Originally Posted By lori

All SAR newbies sign a waiver, until such time they are sworn in and become members. Our trainings are in controlled environments and there is always an articulated and specific safety plan. We work as a team and help each other out, but in the end we are not liable for one another - which is I think a slightly different issue than responsibility.


I am not talking about training situations, although potential new members are scrutinized pretty thoroughly in that context, but more of how new folks function on an actual operation. Are they comfortable in the environment (almost always at night and out in the mountains)? Do they take initiative or do they wait for guidance (neither is necessarily all good or all bad). Are they reckless or prudent? etc, etc., The idea is to develop a profile of the person so that their skills and abilities can be matched with requirements of teams on future missions.

Our group comprised quite a few different individuals, and not all of them were vigorous, leap tall mountains at a single bound testosteronoids. Many of our ops used a amazingly diverse set of talents and abilities, not all of which were physical.

Our members were never sworn in. Did you mean to say "sworn at"? That happened a time or two....