We have seen significant changes this year in our team's policies and operating procedures. I believe these changes will make us more effective in providing search and rescue services to the community. There have also been significant changes at the state level, although these have been somewhat less visible to us. We need to do our part by observing proper procedures when communicating on the radio, and completing our field assignments as given to us by ICS staff, or negotiating with them if we feel there is a reason to alter the assignment. As our reputation for fielding large numbers of highly trained searchers spreads, I expect that we will get more calls to help with large missions far from Albuquerque, when local resources have been depleted.
Continued change is in store at both levels.
We have mentioned the concept of state certification of SAR personnel at previous business meetings. It appears that this concept is rapidly becoming a reality. Procedures are being developed to certify SAR volunteers in basic skills, such as map and compass, search techniques, radio usage, etc. Cibola SAR is in good shape, thanks to our training officer. We have been training in exactly the skills we will need individually to fulfill the certification requirements.