New lifesaver joins Surrey Search & Rescue

Buddies: Tyler and Mandy

These 10 will now be operational members of SurSAR, searching for high risk vulnerable missing people, working with Surrey Police on a callout basis.

During the courses the volunteers qualified in skills such as search techniques, advanced detection, missing person behaviour, crime scene preservation, tracking, first aid, VHF radio communication and search dogs.

All are volunteers, trained to the same standards under the Association of Lowland Search & Rescue who coordinate the provision of Lowland SAR services across the UK.

Sarah Nuttall, SurSAR Deputy Training Officer said: “Search is a highly skilled activity and requires a great deal of training and commitment. All the team are volunteers who give up a huge amount of their time for training and callouts."

"We are delighted that these guys passed as this means there are now 43 saving lives all over Surrey.”

The team is a registered charity that as well as providing services to Surrey Police also assists with Civil Contingency Support to various local authorities in the region.

The team also provide mutual support for emergency services based across the UK and in recent months they have deployed to Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Wiltshire to help search for missing persons. 

All the team members are volunteers and give their time free of charge. The team can deploy at any time, using their own vehicles and paying for their own fuel. So far this year there have been 59 callouts. 

The group is totally funded by voluntary contributions and through providing first aid and event management services to a range of organisations for donations.

Jon Rumbol, SurSAR Search Dog Handler added: "Surrey Search & Rescue needs two crucial things to operate - volunteers and funds."

"Volunteers are able to fulfill a wide range of roles within the team, not only searchers, but also people to fill many non-operational roles working in direct support of search teams."

"Any donation however small will help to ensure that the team is able to operate; but corporate support or sponsorship would help to secure the teams future."

"We can only exist with the support of the communities we serve, if you can provide your time as a volunteer or funding, please give and help us save lives.”

Full details are on www.sursar.org.uk or email info@sursar.org.uk