the child, abductor and/or suspect's vehicle to believe an immediate
broadcast alert will help
Chapter 3 - What the the 5 major functional areas or sections of the Incident Command
System (ICS) - Answers :command, operations, planning, logistics and
finance/administration
Chapter 3 - Define span of control - Answers :important management functions must be
delegated in order to maintain a manageable span of control (3 to 7 persons according
to ICS but 5 or less is preferred)
Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Command function - Answers :the command function
provides overall management of an incident and in ICS this function is carried out by the
Incident Commander (IC) and the Command Staff
, Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Incident Commander - Answers :the Incident
Commander ensures effective management of the incident, selects an overall strategy,
establishes incident objectives, approves the Incident Action Plan and coordinates and
approves requests for resources
Chapter 3 - Who makes up the Command Staff - Answers :the Safety Officer, the
Liaison Officer and the Information officer
Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Operations function - Answers :Operations is the
term used to define all actions necessary to carry out the Incident Action Plan; in ICS,
these tactical actions are performed collectively under one overall function that is
carried out by the Operations section
Chapter 3 - How is medical care handled under ICS - Answers :medical care for the
subject of a search and/or rescue is carried out by the Operations section, but medical
care for personnel involved in the incident (i.e. SAR personnel) is carried out by the
Logistics section
Chapter 3 - Define strike team - Answers :a strike team is a combination of a designated
number of the same kind and type of resources with common communications and a
leader
Chapter 3 - Define task force - Answers :a task force is any combination of single
resources within span of control guidelines, with common communications and a leader
Chapter 3 - Define functional groups - Answers :functional groups are established to
describe functional areas of operation (i.e. medical, rescue)
Chapter 3 - Define divisions - Answers :When incident operations are broken down by
geography, the resulting areas are called division
Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Planning function - Answers :the Planning section
has responsibility for maintaining resource status, preparing the written Incident Action
plan, providing documentation services, providing search investigation, planning and
maintaining and displaying situation status and providing a location for technical
specialists assigned to an incident
Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Logistics function - Answers :the Logistics section is
responsible for requesting all personnel and equipment, identifying and maintaining
staging areas, providing all incident related receiving and stores, distributing all
personnel, equipment and supplies, providing facilities for rest, feeding and
maintenance, providing and maintaining incident communications and providing medical
services for incident personnel
Chapter 3 - What is the role of the Finance/Administration function - Answers :the
Finance/Administration section is responsible for tracking payroll information,
