INTRODUCTION

The Emergency Response Team - Search and Rescue (ERT-SAR pronounced "ee ah tee - sar" or "urt sar") 

SUMMARY

"ERT SAR is a humanitarian and "All Hazards" organization which deploys in response to disasters and missing persons and also provides other Capacity Building services (outside of the response phase.)

We are a Fire Rescue Service, Technical Rescue, Medical Pre-Hospital Care EMS Service and Medical Team and a Disaster Response and Search and Rescue organization.

We are recognized and coordinated by the local and national Government, First Nations and Indigenous Peoples, Crown and State / Provincial organizations (like the Emergency Services, Police, Fire and EMS, The United Nations (UN), The World Health Organization (WHO) and other sovereign entities usually via bilateral agreement. (ERTSAR deploys with an official request to do so from an established or recognized source.)

We are a disciplined, high performing team of professionals and specialists based mostly in Ontario.

DETAILED:

ERTSAR is an All Hazards International Disaster Response Search and Rescue team specializing in Technical Rescue and Medical response in the immediate aftermath of a major incident or disaster (such as a geological, hydrometeorological, technological, incident etc. (like earthquakes and flooding.) 

We provide missing person search and rescue, especially in the case of high risk missing persons or in hazardous environments such as disasters and waterways. We also provide essential support services and enhance our local community resilience and needed surge capacity through a range of services from (emergency and off road) vehicles and transportation to chainsaw and debris removal following a storm 

We were founded on 1st December 2002 in the United Kingdom and are a registered charity. We also have a Canadian Team in Ontario, which was formed in December 2010 and the first training started in January 2011. We also have satellite hubs and affiliated groups around the world where we use our knowledge, skills, experience and resources to enhance local capacity.

We are known as a charitable non profit humanitarian organization with 'professional' volunteers who deploy at a moments notice anywhere in our local community, nationally or internationally. We are recognised and coordinated by the local and national Government, Indigenous Peoples and First Nations, The United Nations (UN), The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other sovereign groups through bilateral agreements and partnerships. 

TRAINING STANDARDS

Our international templates for standards of training include WHO (World Health Organization), UN (United Nations), IHL (International Humanitarian Law), and specific documents such as the OSLO Guidelines or the RED CROSS / RED CRESCENT “Principles of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Response Programs.” Our internal training is from internal establish best practice and a combination of training and licensed materials from the Advanced Rescue, Medical and other sources. ERTSAR has a significant library of training courses and materials.

Detail on these training standards are on our webpage HERE 

DISASTER RESPONSE & SAR

We were established to provide relief and assistance of people in the UK or any part of the world who are the victims of war or natural disaster, trouble, or catastrophe in particular by the supply of medical aid or search & rescue services to such persons. 

We also provide training and education to support our objectives and build capacity and resilience. 

Our motto is: "That Others May Live."

In general there are two types of "SAR" (Search and Rescue).

1. Disaster Response

2. Missing / Lost Person

We do and train for both but our main focus is Disaster Response Search and Rescue such as the type that is required after an Earthquake causing "Structural Collapse" of buildings (known as USAR or Urban Search and Rescue)