This is our archive of news, press releases and operational activities from the calendar year 2007, displayed with the most recent first. You can view our very latest news by clicking here.
Summary of the year:
In-county callouts = 7
Out of county callouts = 3
Total callouts = 10 (+ 2 standby's)
[08/12/07] SusSAR involved
in Missing Person search
Following on from our activities of 20th and 22nd July 2007,
we were requested by Sussex Police to attend a renewed search for the
Missing Person in the area surrounding his home. We were joined in the
search by colleagues from Neighbourhood Watch search teams of North and
West Sussex together, Kent
Search and Rescue, Lowland
Search Dogs (Sussex) and members of CanTech.
A SusSAR team, working with members of Kent Search and Rescue and CanTech
discovered the body of the man in woodland on the outskirts of the town.
[24/11/07] Mountain Bike
Team Training Day
Sussex Search and Rescue is leading the way in developing the use of mountain
bikes to assist our operations. We now have a pool of trained members
equipped with the skills to use our fleet of bikes that travel to all
searches in our Support Vehicle.
[17/11/07] Search Exercise
Working with our colleagues from Lowland
Search Dogs (Sussex) we organised a day long exercise at Southwater
Country Park near Horsham. The aim of the exercise was to develop the
way that our Units work together, and how our own Foot Searchers and Mountain
Bike Team can complement the work of the Dogs and vice versa. It was an
extremely succesful event and we look forward to further joint training
exercises over the coming months. Many thanks to West Sussex County Council
and the Park Rangers for allowing us to use the facility.
[08/11/07] Training Evening
This month we were joined by some of our colleagues
from Lowland Search Dogs (Sussex)
on a Search Exercise on the Downs around Lancing College. We deployed
both foot searching and Mountain Biking teams for the scenario and were
successful in locating both of the 'Mispers' in the darkness and challenging
weather conditions.
[11/10/07] Training Evening
We were at Shoreham Beach for this month's training, practising our techniques
for shoreline searching.
[06/10/07] SusSAR attend
Sussex Police Search Exercise
This 2 day Sussex Police led search exercise In Friston Forest, East Sussex
involved working alongside personnel from the Sussex Fire and Rescue Services
and our colleagues from North and West Downs Neighbourhood Watch Teams
and Lowland Search
Dogs (Sussex). This was an opportunity to develop the way that we
work with these other agencies and a chance for members of our Unit to
get out on the ground and searching again after what has been a relatively
quiet time for us recently.
[22/09/07] Mountain Bike
Team Training Day
Sussex Search and Rescue is one of the first in the country to use mountain
bikes to assist our operations. We have developed our own training programme
for our members which has taken into account advice and good practice
from Police forces and other search organisations from around the world.
With a number of our members now trained and our fleet of bikes now travelling
as a resource to all searches attended by our Search Support Vehicle,
we are certain that the Bike Team will soon prove their worth in assisting
with a 'real life' search.
[16/09/07] SusSAR assist
Hampshire Search and Rescue in Missing Person search
A number of our members responded to a request for support from Hampshire
Search and Rescue in a search for a vulnerable missing person in the
Eastleigh area. Our assistance involved house to house enquiries and the
searching of property and gardens in the area around the missing persons
residence.
[13/09/07] Training Evening
After a quiet month in terms of callouts, it was good to get back out
on the ground to stretch the legs and test our skills at this months training
evening. Over 20 members of the Unit attended and took part in a night
navigation and search activity on the Downs near Steyning Bowl, with the
foucs of the learning tasks being the analysis of MisPer behaviour statistics
and their use in search planning.
[09/08/07] Training Evening
This month our training officer Steve Bavin organised a round robin of
three activities for our members - some first aid management practice,
a familiarisation exercise involving the Search Support Vehicle (SSV)
and an opportunity to get on the ground searching with a 'hasty' route
and path scenario along the banks of the River Adur.
[26/07/07] New Members
Evening
We were pleased to welcome twelve people to our new members evening this
month as part of our ongoing recruitment drive. The evening gave us a
chance to tell these potential recruits about our Unit and the work that
we do. We look forward to welcoming them all to our August training session.
[22/07/07] SusSAR involved
in Missing Person search
In the light of a further request from the police, the Unit returned to
Battle to continue the search for the 70 year old male Alzheimer sufferer,
missing from his home in Battle since Wednesday 18th July. Footpaths across
the town were searched but unfortunately without trace of the missing
person. The Unit stood down at 11pm.
[20/07/07] SusSAR involvedin
Missing Person search
The unit were called out by Sussex Police to search for a 70 year old
male in the Alzheimer sufferer, missing from his home in Battle since
Wednesday 18th July. Working alongside our colleagues from Lowland
Search Dogs (Sussex) we put out 2 foot teams and 2 dog teams. Searching
was carried out over some arduous terrain for over 6 hours. We stood down
from the search around midnight, unfortunately, with no trace of the missing
person.
[12/07/07] Training
Evening
This months training evening was an opportunity for those who attended
the UKLSI search conference to update other members on the latest developments
and discussions in lowland search best practice.
[09/07/07] SusSAR involved
in Missing Person search
The unit were called out by Sussex Police to search for a 72 year old
male in the Ashington area of West Sussex. Several of our members attended
and worked alongside our colleagues from Lowland
Search Dogs (Sussex) and North
Downs Neighbourhood Watch. All teams were stood down at 15.00 hrs,
having searched all of the areas identified by the police intelligence,
but without locating the missing person.
[05/07/07] SusSAR involved
in Missing Person search
The unit were called to give further assistance to Sussex Police in the
search for the 42 year old male, missing since the 28/06/07 in the Burgess
Hill area of West Sussex. Additional information had suggested a number
of further areas to be searched. The Missing Person was safely located
at 11.15 am by a colleague from North
Downs Neighbourhood Watch team.
[29/06/07] SusSAR involved
in Missing Person search
The unit were called to assist Sussex Police in a search for an 42 year
old man, missing since the previous evening in the Burgess Hill area of
West Sussex. Working alongside our colleagues from the Lowland
Search Dogs (Sussex), the teams were tasked with searching areas around
the Victoria Industrial Estate and surrounding parkland. The Unit were
stood down at 2130hrs after having conducted searches of the priority
areas.
[26/06/07] SusSAR on
Standby
The Unit was put on standby to support Hampshire
Search and Rescue in a search for a vulnerable missing person near
Hindhead on the Surrey / Hampshire border. The Unit were stood down prior
to the search after the missing person was located.
[21/06/07] SusSAR on
Standby
The Unit was put on standby to support Lowland
Search Dogs (Sussex) who were to assist SEBEV in carrying out a search
of hospital grounds in Ascot. The Unit were stood down prior to the search
until further notice.
[16/06/07] SusSAR assist
Hampshire Search and Rescue in Missing Person search
A number of our members responded to a request for support from Hampshire
Search and Rescue in a search for a vulnerable missing person in the
Andover area. We provided approximately 50 hours of searcher time to the
operation, working alongside our colleagues from Hampshire, Bucks and
Dorset to search several large areas of woodland and paths for a 39 year
old male despondent missing since 6th June.
[14/06/07] AGM
A new committee were elected into post at our Annual General Meeting.
The incoming committee members briefed the Unit on the aims and objectives
for coming year which included our plans for furthering the professional
development of our current membership and for attracting new recruits
to the Unit.
[10/06/07] South of
England Show
We were delighted to receive an invitation from Sussex Police to make
use of their publicity trailer during this years South of England Show
alongside our colleagues in the Neighbourhood Watch Teams and Lowland
Search Dogs (Sussex). Not only were we able to use the opportunity to
help publicise our services to the public, our expertise also came into
play as we performed six searches for missing people at the event itself!
[10/05/07] Monthly
Training Event
Torrential rain and strong winds accompanied our May training evening.
Training Officer, Steve Bavin, set out a testing orienteering course covering
an area of 5km square of the Downs above Lancing. A high level of map
and compass skills were required to succesfully complete the course, whilst
the inclement weather was an opportunity for our members to test their
personal equipment under demanding conditions.
[21/04/07] Search Exercise
We were joined by colleagues from Wiltshire
Search and Rescue for a daylight Missing Person search exercise in
Cowdray Forest, north of Balcombe. The complexity of paths and dense undergrowth
in the forest were typical of the challenging conditions that we are often
required to work in and enabled us to further develop our skills of navigation
and search techiques. Our gratitude goes to the Paddockhurst Estate for
kindly allowing us the use of their grounds.
[15/04/07] SusSAR assist
Lowland Search Dogs (Sussex) in Missing Person search
We received a request from Lowland
Search Dogs (Sussex) for the assistance of a small number of our qualified
Search Technicians to assist their dog handlers with navigation and communication
tasks in a Missing Person search in the Gravesend area of Kent. Our colleagues
from Kent and Essex Search and Rescue Units were also in attendance. Kent
Police were very grateful for the assistance given by all of the volunteers
groups.
[13/04/07] SusSAR involved
in Missing Person search
The unit were called to assist Sussex Police in a search for an 82 year
old man, missing since the previous evening in the Findon area of West
Sussex. Working alongside our colleagues from the Neighbourhood Watch
search teams, SusSAR were tasked with searching the area around Cissbury
Ring above Findon Valley. We deployed our Mountain Bike Team to perform
a search of the tracks and paths in the area, and a foot team used to
search the woodland and undergrowth. The Unit were stood down at 1500hrs
when the Missing Person was found alive by a member of the public on a
footpath to the west of Findon.
[12/04/07] Monthly
Training Event
This months training evening was an opportunity to refresh our knowledge
on 'Scenes of Crime' preservation, including a practical search task.
Members also received training in the use of the Units water safety equipment
and our new buoyancy aids and throw lines. The session ended with a practical
demonstration of the stretchers available within the Search Support vehicle.
[10/03/07] Search Exercise
15 members of the unit attended a search exercise in the Tilgate Park
area of Crawley. The training scenario entailed a search for a missing
despondent who it was feared may have intentions of self harm. The exercise
continued into the darkness and ended with a simulated casualty evacuation
and stretcher carry.
[08/03/07] Monthly
Training Event
With our new Search Support Vehicle now fully operational, this month's
training meeting was an opportunity for members of the unit to familiarise
themselves with the set up of the vehicle and our new equipment. There
was also an update and training on communications procedures and use of
the hand held radio, as well as the obligatory search practice.
[10/02/07] SusSAR support
Sussex Police exercise 'Op Foil'
Members of the unit were in attendance to support Sussex Police in a training
exercise for the North Downs Neighbourhood Watch in Lindfield, East Sussex.
Our members were on-hand to provide guidance and advice to the newly formed
Watch team as they searched an area of farmland for evidence and discarded
items from a 'post office raid' the previous day. We also fed back to
the Police our observations of the event and the teams that we were working
alongside.
[08/02/07] Monthly
Training Event
16 members of the unit took part in a search exercise in the Lancing Hill
area of West Sussex. The weather conditions and darkness provided a realistic
scenario for the type of conditions that the unit often works in.
[03/02/07] SusSAR involved
in evidence search
The unit were called out to assist Sussex Police after a shooting in Burgess
Hill the previous evening. 11 members of the unit were deployed for 4
hours in the search for discarded items across an area of open parkland
in the west of the town.