Due to the nature of search and rescue(SAR), we must always provide the best team possible. For this reason, we require our members to participate in specialized trainings throughout the year. These trainings may be in Sweet Grass County, sometimes at the Sheriff's Office, sometimes in the field; or they may be off-site where we get together with other counties to take part in classes taught by outside instructors. To see what is scheduled next go to Training.

Some of the classes our members have attended in the past:

Technical Rescues. A technical rescue is generally classified as one in which a steep incline requires the use of ropes. These classes have allowed members to become familiar with all necessary safety equipment and safety procedures. Which knots are needed at which times is heavily stressed. On our team we have a few recreational climbers.

Man-Tracking.  It is important for searching individuals to recognize the signs that may indicate a lost person has been in the vicinity. These signs may be footprints, handprints (where a person has caught themselves during a fall), slide marks down a bank. Man-tracking courses stress the methods which provide the highest probablity of where a lost person can be found.

Map and Compass. Navigation is extremely important in SAR. Members need to know how to use a map and a compass together to give the location of a find. Today, many of our members carry hand-held Global Positioning Systems. These do not take the place of maps and compasses, but can help to quickly guide a rescue helicopter to the location of a victim.

Incident Command. Searches must be carried out in a methodical way to ensure that areas are covered effectively. Incident command provides a hierarchy of authority that removes any guesswork about who may be in charge. This cuts down on time at the beginning of any search which gets searchers in the field faster.

Medical Training. All of the members of our initial call-out list have been certified to at least the First Responder level, and most are certified as EMT's. Once a person is found, it is more than likely they will need some sort of medical treatment (hypothermia, broken bones, shock, etc.) and unit members need to be qualified to provide treatment in the field when appropriate. Members who have no formal emergency medical training will be encouraged to take classes, but in the mean time will be paired with knowledgeable members.