National Association for Search and Rescue

08/26/2026

Today we celebrate the dogs who do far more than brighten our lives — they save them!

Across the Search and Rescue community, K9 teams train tirelessly to locate the lost, support disaster response, bring families answers, and stand ready when every minute matters. Their drive, intelligence, and unwavering loyalty make them extraordinary partners in the field.

To every SAR dog, and every handler who puts in the hours beside them, thank you for your dedication, your heart, and your life‑saving work.

Happy National Dog Day! 🐕‍🦺❤️

08/24/2026

Rescue training spans a wide range of specialties, each shaped by the terrain and tools required to get the job done.

From mountain and wilderness operations to ice, water, urban, and countless other environments, every specialty demands its own mindset and skillset.

And the gear? It changes just as dramatically — often highly technical, always mission‑critical, and tailored to the unique challenges of each rescue discipline.

Want to find out more about what 'rescue' means in SAR? Check out our SARTECH certifications and find out which one is right to get you off on the right foot!

https://saracademy.thinkific.com/

08/20/2026

In Search and Rescue, adaptability isn’t optional — it’s survival.
Every mission shifts without warning: weather changes, clues appear where you didn’t expect them, and the smallest detail can redefine the entire search.

In SAR, we thrive because we change fast, think clearly, and stay curious.

For responders, that means reading terrain, tracking subtle sign, refining skills, and staying mentally sharp even when the environment is working against you.

NASAR exists to build that mindset — through education, certification, and advocacy that prepare responders to adapt, overcome, and bring people home.

www.nasar.org

08/18/2026

Large or extended searches demand far more than boots on the ground. They require uniquely qualified individuals working together across multiple critical functions:

🔹 Incident Command & Leadership — Establishing clear objectives, coordinating resources, and maintaining operational control as conditions evolve.
🔹 Planning & Strategy — Developing search areas, probability models, operational periods, and contingency plans for long-duration missions.
🔹 Operations & Field Teams — Deploying trained responders who understand terrain, tactics, and the demands of extended fieldwork.
🔹 Logistics & Support — Managing equipment, communications, transportation, food, shelter, and responder welfare.
🔹 Communications & Documentation — Ensuring accurate records, real-time updates, and reliable information flow across all teams.
🔹 Specialized Resources — K9 teams, technical rescue, UAV operators, medical personnel, and other experts who bring advanced capability to complex searches.

NASAR exists to prepare responders for these challenges through education, certification, and advocacy — strengthening the skills that make search operations safer, smarter, and more effective.

When the mission grows, training matters.

www.nasar.org

08/16/2026

We’re excited to spotlight a powerful new resource now available in the NASAR Bookstore. This book delivers essential guidance for today’s evolving search and rescue environment — blending practical skills, modern response strategies, and real‑world insight that every responder can benefit from.

Whether you’re building your SAR foundation or strengthening your operational readiness, this is a must‑have addition to your training library.

Grab your copy today and elevate your preparedness: https://nasar.org/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=27676455

08/16/2026

In Search and Rescue, the smallest detail can lead to the biggest breakthrough. Effective sign detection starts with sharpening your ability to read the environment. When you’re in the field, focus on these core visual cues:

Outline — Look for edges that don’t belong: boot prints, tire tracks, disturbed vegetation. Even subtle curves or straight lines can indicate human passage.

Shape — Nature tends toward randomness. Shapes that appear uniform, geometric, or repetitive often signal human influence.

Contrast — Pay attention to differences in light, shadow, and color. A darker patch of soil, a lighter scuff on bark, or a sudden break in pattern can reveal movement.

Color — Human-made materials often stand out. Bright fabrics, unnatural hues, or even slight color shifts in soil or foliage can be critical clues.

Texture — Flattened grass, scraped earth, broken twigs, or smoothed surfaces tell a story. Texture changes often reveal direction, speed, and recent activity.

Every sign is a piece of the puzzle—and your ability to notice them strengthens the entire team.

08/13/2026

Technology in SAR:

AirFlare and Medic52 Bring Location Discovery to Incident Response

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (April 14, 2025) — AirFlare and Medic52 have completed an integration that brings AirFlare search tools directly into the Medic52 incident management platform. The result is a more streamlined workflow for teams that rely on accurate location information during active response, including ski patrols, search and rescue agencies, mountain operations teams and event medical providers supporting ultramarathons, UTMB events and other large outdoor gatherings.

“Subject location is central to almost every incident response,” said Denis Lee, founder of AirFlare. “This integration allows AirFlare’s search tools to be used inside the incident management system where dispatchers are already working. It reduces friction, supports faster response and helps create a more complete incident record.”

The integration allows dispatchers and authorized users at agencies that use both AirFlare and Medic52 to initiate AirFlare Location Return searches, send SMS Location Requests, view returned coordinates, and manage location updates from within a Medic52 incident record.

Through the integration, authorized Medic52 users can search the AirFlare registry by phone number, determine whether a subject is an AirFlare subscriber, and initiate a search. Returned coordinates include accuracy, timestamp and search status information and are shown on the Medic52 map. The full AirFlare feature set remains available and always up to date in Web Console and Field Console.

The integration also supports updated location requests when a subject moves, when an initial search does not return coordinates, or when a dispatcher needs to check the location of field personnel such as a patroller, responder, race sweeper or medical team member.

“Medic52 is designed to help teams manage incidents clearly and consistently,” said Duncan Isaksen-Loxton, founder of Medic52. “By integrating AirFlare, we are giving clients a more complete way to obtain and use location information during an active response.”

For ski areas, the integration can support both winter and summer operations. Patrol and mountain operations teams may use the tools for injured or lost skiers and riders, mountain bikers, hikers, event participants or other guests who need assistance on resort property or in complex terrain.

For race directors, medical providers and outdoor event teams, the integration supports response across large course areas where participants, sweepers and responders may be moving through remote or unfamiliar terrain. Location requests can help dispatchers confirm where assistance is needed and share that information with the appropriate field personnel.

The integration is designed for day-to-day operational users. AirFlare administrative functions, agency reporting, account permissions, coupon management and broader search history remain available through the AirFlare Web Console.

For agencies that are both Medic52 and AirFlare clients, the integrated AirFlare feature set can be activated directly within Medic52. For Medic52 clients that are not yet AirFlare customers, the AirFlare section provides information and a path to request a demo.

Medic52 is an industry-leading incident documentation, dispatch and operational response platform. AirFlare provides best-of-breed search and location discovery tools. The integration showcases the strengths of both, preserving Medic52 as the primary incident management system while AirFlare does its work transparently.

“This is about making response teams more effective,” Lee said. “Patrol, SAR and event medical teams should not have to leave the incident record to access the search tools they need. Bringing these systems together gives teams a faster, cleaner way to move from incident report to subject location.”

For more information, visit

Medic52 helps you collect the right information for all your work in one place, and builds a whole of organisation data pack including incidents, training competencies, and assets history.

08/12/2026

Attention NASAR members and K‑9/working‑dog professionals:

A new IRB‑approved research study is examining moral injury, well‑being, and the emotional realities of animal‑related work — including search‑and‑rescue, scent detection, and other working‑dog roles.

Voices from SAR and K‑9 fields are rarely included in research, and this study is working to change that. If you currently work or volunteer with animals, or have in the past, your experiences matter.

🕒 15–25 minutes (with an optional second part)
📋 Age 18+ and able to complete the survey in English

Your participation helps strengthen understanding of the challenges and rewards of working with animals — especially in high‑stakes environments like SAR.

Take part or share with others in your network:
👉 https://www.fortifyucoaching.com/survey-access-gu

08/07/2026

Members, did you vote for the next Board of Directors members?

Voting runs until August 30th, 2026, so it's not too late!

Eligible NASAR members received an email from AssociationVoting with their username and private password to the on-line system to vote.

The results are recorded by AssociationVoting and are opened on 1 September 2026 in front of the Election Committee to ensure accurate reporting.

08/05/2026

There are at least four pieces of information that human subjects may convey through the clues they leave:

❓The present location of the subject such as a yell, a whistle, a flash of light
❓The previous location of the subject such as some evidence of where the subject has been
❓The destination of the subject or evidence of where they were intending to go
❓The subject isn't here or a total lack of any clues

Searchers must be open to and capable of detecting clues, clues that were generated at a specific point in the subjects journey. Chronology, direction of travel, and more can be extremely helpful to those managing search efforts.

Interested in learning more? Our Fundamentals of Search and Rescue, a part of completing a SARTECH II certification, will help you do just that!

https://saracademy.thinkific.com/collections