SAR TECH III STUDY GUIDE SUMMARY
WITH FULL SOLUTION QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026
‣ Chapter 1 - Define search . Answer: an operation using available
personnel and facilities to locate persons in distress
‣ Chapter 1 - Define rescue . Answer: 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 .
Answer: 1) search, 2) rescue and 3) survival/support (i.e. navigation)
‣ Chapter 1 - What is NASAR . Answer: 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
. Answer: 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 . Answer: International
,Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime
Organization (IMO)
‣ Chapter 2 - What are the 5 stages of a SAR operation . Answer:
awareness, initial action, planning, operations and conclusion
‣ Chapter 2 - Which international conventions pertain to SAR . Answer:
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 . Answer: followed by radar and in
direct communication with air traffic controllers
‣ Chapter 2 - What is Cospas-Sarsat . Answer: 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 . Answer: Emergency Locator Transmitters (aircraft),
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (maritime) and Personal
Locator Beacons (individuals)
,‣ Chapter 2 - Define a SAR Region (SRR) . Answer: 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 .
Answer: 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 . Answer: 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) . Answer: 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) . Answer: 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 . Answer: 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) . Answer: command, operations,
planning, logistics and finance/administration
‣ Chapter 3 - Define span of control . Answer: 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 . Answer: 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 . Answer: the
Incident Commander ensures effective management of the incident,
selects an overall strategy, establishes incident objectives, approves the
WITH FULL SOLUTION QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 2026
‣ Chapter 1 - Define search . Answer: an operation using available
personnel and facilities to locate persons in distress
‣ Chapter 1 - Define rescue . Answer: 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 .
Answer: 1) search, 2) rescue and 3) survival/support (i.e. navigation)
‣ Chapter 1 - What is NASAR . Answer: 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
. Answer: 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 . Answer: International
,Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime
Organization (IMO)
‣ Chapter 2 - What are the 5 stages of a SAR operation . Answer:
awareness, initial action, planning, operations and conclusion
‣ Chapter 2 - Which international conventions pertain to SAR . Answer:
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 . Answer: followed by radar and in
direct communication with air traffic controllers
‣ Chapter 2 - What is Cospas-Sarsat . Answer: 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 . Answer: Emergency Locator Transmitters (aircraft),
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (maritime) and Personal
Locator Beacons (individuals)
,‣ Chapter 2 - Define a SAR Region (SRR) . Answer: 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 .
Answer: 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 . Answer: 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) . Answer: 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) . Answer: 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 . Answer: 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) . Answer: command, operations,
planning, logistics and finance/administration
‣ Chapter 3 - Define span of control . Answer: 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 . Answer: 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 . Answer: the
Incident Commander ensures effective management of the incident,
selects an overall strategy, establishes incident objectives, approves the
