This is our archive of news, press releases and operational activities from the calendar year 2009, displayed with the most recent first. You can look at our very latest news by clicking here.
Summary of the year:
In-county callouts = 12
Out of county callouts = 8
Total callouts = 20 (+ 1 standby)
[18/12/09] SusSAR Callout
The Unit were called out this evening to search for a male with autism
who had gone missing from their care home in Uckfield. The conditions
were treacherous due to the snow and ice however the gentleman was located
safe and well shortly after we arrived at the search location.
[15/11/09] SusSAR Callout
The Unit were called out early this morning to search for an elderly female
with a dementia who had gone missing from her home in Peasmarsh. We were
stood down during the call-out process as the person was located nearby.
[13/11/09] SusSAR callout
to assist Hampshire Search and Rescue
Late in the evening we received a request for support from Hampshire
Search and Rescue in a search for a 28 year old missing female in
the Southampton area. A number of members attended, searching in high
winds and heavy rain, until the search was stood down in the early hours
of the following morning.
[12/11/09] Training Evening
Our training evening this month consisted of a talk from the Sussex Police
Search Manager and a senior scenes of crime Officer, who gave a presentation
on crime scene preservation. The evening was well attended by 30 members
and we are very grateful to our guests for giving up their time to join
us.
[29/10/09] Training Exercise
with Worthing Sea Scouts
This evening we held a training exercise on the South Downs at Lancing
Clump with the Worthing Sea Scouts. This gave us the opportunity to put
into practice a number of different search skills whilst at the same time
working alongside a non-search trained organisation. We are very grateful
to the Worthing Sea Scouts for agreeing to join us.
[9-11/10/09] UK Lowland
Search Institute training weekend
SusSAR further strengthened its operational membership at the
recent weekend training course held in Wiltshire. We are delighted that
the seven course participants from Sussex were successful in obtaining
their lowland search technician qualification. Congratulations also to
our two new team leaders.
[08/10/09] Training Evening
For our training evening this month, we undertook a simulated search exercise
at Cissbury Ring. As well as practising our search skills, we were also
trialling the use of some new GPS linked radio equipment as we are looking
to upgrade our existing communications system.
[06/10/09] SusSAR callout
to assist Hampshire Search and Rescue
In the early hours of this morning we received a request for support from
Hampshire Search and
Rescue in a search for a missing child in the Southampton area. We
were stood down soon after when the individual was located safe and well.
[05/10/09] Waitrose Brighton
- Community Matters
We are very grateful to Waitrose in Brighton and in particular their customers
who, through their "community matters" scheme in September,
have raised the sum of £319.25 for us. These much needed funds will
be put toward our ongoing vehicle and equipment maintenance running costs.
[18/09/09] Worthing High
School Walk
Today we provided marshals for the annual Worthing High School walk. Our
services included ensuring the safe passage of the participants over the
downland course as well as providing first aid facilities, where needed.
We are very grateful to the organisers who made a financial contribution
to our charity for our services.
17/09/09] SusSAR Callout
The Unit was called out late this evening to search for an elderly male
who had gone missing whilst walking his dog in the Partridge Green area.
Over a dozen members searched through the night, with support from our
colleagues from Lowland
Search Dogs Sussex. and Hampshire
Search and Rescue, standing down at 0600hrs the next day. Sussex Police
continued the search soon after, and reported the missing person and dog
to be located safe and well at 1300hrs.
[17/09/09] Training Evening
The focus of this months training was navigation, with some of our highly
experienced members helping to train newer members in the arts of map
and compass work.
10/09/09] SusSAR assist
Hampshire Search & Rescue in missing person search
The unit was called out this afternoon to support Hampshire
Search and Rescue in a search for a vulnerable missing person in the
Fairoak area of Hampshire. Approx a dozen members of the Unit attended
and we were stood down at about 23:00 hrs after several hours of searching.
[26/08/09] Vote for SUSSAR
and win us a share of £1000
We are delighted to announce that we have been selected by Waitrose, Western
Road in Brighton, as one of their 3 supported charities for September.
During the month, customers at the shop will be given a green plastic
disc every time they shop, which they can use to vote for the charity
that they would most like to support. At the end of the month, the discs
are counted, and the £1000 is shared out pro-rata between the 3
charities. So get on down there and vote for SUSSAR!
[22 & 23/08/09] Shoreham
RAFA Airshow
This weekend we displayed at the RAFA airshow in Shoreham, which provided
us with an excellent PR opportunity in raising our profile as well as
attracting potential new volunteers. We are also grateful to the public
for their donations.
[15/08/09] Seaford Triathlon
Today we provided marshals for the Seaford Triathlon, implementing road
closures on behalf of Sussex Police. The unit also provided initial first
aid to a number of participants until St. John's arrived to assess the
casualty. We are grateful to the triathlon organisers who made a financial
contribution to our charity for our services. Congratulations to all those
who took part.
[13/08/09] Training Evening
This months training we visited Sussex
Police's Specialist Search Unit and H900 (police helicopter and air
ambulance), both based at Shoreham Airport. Over 30 members of our Unit
enjoyed presentations from Sgt Sgt Lorna Dennison-Wilkins from the SSU,
and crew from H900, with interesting and informative discussions about
how ours team can work effectively together.
[09/08/09] SusSAR callout
to assist Hampshire Search and Rescue
This afternoon we received a request for support from Hampshire
Search and Rescue in a search for a Despondent Male, near Yateley,
N.E. Hants. We were stood down soon after when the individual was located.
24/07/09] SusSAR Callout
The Unit were called out in this afternoon to search for an elderly male
with a dementia who had gone missing from the Royal Sussex County Hospital
in Brighton. We were stood down during the call-out process as the person
was located safe and well.
17/07/09] SusSAR assist
Wiltshire Search and Rescue
Some of our members, on a UKLSI traing course in the county, were called
to assist Wiltshire Police with a search for missing despondent male in
the Swindon area.
06/07/09] SusSAR Callout
The Unit were called out late in the evening to search for a
missing 40 year old male in East Grinstead. The search continued overnight
until dawn, where we deployed a number of teams on the ground, including
our colleagues in Lowland
Search Dogs Sussex. The missing person was subsequently located safe
and well 36 hours later.
27/06/09] SusSAR assist
Hampshire Search & Rescue on Missing Person Search
The unit was called out to support Hampshire
Search and Rescue in a search for a 46 year old vulnerable missing
person in the Frogmore area of Hampshire. Several members responded to
the request for assistance and attended the search. The missing person
has yet to be located.
11/06/09] SusSAR AGM
A new committee were elected into post at our Annual General
Meeting. A review of the last year's activities took place, followed by
the aims and objectives for the coming year, which included our plans
for furthering the professional development of our current membership,
fundraising and attracting new recruits to the Unit.
10/06/09] SusSAR Callout
The Unit received a request for assistance from Sussex Police
tonight to search for an elderly missing person in the Hastings area.
We were stood down during the callout process, when the missing person
was located safe and well.
29/05/09] SusSAR on Standby
to assist Hampshire Search & Rescue
The unit was put on standby to support Hampshire
Search and Rescue in a search for a vulnerable missing person in the
Gosport area of Hampshire. Several members responded however the unit
was stood down prior to the search commencing, until further notice.
20/05/09] SusSAR Callout
The Unit were called out today to search for a missing 44 year
old male in the Stanmer Park area of Brighton. During the 8 hour search
period, we deployed over 35 personnel on the ground. Our thanks go to
Lowland Search
Dogs Sussex, ISIS and East Sussex Neighbourhood Watch Search Team
for their assistance. The missing person has yet to be located.
[16-17/05/09] SusSAR host
UK Lowland Search Institute training weekend
We were delighted to welcome visiting Lowland Search teams from
across the UK to a training event hosted by us in the Crawley area. During
the weekend our members took part in and helped instruct, Team Leader
and Tracking courses,.with an evening exercise taking place at Buchan
Park, Crawley. Our congratulations to all participants in succesfully
passing their assessments.
[14/05/09] Training Evening
Our May training was a full search scenario in Angmering Park Estate and
we were delighted to welcome over a dozen new recruits. Emphasis of the
training was on developing faster, more spread out searching. The weather
was awful - testing conditions with heavy rain.
30/04/09] SusSAR Callout
The Unit were called out in the early afternoon to search for
an elderly missing person in the Newhaven area. We were stood down as
the Unit made their way to the location when the missing person was located
safe and well.
[09/04/09] Training Evening
This months training took place on the Downs north of Lancing and was
an opportunity for members to refresh their knowledge on navigation, water
safety and radio communications.
[21/03/09] Sussex Police
Training Exercise
We joined our colleagues from North
Sussex, East Sussex and West
Sussex Neighbourhood Watch Teams for this police training day-long
exercise near Crowhurst, East Sussex. It was an opportunity for each team
to share techniques and good practice, and to gain a better understanding
of the each others organisations and procedures.
[12-14/03/09] SusSAR's
biggest fundraising event ever!
We are delighted to say that we are this year's choosen Charity for the
Sussex
Beer and Cider Festival 2009. Come down to Hove Town Hall for the
chance to try some of the local brews, have a chat with some of our members
and throw some lose change in our buckets!
[12/03/09] Training Evening
Our March training evening was in the area of Cisbury ring, off the A24
North of Worthing. The search scenario allowed members to practise some
new rapid searching techniques that we are currently developing.
[08/03/09] SusSAR Callout
The Unit were called out today for a Missing Person search in
the Horsham area. A number of personnel attended and were joined by colleagues
from Lowland Search
Dogs Sussex and Neighbourhood Watch teams, but were stood down shortly
after deployment when the missing individual was located deceased.
[07/03/09] Mountain Bike
Team Training Day
Another four members of the team are now trained to use our fleet of Mountain
Bikes after this day long course that we ran in the Friston Forest area.
[12/02/09] Training Evening
This months training evening for February took place in Waterhall, on
the outskirts of Brighton. We were delighted to welcome several new probationary
members to their first training night, and gave them a taste of what membership
is about with a full search scenario.
[23/01/09] SusSAR Callout
We were called out today to search for a vulnerable missing person
in the Crowhurst area. During a 6 hour search period, we put 8 teams on
the ground, covering some testing terrain. Our thanks go to Kent
SAR, and Lowland
Search Dogs Sussex for their assistance. The missing person has yet
to be located.
[21-22/01/09] SusSAR assist
Hampshire Search and Rescue in Missing Person search
Just before midnight we received a request for support from Hampshire
Search and Rescue in a search for an elderly missing person in the
Soberton area, near Southampton. Several members responded and were involved
in the search into the early hours and during the morning and afternoon
of the next day. The Missing Person was found deceased at 1400hrs GMT.
[08/01/09] Training Evening
A significant number of searches that we are involved in relate
to missing persons who are vulnerable due to them suffering from a form
of dementia. Consequently, we have decided to offer all of our members
the opportunity to participate in an NCFE approved course in Dementia
Awareness. We hope the knowledge gained from this will help us to better
understand how a condition can affect the behaviour of a missing person,
which in turn will help inform the way in which we work to find them.
This months training was the induction for this course and participants
will now complete the remainder by home-learning over the next 12 weeks.
[02/01/09] SusSAR Callout
We have been called out today to search for a vulnerable missing
person in the Ashdown Forest area. Our thanks go to the support offered
by our colleagues from a number of other search teams, who joined us for
this search. The missing person was found deceased.