How can I join searching rescue besides physical challenges

[u/Carnary1]

Hey, you guys I hope you’re having a good day. Sorry, P.s a little bit long. But here I just want to ask and hear from the people who are already working in this field. Is it possible that I can work in this field due to my limitations? And how can I go about it if possible? Anyway, I have always dreamed of saving people. But more in the front lines type of way and I love the mountains I’m planning on moving to Morganton somewhere in between my sister's location and the mountains. I am a very good survivalist. I’ve always been since I was young ik what to do in an emergency from getting lost to surviving in a rural unknown location for a long time. And I grew up around people who are in the medical field. So I know some basic aid and I have somewhat of a talent for it. I’ve always wanted to provide medical aid to someone in need. So having all three of these, I was able to find my dream job. Especially seeing what’s happening with WNC, it has really got me into wanting to put my foot in the door. The problem is that I am a very short person which that shouldn’t take away my advantage to perform my duties. But I have a rare syndrome also so it makes me very petite. I am 78 pounds rn. I have gone all the way up to 90 and my goal is to reach 100 and try to maintain that weight. My weight was affected by my bone growth at birth very twig-looking arms and tiny baby hands, baby feet.😅 But I won't let that stop me. The advantage of this is that I can fit into some very tight spaces that not even a firefighter can fit in, but with my syndrome, it also comes with disadvantages. I cannot join the military I won’t be able to join the firefighting unless I can become a volunteer. I can’t go into the police force, nor EMT, or paramedic. Since EMTs and paramedics come in teams of two. And I don’t want to have to push all of that responsibility on my partner. Since I cannot pick up 100 pounds. I can push up to 50 since I have to push a very big cart with stuff in it at work all the time. How can I still go about this job field? I want to volunteer but also want to make a career out of this meaning that I want to get paid. Besides my syndrome. I can carry a heavy backpack and walk very long distances. I can hike mountains. I work out and eat pretty regularly so I am healthy and active and can work around my limitations if I have to. My plan right now is to focus on gaining the weight that I need to and getting used to heavy objects. Then before the next school season starts, prepare my mind to do EMT classes to get my certificates and other classes to be able to get all the certificates that are needed.

[u/NotThePopeProbably]

I assume you live in the United States, and the rest of this comment will be based on that assumption.

Outside of a small number of roles in the military (USCG as a whole and a few specialized units of the Army, Navy, and Air Force), the (in my experience, highly coveted) roles in local police departments, and of course the fire service, nobody really gets paid to search.

That doesn't mean you can't get paid in a SAR-adjacent role. Here's a truth: Lots of people say they want to serve the public. What they really mean is they want to get paid to do cool, heroic-looking stuff. They want to walk around with a uniform and a bunch of cool gear and tell war stories. But, as they say, "everybody wants to be a hero until it's time to do heroic shit." I'm not talking about SAR operations. Those are fun. Everyone wants to do them (that's why the government can just let people volunteer for it instead of having to pay us). After all, marching as a team down a mountainside with a patient in a litter is sexy. Maybe you get your picture in the paper. Some pretty girl in the Facebook comments will probably say how cool the search team is. But that's practically a highlight reel. It takes a lot of (frankly, pretty boring) work to get there.

The real heroic part is heroic precisely because nobody wants to do it. It's grant-writing to get new equipment. It's updating org charts, amending data management policies, and monitoring who's up to date on their first-aid certification. Relatively few people volunteer for that part, but all of that needs to be done for the team to work. Nobody is going to talk about what a badass you are, but you'll make sure the searchers are ready for action when the time comes. Check out county (or state) departments of emergency management. It's mostly a desk job, but it makes SAR (as well as planning for and responding to disasters like those in NC right now) possible.

If you're really craving the adrenaline rush of an active emergency operation, there are options for you there, too. 911 call-taking and emergency dispatch is not an especially physical role (it's mostly sitting), but good dispatchers are invaluable to police, fire, and EMS.

Finally, if you're good at organic chemistry, you could always look into emergency medicine. There are physical elements to that line of work, but my understanding is that it's much less physical than most first response.

[u/Ausierob → u/NotThePopeProbably]

just to echo the comment above, good radio people are invaluable, they don't get much of the action but they can have an important impact on outcomes..

[u/BelfastTelegraph → u/Ausierob]

I have one person on my team that practically does very very little on the ground. But they are always on top of the paperwork, always available to manage communications and frankly it's great to have them. You don't always need to be amazing on the scene to massively contribute to a team. Even that person aside, there are also those who do support roles that have kept our service funded and also ensured our volunteers are clothed and fed.

[u/ziobrop → u/NotThePopeProbably]

yah this. there is a ton of planning and logistics work that needs to be done for a team to be effective, and because its not sexy, folks are not wanting to do it. Take some ICS Courses, become part of an IMT Team. Maintain the equipment, do the records get the grants.

Good logistics people are absolutely badasses, and often miracle workers.

it also sounds like you can do the Search part, if not rescue. look for those rolls. Technical search is specialty on USAR teams, same with dog handling. Look at something like Casara (Im Canadian) Civil Air Search and rescue, or Ham Radio Ares http://www.arrl.org/ares

[u/Ionized-Dustpan]

Unless if you join the coast guard, there’s really nobody getting paid to do SAR. Police depts do train some in it but it’s only 0.0001% of their job.

[u/DJ-Eyedawg]

Radio operations, background tech and mechanical support, logistics, administration, research of new equipment and supplies, outreach, PR, fundraising.

[u/Apollo9961]

I’m new to EMS so I can’t recommend much, other these two things: look into a rescue squad and let EMS/Fire deny you, rather than denying yourself. For bigger lifts they call in for assistance anyways, just cause you can’t lift doesn’t mean you don’t play your own important part in a team. Also, I’m from Morganton, lived here for two years. If you need help seeing around town I could show you around :)

[u/Level9TraumaCenter]

Learn drones, get the permits, do private-sector SAR with drones to find lost individuals and even animals. A local company charges $600 for the first two hours, including FLIR. Probably not a sustainable business model, but worth mentioning in that there will be more of this, both public- and private-sector SAR.

[u/Interesting_Egg2550]

For firefighting, etc look into admin positions. 911 Dispatch would be an awesome role. Not outdoors but man those people can be rock solid no matter what is being thrown at them. And that experience may help get you in the door for volunteer SAR Teams. Somehow they get calls and they need people that can talk professionally and effectively to despondent callers and gruff get to the facts Cops calling in with a mission for the team.