s e a r c h & r escue n e w zealand yearbook 2010-2011 · yearbook 2010-2011 contents our...

YEARBOOK 2010-2011

CONTENTS

Our MissiOnTo provide search and rescue support for the lost, missing and injured

new Zealand Land search & rescue inc. PO Box 25-362, Wellington 6146. Level 2, 276 Lambton Quay, WellingtonPh: 04 473 6108 Fax: 04 473 6109 Email: [email protected] Web: www.landsar.org.nz

LandSAR Awards, Obituaries and Achievements of Note by Members in 2010–2011............................................................................................................................................... 2

Message from our New Patron.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

The New Zealand Police Commissioner’s Foreword...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4

The New Zealand Search and Rescue Council (NZSAR).................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

The LandSAR NZ Chairman’s Report.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6

The New Zealand Police Report to LandSAR 2010-2011 Financial Year.........................................................................................................................................................................................8

2010-2011 Land Search and Rescue NZ Statistics....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................9

The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCC NZ)..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................10

LandSAR NZ Chief Executive’s Report 2011–12..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................11

Reporting Against Plans ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................14

LandSAR Field Guide 2010................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................22

LandSAR Website ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23

Profile on Pete Corbett........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................24

IPStar Communications..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 26

LandSAR 2010–2011 Outcomes Audit.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................28

LandSAR 2010 Award Winning Photos............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 32

The LandSAR NZ Training Report.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................34

Profile on Sarah Brewer......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................36

Cave SAR in NZ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 37

Profile on Roger Bates .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................39

LandSAR NZ Search Dogs Inc......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................40

Obituaries 2011...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................42

AREA Reports..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................44

LandSAR NZ North Island Field Support Officer.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................48

LandSAR NZ North Island Field Support Officer.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................49

LandSAR NZ South Island Field Support Officer................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 50

LandSAR NZ South Island Field Support Officer ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................51

The LandSAR NZ Audit and Risk Committee Report 2010–2011......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 52

Profile on Bill Day........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 61

Constitutional Members of New Zealand Land Search and Rescue...........................................................................................................................................................................................62

Recipients of the New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Award....................................................................................................................................................................................................64

Profile on Peter Zimmer ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................66

Notes..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................67

The Way Forward.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................68

LandSAR’s 2011–2012 Business Plans..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................68

Cover photo by Peter Zimmer

S E A R C H & R E S C U E

N E W Z E A L A N D

Landsar awards, Obituaries and achieveMents Of nOte by MeMbers in 2010-2011

advised Obituaries sept 10 tO august 11Kenneth James burrows QSM,.JP.Motueka.SAR.Group.1986–2000.

warren Kay.Turangi.SAR,.volunteered.for..4-wheel.drive.transport,.logistics.and.containment.

tom Luff.Wanganui.SAR,.NZLSAR.award.recipient.in.2000.

Merv passau.AREC.Rep.on.the.Auckland.committee.for.many.years..Merv.received.a.Police.Plaque.in.1990.and.a.NZLSAR.Award.in.March.1996.

alan hepburn Methven.

John simpson.North.Otago

bruce Mouat.Taranaki

advised awards fOr Landsar vOLunteers sept 10 tO august 11Larry charles,.Murchison:.NZSAR.Certificate.of.Achievement.for.services,.leadership.and.dedication.to.Search.Dogs.in.New.Zealand.

Landsar awards since JuLy 2010

Life.Membershiproger bates:.for.over.40.years’.outstand-ing.service.and.contribution.to.Land.Search.and.Rescue.in.New.Zealand.

Plaquedave erson:.for.his.contribution.to.Search.and.Rescue.in.Auckland.1988–2010...tony McLeod:.for.leadership,.guidance.and.support.of.Land.Search.and.Rescue.

Michael irving:.for.his.leadership.contribution.to.Marlborough.Search.and.Rescue.

Laurie gallagher:.for.his.outstanding.contribution.to.the.development.of.Wellington.SAR.and.Search.and.Rescue.in.Region.Four.

gary dickson: for.his.dedicated.service.and.contribution.to.Wanaka.Search.and.Rescue.

barry shepherd: for.his.outstanding.service.and.leadership.to.Taupo.Search.and.Rescue.

Murray Johnston: for.his.outstanding.service.and.leadership.to.Wairarapa.Search.and.Rescue.

brent Macdonald: for.his.leadership.and.dedicated.contribution.to.LandSAR.Search.Dogs.

Life MeMbers Of new ZeaLand Land search and rescue inc.Life.Membership.is.awarded.for.outstand-ing.service.to.New.Zealand.Land.Search.and.Rescue.roger barrowclough.(2006)roscoe tait.(2007)tom clarkson.(2009)roger bates.(2010)

Landsar representatives On Other OrganisatiOns

nZsar cOunciLJohn scobie, hadyn smith

nZsar cOre educatiOn cOMMitteeLaurie gallagher

tau pOutini pOLytechnic prOgraMMe advisOry cOMMitteepeter corbett, ross browne

new ZeaLand MOuntain safety cOunciL (inc.)dave comber

new ZeaLand MOuntain safety cOunciL (inc.) aLpine cOMMitteepeter Zimmer

the federated MOuntain cLubs Of new ZeaLandhadyn smith

arec trusthadyn smith

air aMbuLance standards reviewdave comber

OutdOOr intentiOns prOJect/steering grOup (visitOr intentiOns)hadyn smith

page 2


N E W Z E A L A N D

Message from

His Excellency Lieutenant General The Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae

Governor-General of New Zealand

Patron

Nga mihi kia koutou. It is a great privilege for me to be the first patron of New Zealand Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR). As Governor-General of New Zealand I look forward to the opportunity to meet and build relationships with organisations I admire and support. That is why when I was asked to be the patron of LandSAR I was more than happy to accept. The contribution of LandSAR volunteers and the difference your skills make to the lives of New Zealanders was never more prominent than in the rescue and recovery efforts following the devastating 22 February Christchurch earthquake. LandSARÕ s contribution in Christchurch will remain in the memories of those you helped and brought comfort to for years to come. It is these such efforts, along with textbook search and rescue operations like that for a missing English tourist in Kahurangi National Park earlier this year, that demonstrate the vital role LandSAR plays in our communities. As a man who enjoys exploring the outdoors and who has spent many a night under an open sky far away from home, it is a comfort to know that there is a group of highly trained volunteers who are ready to drop everything to mount a search and rescue, if a trip doesnÕ t go as planned. The exceptional professionalism, skill, and kindness of LandSAR volunteers deserves acknowledgement and praise. Your dedication enables New Zealanders and visitors to our country to explore our fantastic environment on our own terms. Unlimited access to the great outdoors is part of what defines us as Kiwis and what attracts international visitors. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of an organisation that provides such a vital service to New Zealand. I look forward to getting to know many of you during my time as patron. No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora koutou katoa.

Sir Jerry Mateparae

page 3ANNUALREPORT 2010-2011

i wOuLd LiKe tO thanK new ZeaLand Land search and.Rescue.(LandSAR.NZ).for.their.dedication.and.commitment.to.Search.and.Rescue.(SAR),.and.also.the.LandSAR.NZ.volunteers.who.continue.to.make.a.large.contribu-tion.in.providing.outstanding.delivery.of.land.search.and.rescue.services.to.the.New.Zealand.Police.

While.the.police.have.the.responsi-bility.for.coordinating.the.effort,.LandSAR.NZ.provides.the.skills,.additional.manpower.and.resour-ces..Police.would.not.be.able.to.complete.land.search.and.rescue.without.the.valuable.services.of.LandSAR.NZ.

The.New.Zealand.Police.have.a.long.and.valued.association.with.New.Zealand.Search.and.Rescue,.providing.NZ.Police.with.a.profes-sional.response.to.all.users.of.the.outdoor.experience.in.New.Zealand.who.need.help.

It.is.pleasing.to.see.New.Zealand.Land.Search.and.Rescue.continu-ally.developing.a.professional.organisation,.with.set.competen-

cies.and.standards.across.the.country.for.all.your.volunteers.

The.last.twelve.months.has.been.eventful.and.demanding.in.terms.of.disasters..New.Zealand.Land.Search.and.Rescue.made.a.valu-able.contribution.to.the.Christ-church.Earthquake.Operation,.assisting.Civil.Defence.by.mobilis-ing.three.hundred.and.fifty.volunteers.and.checking.sixty-seven.thousand.houses.

New.Zealand.Police.truly.appreci-ate.your.volunteer.members’.dedication.to.helping.strangers.in.need:.the.time.and.effort.they.put.into.training.for.real.events,.and.into.using.their.skills.on.Search.and.Rescue.Operations.

peter MarshaLL cOMMissiOner Of new ZeaLand pOLice

Peter Marshall

the new ZeaLand pOLice cOMMissiOner’s fOrewOrd

Rescue,profes-

the

peter MarshaLL cOMMissiOner Of

page 4


N E W Z E A L A N D

teaM-up, JOin fOrces, cOOperate Or cOLLabOrate

–.whatever.word.you.want.to.use,.working.together.well.is.at.the.heart.of.successful.search.and.rescue..Effective.cooperation.and.collaboration.requires.an.inclusive.and.non-competitive.approach.as.well.as.an.ethic.of.contribution.by.everyone.involved.

With.the.aim.of.‘one.SAR’.firmly.etched.in.NZSAR’s.goals,.it.is.rewarding.to.see.LandSAR.embrace.a.culture.of.working.and.learning.alongside.colleagues.both.within.your.own.groups.as.well.as.with.your.peers.in.other.search.and.rescue.organisations.around.the.country..It.has.been.great.to.see.

this.evolution.and.the.widespread.adoption.of.this.goal.by.LandSAR.people.throughout.New.Zealand..While.our.SAR.community.is.fortunate.to.have.a.clear.shared.purpose.centred.on.finding.and.rescuing.people.in.distress,.the.idea.of.one.SAR.becomes.even.more.useful.when.we.extend.it.into.non-operational.areas.such.as.training.

Over.the.last.few.years,.I.have.been.very.impressed.by.LandSAR’s.willingness.to.change.and.adapt,.to.share.and.contribute.and.support.the.forums.that.enable.effective.cooperation.and.collabo-ration..As.a.sector,.we.are.seeing.the.benefits.of.this.approach.through.increased.trust,.more.innovation,.shared.training.and.greater.efficiency.in.the.use.of.scarce.resources..We.are.also.displaying.better.agility.and.this.was.illustrated.by.LandSAR’s.outstanding.and.rapid.response.to.the.Christchurch.earthquake.in.February.this.year.

If.SAR.can.be.thought.of.as.the.ambulance.at.the.bottom.of.the.cliff,.then.prevention.is.the.‘fence’.at.the.top..Prevention.is.an.impor-tant.component.of.efficient.search.and.rescue.as.it.serves.to.minimise.the.number.of.operations.we.need.to.do..We.all.seek.to.decrease.the.number.of.SAR.incidents.while.at.the.same.time.wanting.increased.participation.in.challenging.outdoor.activities..The.NZSAR.Council.is.supporting.this.through.the.development.of.consistent.safety.messages.with.the.outdoor,.boating.and.water.safety.codes..These.‘codes’.point.out.the.simple.steps.people.can.take.to.stay.safe.

and.ask.them.to.take.personal.responsibility.and.make.smart.decisions.about.their.own.safety.

The.Safety.Codes.are.supported.by.the.AdventureSmart.website.–.www.adventuresmart.org.nz...The.AdventureSmart.website.builds.on.the.family.of.safety.codes,.provid-ing.additional.safety.information.and.advice.for.a.broad.range.of.activities.and.directing.people.to.more.in-depth.information.about.the.pursuit.of.their.choice..We.believe.this.is.a.significant.develop-ment.for.the.sector..Whilst.many.organisations.publish.safety.information.for.specific.activities,.the.AdventureSmart.portal.is.designed.to.be.a.‘one-stop.shop’.which.provides.links.to.a.wide.range.of.safety.information.from.one.central.point.–.making.it.easier.for.people.to.be.better.informed.before.they.undertake.their.activities,.whatever.they.may.be.

I.would.be.grateful.if.LandSAR.members.could.get.in.behind.the.safety.codes.and.the.Adventure-Smart.website..If.we.all.promote.the.same.messages.then.we.have.a.better.chance.of.reducing.the.overall.need.for.search.and.rescue.

While.we.have.a.number.of.challenges.ahead,.I.believe.Land-SAR.can.be.justifiably.proud.of.its.progress.over.the.past.year.and.the.outstanding.quality.of.the.search.and.rescue.services.it.has.provided.to.New.Zealand..I.am.very.pleased.to.have.this.opportunity.to.acknowledge.that.work.and.to.thank.you.for.your.dedication,.courage.and.commitment.to.saving.lives.

duncan ferner nZsar secretariat Manager

the new ZeaLand search and rescue cOunciL (nZsar)

Duncan Ferner


the Landsar nZ chairMan’s repOrt

as a natiOnaL OrganisatiOn, Landsar went thrOugh a major.‘rite.of.passage’.in.the.year.past.

Our.first.ever.national.mobilisation.in.support.of.the.second.major.Christchurch.earthquake.in.February.showcased.both.our.passion.and.our.skills.and.won.genuine.praise.from.many..The.subsequent.post-incident.review.pinpointed.areas.for.improvement,.and.the.recommendations.of.the.independent.panel.have.all.been.accepted.

While.we.all.fervently.hope.there.will.be.no.more.disasters.on.a.scale.that.require.a.national.response,.the.lessons.apply.equally.to.the.more.likely.scenario.of.a.regional.call-out.

Our.measurements.of.core.competencies.show.we.are.getting.better.each.year,.and.many.of.our.Groups.had.a.busy.summer.getting.out.there.in.support.of.the.lost,.missing.and.injured.–.which.is,.of.course,.what.it’s.all.about.

If.Christchurch.and.increasing.SAROPs.demonstrated.growing.operational.maturity,.our.all-im-portant.funding.round.in.2011.showed.organisational.progress.

A.30.percent.increase.in.the.direct.government.grant.through.the.SAR.Secretariat.was.a.major.vote.of.confidence.in.the.way.LandSAR.NZ.is.being.run,.and.in.our.on-going.strategic.plan.

In.the.current.economic.climate,.with.pressure.on.every.aspect.of.government.spending,.that.is.a.massive.vote.of.confidence.in.LandSAR..It.backs.our.overall.direction,.and.says.we.can.be.relied.on.to.deliver.

Government.policies.and.the.economic.climate.are.imposing.fundamental.changes.in.tertiary.education.funding.with.a.major.impact.on.our.training.partner.SARINZ,.whose.contract.with.Tai.Poutini.Polytechnic.will.end.early.in.2012..At.the.time.of.writing.the.impact.on.SARINZ.is.not.yet.clear,.but.we.are.working.closely.with.all.the.main.players.to.minimise.any.impact.on.our.ability.to.deliver.a.competent.response.to.emergency.callouts.

A.bit.more.money.meant.we.could.put.in.place.one.more.building.block:.the.job.of.National.Opera-tions.Manager,.whose.role.is.to.basically.run.the.interface.be-tween.the.Groups,.the.organisa-tion.as.a.whole,.and.the.National.Office.

Phillip Melchior

ThE.YEAR.IN.REvIEW

page 6


N E W Z E A L A N D

LandSAR.however.remains.funda-mentally.understaffed.for.the.job.we.are.charged.with..Comparisons.with.partner.organisations.like.Coastguard.or.Surf.Life.Saving.show.we.are.positively.skeletal..In.an.ideal.world,.we.will.get.to.a.position.where.each.Police.District.(counting.Auckland.as.one,.not.three).has.a.full-time.SAR.co-ordi-nator,.and.we.have.a.field.officer.to.match,.allowing.us.to.work.as.a.close-knit.team.with.the.Police.in.each.district.

That.requires.funding..Our.at-tempts.to.get.the.sort.of.commer-cial.funding.enjoyed.by.others.in.the.sector.have.not.yet.been.successful.and.will.be.the.subject.of.a.bigger.effort.in.the.year.ahead.

Our.relationships.with.both.the.Police.and.the.Rescue.Coordina-tion.Centre.(RCC.NZ).continue.to.develop..Police.headquarters.has.been.understandably.focussed.on.the.Rugby.World.Cup.but.will.return.to.the.review.of.search.and.rescue.towards.the.end.of.the.year..We.are.hopeful.we.will.see.genuine.progress.in.the.relation-ship.in.2011–12.

All.of.our.goals.are.set.out.in.the.strategic.plan.which.is.updated.

every.year.so.it.remains.an.evolving.five-year.road.map..It.was.developed.with.intense.consulta-tion.with.Groups.around.the.country,.but.it’s.clear.that.not.everyone.knows.it.exists.or.has.bothered.to.look.at.it..I.urge.you.to.do.so..You.can.find.it.on.the.website!

In.a.nutshell,.it.says.we.are.aiming.for.a.more.professional.organisa-tion..One.where.levels.of.compe-tence.are.properly.defined.and.we.train.to.those.levels.as.a.minimum;.and.one.where.we.take.all.our.responsibilities.seriously,.from.running.Group.committees.to.reporting.levels.of.involvement,.to.operational.responsiveness.

We.are.making.progress,.but.we.are.not.there.yet.

For.the.first.time.this.year,.as.required.by.the.Constitution,.we.are.losing.two.of.our.founding.elected.directors..Ray.Bellringer.(Aoraki/Mt.Cook).and.Dave.Comber.(Taupo).have.reached.the.end.of.their.maximum.three.two-year.terms..While.renewal.and.succession-planning.are.extremely.important.for.Boards.and.Committees,.I.am.personally.very.sorry.to.be.losing.Ray.and.Dave..Their.contribution.has.been.

huge.and.LandSAR.is.very.fortu-nate.to.have.volunteers.of.their.calibre.who.are.prepared.to.take.on.the.significant.responsibility.and.workload.that.goes.with.Board.membership.

Independent.director.Mike.Sheridan.resigned.from.the.Board.in.January.and.was.replaced.by.Greg.Bishop,.a.senior.partner.with.accounting.firm.KPMG.in.Welling-ton.

The.Board’s.work.is.not.always.visible,.but.there.is.a.great.deal.of.it.and.it.is.taken.very.seriously.by.both.elected.and.independent.directors.

My.thanks.to.my.fellow.directors.and.to.hadyn.and.the.National.Office.staff.

It’s.not.an.easy.job..We.can.often.see.the.problems.more.easily.than.we.can.fix.them.and.there.is.more.to.do.than.we.can.fit.into.a.working.week.–.even.an.extended.one.

But.they.are.all.every.bit.as.committed.and.passionate.about.LandSAR.as.any.of.our.members.

phiLLip MeLchiOr chairMan, Landsar nZ


this has been a chaLLenging year with the canterbury.earthquakes.and.Pike.River.disasters..The.LandSAR.conference.in.hokitika.at.the.time.of.the.Pike.River.disaster.enabled.a.quick.response.with.so.many.SAR-trained.Police.being.present..The.Christchurch.earthquake.saw.all.New.Zealanders.pitching.in.together.to.help.out.Canterbury,.and.LandSAR.New.Zealand.was.no.exception..‘Operation.West’.showed.the.depth.of.LandSAR.New.Zealand.volunteers.in.assisting.Civil.Defence.

The.provisional.statistics.for.the.10–11.year.have.seen.1151.people.

assisted.in.905.LandSAR.operations:.867.were.Category.I.and.38.Catego-ry.II..The.total.number.of.incidents.is.down.by.8.4%.on.last.year.

The.cost.of.these.land.operations.was.$1,851,105,.and.32,552.hours.were.spent.in.carrying.out.these.rescues..Forty-seven.fatalities.were.reported.for.the.financial.year.

I.personally.thank.every.one.of.you.for.your.individual.contribution.culminating.in.a.great.team.effort..We.had.many.successful.searches.during.this.last.year;.57.people’s.lives.were.saved..This.is.a.very.significant.and.impressive.achieve-ment.

I.recognise.the.significant.key.role.your.families.play.in.the.hours.you.all.commit.not.only.to.operations.but.to.the.training.involved.to.maintain.and.enhance.your.skills..Without.your.valued.support.these.search.and.rescues.would.not.be.possible..Your.time.and.dedication.is.very.much.appreci-ated.by.those.you.rescue,.and.by.the.New.Zealand.Police.

The.recent.appointment.of.Peter.Corbett.as.the.National.Opera-tions.Manager.can.only.further.enhance.the.LandSAR.member-ship’s.closer.interaction.with.your.National.Office.

The.continued.growth.in.personal.locator.beacon.(PLB).sales.indi-cates.they.are.being.used.on.both.land.and.sea..As.at.the.end.of.August.2011,.28,650.406.beacons.have.been.registered.with.the.Rescue.Coordination.Centre.New.Zealand.(RCC.NZ),.a.third.of.these.consistently.being.PLBs.

Currently.the.two.Managing.Land.Search.Operations.one-week.courses.held.consecutively.at.the.Police.College.are.next.scheduled.to.run.in.June.2012.in.their.new.revised.format..This.review.of.the.Marine.Search.Operations.course.that.runs.parallel.with.the.MLSO.course.means.there.may.be.a.crossover.of.common.elements.for.both.courses.

Lastly,.I.would.like.to.wish.you.all.the.very.best.for.the.coming.financial.year..I.look.forward.to.continuing.to.work.with.you.and.to.meeting.as.many.of.you.as.possible.

bruce JOhnstOn (MOrt) natiOnaL cOOrdinatOr – search and rescue/disaster victiM identificatiOn nZ pOLice

Bruce Johnston

the new ZeaLand pOLice repOrt tO Landsar 2010-2011 financiaL year

page 8


N E W Z E A L A N D

LAnd SEARch And REScuE nZ – POLIcE cOmPARABLE OPERATIOnAL STATISTIcS

2010-2011 2009-2010 2008-2009 2008 2007

Recorded Police Land Ops 597 972 764 748 599

Op involving LandSAR 334 409 284 251 224

Operational Hours 11,874 17,253 13,829 19,413 16,924

LandSAR Personnel Involved 2,288 3,160

Numbers at Risk 480 1,275

Lives Saved 57 84

Lives Rescued 197 352

Lives Assisted 226 406

Perished 25 72

Not Located 11 25

LAnd SEARch And REScuE nZ – REPORTEd AdmInISTRATIOn, SAREX And TRAInIng hOuRS

year 2010-2011 2009-2010 2008-2009

Meetings 22,636 16,420 9,686

Secretarial 12,444 11,403 5,496

Commercial & Media 9,238 4,855 6,686

Other Administration 2,212 2,615 1,520

tOtaL 46,530 35,293 23,388

SAREX Reported 19,792 47,022 10,331

Local and National Courses 101,895 88,100 61,546

Secretarial in Support of Training 6,136 5,870 2,320

tOtaL 174,353 140,992 74,197

* Operation West – not included in Police statistics 13,500

* LandSAR Recorded Operations 20,030 52,546 37,217

* OVERALL TOTALS incl Ops 207,883 193,538 111,414

*LandSAR operational hours do not match the Police recorded hours at this point in time. Refer page 20.


2010-2011 Land search and rescue nZ statistics


N E W Z E A L A N D

the rescue cOOrdinatiOn centre.new ZeaLand (rcc nZ) is.one.of.the.two.Coordinating.Authorities.for.SAR.activities.in.New.Zealand..Alongside.the.New.Zealand.Police,.RCC.NZ.provides.24/7.coordination.and.manage-ment.for.SAR.responses.in.the.sea,.air.and.land.environments.within.New.Zealand’s.Search.and.Rescue.Region.–.a.highly.dynamic,.chang-ing.environment.that.covers.an.area.of.some.30.million.square.kilometres.and.is.one.of.the.largest.in.the.world.

SAR.incidents.are.categorised.not.by.the.environment.but.by.the.level.of.coordination..There.are.two.

categories.–.Category.I.incidents.coordinated.and.managed.by.NZ.Police,.and.Category.II.incidents.coordinated.and.managed.by.RCC.NZ..RCC.NZ.also.maintains.and.manages.the.distress.beacon.system.

RCC.NZ.and.NZ.Police.continue.to.work.very.closely.together.at.all.levels..This.year.we.have.begun.an.initiative.for.RCC.NZ.staff.to.get.out.and.about.into.the.regions.and.meet.local.SAR.units,.volunteers.and.other.providers.as.part.of.our.efforts.to.keep.improving.the.links.and.working.relationships.with.all.the.groups,.agencies.and.organisa-tions.working.within.SAR.in.New.Zealand.

In.the.land.environment.this.year.we.have.continued.to.see.growth.in.the.use.of.emergency.distress.beacons.and.tracking.devices..In.the.year.from.July.2010.to.June.2011.RCC.NZ.coordinated.99.Category.II.incidents.in.the.land.environment,.up.from.75.last.year..Sixty-one.of.this.year’s.land.incidents.involved.the.use.of.emergency.beacons..It.is.very.positive.to.see.that.land.distress.beacon.users.have.very.high.levels.of.beacon.registration.–.a.key.safety.issue,.and.a.legal.requirement.–.and.very.low.levels.of.false.or.inadvertent.activation.

On.the.support.side.we.have.rolled.out.the.SAR.Asset.website.this.year.

allowing.all.players.to.see.where.assets.are.located,.their.capabilities,.and.how.to.contact.and.task.them..This.system.will.help.with.keeping.information.up.to.date.and.with.getting.the.best.possible.responses.to.incidents.(for.more.details.see.the.link.on.the.NZSAR.website)..There.have.also.been.workshops.and.joint.training.including.the.initial.On.Scene.Coordinators.course.(please.contact.us.for.more.details.if.required).all.contributing.to.building.the.‘One.SAR.family’.across.NZ.

We.welcome.visitors.to.RCC.NZ.at.any.time.and,.alongside.our.general.liaison.programme,.can.support.specific.requests.to.come.and.see.you.at.the.local.level..Please.contact.us.at.any.time.for.informa-tion.or.with.questions..It.has.been.another.very.positive.year.with.much.good.work.and.progress.towards.improving.SAR.for.all.and.with.volunteers.continuing.to.make.a.huge.contribution..We.look.forward.to.building.on.this.with.you.all.in.the.year.ahead.and,.together,.continuing.to.provide.the.best.possible.service.to.persons.in.distress.with.the.lowest.possible.risks.for.SAR.responders.

nigeL cLiffOrd grOup Manager, rescue cOOrdinatiOn centre new ZeaLand

Nigel Clifford

the rescue cOOrdinatiOn centre new ZeaLand (rcc nZ)

it is never an easy tasK tO review the year that was but this.year.has.been.especially.difficult.when.there.have.been.so.many.one-off.events.that.have.impacted.on.our.emotions,.knowledge.and.understanding.of.what.we.do.and.why.we.do.it.

The.one-offs.started.with.arguably.our.most.successful.conference.in.hokitika..This.was.followed.by.the.Pike.River.Coal.Mine.tragedy.and.continued.with.our.first.ever.national.mobilisation.in.support.of.the.earthquake.and.people.in.Christchurch..LandSAR.volunteers.were.to.the.fore.at.each.of.these.three.events,.but.the.efforts.put.

into.supporting.the.people.of.the.West.Coast.and.Christchurch.in.the.midst.of.two.of.New.Zealand’s.most.traumatic.peacetime.events.was.both.tragic.and.motivational..What.can.I.say.that.hasn’t.already.been.said.so.eloquently.by.some.of.this.country’s.foremost.leaders,.except.to.add.that.it.was.with.real.pride.and.satisfaction.that.I.read.through.our.membership’s.and.the.public’s.comments.during.our.first-ever.review.of.our.actions.during.Operation.West..Under.extreme.conditions.we.did.well..Even.more.satisfying.was.the.mature.and.constructive.manner.in.which.we.all.looked.at.the.lessons.to.be.learned.and.how.we.intend.to.apply.those.lessons.in.the.coming.year.

Although.such.key.events.rightly.take.centre.stage,.LandSAR.volunteers.have.also.taken.business.as.usual.to.new.highs.in.many.areas.as.our.membership.Groups.put.in.over.200,000.reported.hours.back.into.our.communities..That.effort.is.something.we.should.be.very.proud.of,.especially.with.the.knowledge.that.if.all.our.Groups.reported.then.our.increased.presence.in.the.sector.would.turn.many.more.influential.heads.

We.have.come.a.long.way.with.some.of.our.stated.objectives.over.the.past.year..A.particular.focus.for.LandSAR.this.year.has.been.around.the.need.to.identify,.understand.and.facilitate.the.full.range.of.our.training.needs..Many.of.our.needs.are.addressed.by.SARINZ/TPP.based.courses,.but.many.more.new.challenges.remain.in.the.area.of.continuation.training.or.items.that.have.been.left.with.little.or.no.focus..The.LandSAR.National.Training.Strategy.looks.at.the.total.picture.and.allows.one.more.step.towards.ensuring.we.meet.our.membership’s.priority.needs..We.know.we.will.never.have.enough.money.to.do.everything,.but.we.are.focused.on.putting.more.national.funds.towards.training.than.has.ever.previously.been.achieved..We.now.need.to.shore.up.the.base.source.of.our.long.term.funds.so.that.our.volunteers.can.have.some.continuing.certain-ty.in.this.area.

So.what.has.gone.well.in.the.last.12.months?.The.rewrite.of.the.LandSAR.Field.Guide.has.support-ed.the.spread.of.basic.information.well..The.online.reporting.system.has.removed.the.quarterly.rush.for.many.Group.Secretaries..The.application.of.and.information.

Hadyn Smith

Landsar nZ chief executive’s repOrt 2011-12


obtained.from.the.Analysis.Tool.For.Groups.is.now.a.very.powerful.capability.and.planning.tool,.and.our.first-ever.attempt.to.quantify.all.our.training.needs.was.a.huge.first.step.

We.also.need.to.look.at.ourselves.critically,.and.a.few.things.have.not.quite.come.to.the.fore.as.we.would.have.liked..how.we.support.training,.the.production.of.a.training.calendar.and.even.funding.has.suffered.from.various.stops.and.starts.forced.on.Land-SAR.this.year..We.can’t.control.all.that.occurred,.but.it.is.our.key.focus.to.get.right.in.2011–12..The.Administration.handbook.is.behind.schedule,.but.is.drafted.and.due.to.be.available.in.Novem-ber..A.LandSAR.recruitment,.induction.and.retention.process.is.also.on.the.production.line.and.should.appear.shortly..Our.website.is.also.a.work.in.progress..We.are.scoping.our.needs.and.some.hard.decisions.will.need.to.be.made,.as.we.can’t.support.Groups.appropri-ately.under.our.current.model.

Communication.is.also.an.area.we.would.like.to.do.better.and.although.some.social.networks.have.presented.opportunities.for.SAR.people,.none.of.them.have.quite.met.the.diverse.needs.of.our.members,.the.Police.and.other.key.partners..It’s.an.area.that.always.needs.balance,.but.I.think.a.few.level-headed.practitioners.with.staff.support.can.improve.our.record.and.perhaps.address.our.needs.in.this.area.

Proving.our.capability.and.diversi-fying.income.at.all.our.member-ship.levels.also.needs.some.serious.input.to.and.from.all.our.Groups..

We.simply.can’t.prove.our.need.for.more.funding.when.many.still.choose.not.to.report..Our.SAR.peers.report.hours.at.close.to.the.100%.level..Even.an.anecdotal.examination.of.SAREX.hours.reported.this.year.would.suggest.most.Groups.fail.to.report.our.hours.in.this.area.alone..We.need.to.embrace.reporting.and.under-stand.this.information.is.the.solution.to.many.of.our.capability.and.financial.problems.

We.must.also.never.forget.to.recognise.and.celebrate.our.achievements.and.the.many.operational.milestones.that.have.been.ground.out.at.the.coalface.of.search.and.rescue..I.mention.this,.as.sometimes.a.simple.thanks.makes.all.the.difference.and.on.other.occasions.we.must.never.forget.that.special.local.operation-al.events.may.also.require.special.national.recognition..We.read.about.them.in.the.media,.but.rarely.do.such.events.evolve.into.national.nominations.for.awards..I.know.we.can.all.do.better.in.celebrating.our.achievements,.and.perhaps.we.need.to.support.this.process.more.in.the.future.

If.we.are.to.achieve.success.stories.then.we.must.also.remain.in.tune.with.our.key.partners.and.thank.those.who.have.supported.LandSAR..We.can’t.mention.all.the.people.that.have.given.such.support.but.this.help.is.very.much.appreciated..My.personal.thanks.to.the.New.Zealand.Police.–.from.the.Commissioner.right.through.to.Emergency.Manager,.Gerry.Prins,.National.SAR.Coordinator,.Bruce.Johnston,.and.all.Police.SAR.Coordinators.–.for.their.input..

Certainly.we.have.received.a.good.hearing.from.the.Police,.and.without.this.understanding.and.support.our.function.would.be.difficult.indeed.

Although.we.do.not.interact.with.the.Rescue.Coordination.Centre.of.New.Zealand.to.the.same.degree.as.the.Police,.our.relationship.has.grown.as.evidenced.by.the.statistics.and.the.new.combined.Police.and.RCC.New.Zealand.Memorandum.of.Understanding..We.must.thank.General.Manager.Nigel.Clifford.for.his.support.and.wise.counsel.

To.the.New.Zealand.Search.and.Rescue.Secretariat.–.Duncan.Ferner,.and.his.assistant.Carl.van.der.Meulen.–.thanks.for.your.objective.oversight,.leadership.and.support.of.LandSAR.and.the.sector..It.is.appreciated.

Finally,.my.thanks.to.the.LandSAR.Board.of.seven.under.Chairman.Phil.Melchior,.office.support.staff.and.Joanna.Leighton.Jones.for.her.work.beyond.the.call.of.duty,.and.our.new.National.Operations.Manager.Pete.Corbett.and.five.field.staff.who.give.their.all..Your.support.and.direction.during.2010.and.2011.is.very.much.appreciated..I.believe.we.can.look.forward.with.anticipation.to.2011–2012.and.I.look.forward.to.us.all.building.on.the.outcomes.that.were.achieved.this.year.

hadyn sMith ceO, Landsar nZ

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YEARBOOK 2010-2011

REPORTING.AGAINST.PLANS.the Landsar yeti

LandSAR’s.TvNZ.Community.Funding.contract.has.now.ended,.and.for.two.years.the.Colenso.BBDO.concept.of.the.LandSAR.Yeti.has.graced.our.screens..Anecdotal.evidence.would.suggest.that.both.here.and.overseas.(via.YouTube).the.advertisement.has.been.a.hit,.and.most.certainly.raised.our.brand.profile.and.presence..Below.is.a.breakdown.of.statistics.courtesy.of.TvNZ:

In.the.2010–11.year.there.were.246.advertisements.played.ranging.from.30-second.through.to.90-second.slots.to.a.total.return.value.of.$750,000..The.statistics.for.2009–10.are.not.available,.but.if.the.previ-ous.year’s.count.was.even.close.to.this.year.we.can.only.imagine.the.value.of.such.exposure.in.prime.time.shows.such.as.One Network News, Desperate Housewives, Short-land Street, Hell’s Kitchen, Good Morning , Coronation Street, Cinderella Man (movie),.Mas-terchef Australia Final, War of the Worlds and Close Up.–.to.name.just.a.few..

Our.thanks.to.Colenso.BBDO,.Film.Construction.and.TvNZ.for.their.support.and.encouragement.with.this.project.

safety cLOthing/unifOrMsFor.several.years.various.LandSAR.Groups,.regions,.individual.members.and.key.partners.have.sug.gested.that.some.form.of.uniform.or.stand-ard.safety.clothing.would.help.us.connect.with.the.public.and.each.other,.and.be.seen.as.a.cohesive.organisation.during.operations,.training.courses.and.events..how-ever,.a.lack.of.funding.means.from.a.funding.perspective.all.we.could.do.was.create.a.style.guide.and.suggest.that.members.brand.any.purchased.clothing.or.equipment.appropriately..As.a.result,.many.Groups.have.done.their.own.thing.and.some.have.invested.substantial-ly,.while.others.have.been.unable.to.and.clothing.has.always.been.at.the.individual’s.expense.

Following.the.Christchurch.Earthquake.LandSAR.carried.out.a.Post.Incident.Review.Process.(PIRP)..One.of.the.most.common.observa-tions.from.this.was.the.lack.of.a.LandSAR.base.uniform.and.suggestions.we.looked.more.like.‘Dad’s.Army’.than.a.provider.of.SAR.services..LandSAR.took.the.idea.of.a.national.uniform.to.the.Outdoor.Safety.Committee.of.the.Lottery.Grants.Board.and.for.the.first.time.safety.clothing.and.uniforms.will.now.be.part.of.our.general.support.funding.

branding/cLOthingLandSAR.has.now.updated.some.branding.options.including:

•. Increased.use.of.Search.&.Rescue.in.full.rather.than.as.the.SAR.abbreviation.(that.members.of.the.public.do.not.immediately.identify)

•. Use.of.orange.and.silver.reflectorised.squares.on.LandSAR.Group.equipment

•. A.new.shoulder.flash.and.cap.logo.that.has.an.enhanced.word.sizing.(so.that.the.words.can.be.seen)

We.are.now.working.through.our.first-ever.safety.clothing.and.uniform.allocation.for.next.year.and.working.to.ensure.a.long-term.national.uniform.allocation.process.is.put.in.place..We.will.produce.a.new.style.guide.for.volunteers.to.use.when.choosing.uniforms.and.other.items..We.are.also.looking.at.putting.new.product.and.samples.on.the.website.for.Groups.to.purchase.

Landsar idLandSAR.NZ.has.been.criticised.by.some.Groups.for.supplying.photo.ID.cards.to.members..During.the.Christchurch.earthquake.mobilisa-tion.it.was.clear.that.not.having.a.photo.ID.was.an.issue..Our.involve-ment.in.increased.numbers.of.

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urban.searches.and.the.increasing.number.of.situations.where.people.are.asked.for.photo.ID.means.they.are.essential.

LandSAR.had.planned.to.move.towards.‘smartcards’.in.2011.to.include.individual.information.such.as.training.records..Our.database.is.not.yet.sophisticated.enough.to.support.that.process,.so.IDs.will.be.updated.with.a.stag-gered.expiry.date.ranging.from.three.to.five.years.so.that.when.the.smart.card.option.does.evolve.we.will.have.options.from.immedi-ate.replacement.to.replacements.over.a.three-year.period.

OperatiOnaL prOJectsLandSAR.is.addressing.operational.research.and.development.projects..Many.of.these.projects.are.long-term.and.some.are.potentially.high.cost,.for.which.a.source.of.new.income.is.required..LandSAR.Operational.Project.Developments.(LOP).are.devel-oped.from.projects.suggested.by.individual.volunteers.or.Groups,.with.project.applications.men-tored.by.staff.and.considered.by.the.LandSAR.Board..here.is.progress.on.the.following.projects.through.to.the.end.of.the.2010–11.financial.year:

avalanche awareness1.. .–.a.NZSAR.driven.project.with.Peter.Zimmer.(NI.FSO).as.the.port-folio.holder..Good.outcomes.in.the.area.of.Pre-plans.for.this.sector.with.LandSAR.as.a.supporting.observer.

it project 2.. –.one.of.the.more.difficult.and.complicated.

projects..Our.current.website.does.not.allow.these.functions.to.occur.at.the.required.level..The.Board.has.approved.a.scoping.project.so.that.our.base.needs.are.documented.and.tracked..Needs.a.significant.long-term.injection.of.funds.to.achieve.the.outcomes.required.

advanced tracking courses3.. .–.an.initial.trial.course.has.now.evolved.with.LandSAR.support-ing.selection.courses.in.both.islands.and.a.national.tracking.course..Groups.see.tracking.as.a.specialist.function.and.this.area.is.now.accepted.as.a.key.component.in.operational.support..A.special.thanks.to.the.Army.for.their.support.with.this.project.

competencies4..a. Entry level Team Member

Competencies. This.information.has.been.circulated.and.these.skills.should.either.already.exist.or.be.developed.before.a.person.is.used.operationally.in.the.field..This.should.give.some.guidelines.for.the.process.for.Groups.

b. Team Member Competencies..Significant.detail.has.been.drafted.and.is.a.focus.for.the.2011–12.LandSAR.Business.Plan.

c. Team Leader Competencies.review..These.have.been.in.place.for.two.years.with.variable.response..A.review.will.take.place.before.Christmas.this.year.

planning and intel 5.. – founda-tion.work.progressed..LandSAR.now.needs.to.engage.a.project.manager.to.focus.on.this.

ciMs 6.. –.the.evolution.of.CIMS.needs.to.be.monitored.closely.as.this.is.the.basis.of.all.LandSAR.operations.and.any.joint.operations..A.suggestion.from.the.PIRP.(Christchurch.earthquake).was.that.all.volunteers.are.given.a.CIMS.101-type.information.update.so.that.all.members.have.a.base.understanding.of.how.operational.management.connects.

Landsar field guide7.. .–.was.completed.and.5,000.distrib-uted..A.review.of.the.new.document.is.set.down.for.2013..Aide.memoire.documents.are.now.complete.and.will.be.distributed.with.notebook.covers.in.October.(see.article.p22).

Management guide8.. .–.there.is.an.indication.from.members.that.they.want.and.need.this..More.work.is.necessary.around.understanding..No.funding.at.the.moment,.but.may.become.a.focus.again.when.the.training.scene.has.become.more.settled.

probability of detection 9..project.–.this.also.needs.a.project.manager.and.a.sponsor.for.it.to.be.progressed.further.

pre-plan template10.. .–.specific.pre-plan.template.is.now.complete..A.populated.pre-plan.will.be.circulated.to.membership.Groups.before.the.end.of.the.year.

communications project11.. .–.a.LandSAR.Radio.voice.Proce-dures.Manual.is.complete..A.Radio.comms.procedure.course.is.being.developed.in.


conjunction.with.Coastguard.Boating.Education.and.the.distribution.of.radios.to.Groups.NZ-wide.is.on.track,.with.$260,000.invested.in.this.financial.year.

Medical project12.. .–.Dr.Jenny.visser.is.working.on.the.national.list.of.SAR.medical.practitioners.for.operational.support..Jenny.continues.to.oversee.medical.issues.for.LandSAR.

Operational reviews 13.. –•. Field.debrief.notes.being.

developed.alongside.our.key.partners..Drafts.are.formulated.and.should.be.populated.with.examples.for.distribution.in.the.near.future.

•. Operational.debrief.template.form.being.worked.on.in.several.Police.Districts.and.should.be.circulated.as.a.draft.shortly.

•. Post.Incident.Review.Process.(PIRP).complete.and.fast.tracked.for.use.in.the.review.of.the.Christchurch.earthquake.

terralink14.. .mapping project.–.no.longer.active,.although.the.IPStar.systems.(9).has.now.been.distributed.around.Police.Districts.and.will.be.the.subject.of.a.separate.report.

the use of arcgis explorer 15..within sar.–.a.feasibility.study.related.to.the.use.of.ArcGIS.Explorer.for.SAR..If.the.outcome.of.this.project.is.positive.it.could.result.in.the.distribution.of.free.mapping.software.for.all.Groups.

Mountain rescue standards 16.. –.a.new.project.has.been.submitted.to.the.Board.and.subsequently.forwarded.to.NZSAR.as.the.outcomes,.if.achieved,.will.have.an.effect.on.the.whole.sector.

New.operational.support.projects.are.always.sought.and/or.pro-gressed.from.members.and.if.you.require.assistance.to.deal.with.a.particular.issue.that.you.believe.has.a.national.application,.contact.any.of.the.FSOs.or.the.National.Office.for.support.to.take.the.concept.through.to.a.business.plan.stage.

pOst incident review prOcess – christchurch earthquaKeFollowing.on.from.our.mobilisa-tion.for.the.Christchurch.earth-quake,.LandSAR.has.gathered.information.from.its.membership.and.key.partners.for.review..The.findings.and.recommendations.from.our.first.Post.Incident.Review.Process.(PIRP),.chaired.by.Coast-Guard.CEO.Bruce.Reid,.have.been.considered,.and.the.recommenda-tions.incorporated.into.the.2011–12.LandSAR.Business.Plan..The.basic.premise.put.to.the.Board.was.that.LandSAR.should.be.preparing.itself.for.regional.mobilisations.rather.than.the.exception.that.is.a.national.mobilisation..The.full.record.of.meetings.and.final.report.to.the.Board.can.be.found.on.the.LandSAR.website.at:. http://www.landsar.org.nz/Article.aspx?ID=1994

LandSAR.has.also.published.a.retrospective.account.in.recogni-tion.of.the.tragedy.that.occurred.in.Christchurch..A.copy.will.be.sent.to.each.group.and.posted.on.the.website..It.also.features.as.part.of.this.Yearbook.

anaLysis tOOL fOr grOups (atfg)

– now known as the Group Planning Tool (GPT)

This.capability.tool.and.its.training.equivalent.have.changed.the.knowledge.base.of.our.organisa-tion..We.can.now.access.our.strengths.and.weaknesses.and.share.our.progress.with.our.key.partners,.funders.and.communi-ties..Every.year.this.tool.is.improv-ing.the.way.we.examine.search.and.rescue.capabilities.and.identify.gaps.and.how.they.can.be.addressed..This.tool.has.turned.heads.from.within.our.key.partner-ships.while.raising.our.credibility.within.our.sector.and.beyond.

Importantly,.we.have.now.devel-oped.the.tool.even.further,.and.in.2011–12.we.have.taken.on.board.all.the.learning.from.the.last.two.years.of.use.to.focus.more.on.membership.training.needs.and.operational.wants..In.line.with.that.development.this.‘one-stop.package’.will.now.be.called.the.LandSAR.Group.Planning.Tool.(GPT)..The.updated.tool.is.a.support.vehicle.that.still.contains.the.20.basic.questions.but.now.gives.Groups.one.annual.focus.on.operations,.training.and.overall.capability..In.doing.so.it.will.also.allow.our.membership.to.make.better.informed.decisions.about.

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what.is.needed.and.wanted.to.improve.our.capability.

Landsar trainingThe.training.environment.has.become.perhaps.our.most.difficult.area.for.these.past.years.as.we.have.tried.to.ensure.all.our.needs.across.all.LandSAR.Groups.are.identified.and.supported..Our.focus.has.coincided.with.upheav-als.and.reviews.at.the.Tertiary.Education.Commission.(TEC),.Tai.Poutini.Polytech.(TPP),.and.the.Search.and.Rescue.Institute.of.New.Zealand.(SARINZ)..Even.now.uncertainty.remains,.as.TEC.carries.out.a.review.on.the.support.of.SAR.volunteer.education;.TPP.with-draws.from.its.delivery.contract.with.SARINZ.(effective.1.March.2012);.and.SARINZ.reviews.its.course.delivery.model.that.had.worked.so.well.up.until.late.2010.

At.the.national.level.we.are.focussing.on.ensuring.that.the.volatility.around.the.current.funding.model.is.addressed.and.returns.to.a.stable.environment.that.allows.volunteers.to.attain.the.skill.sets.that.they.need.to.search.and.rescue.for.New.Zealand.communities..The.money.involved.is.significant,.and.although.there.is.a.belief.that.the.educational.and.skill-set.support.for.volunteers.should.be.free.of.charge,.the.reality.is.that.someone.must.pay.for.such.services.no.matter.who.delivers.the.courses.needed..In.order.to.secure.funding.we.must.prove.to.several.government.departments.that.the.value.of.this.investment.is.worthy.of.long-term.support..That.process.is.underway.

and.will.be.our.biggest.national.focus.for.2011–12.

Many.of.our.membership.have.queried.why.we.have.focussed.on.influencing.this.outcome.when.we.are.not.a.training.organisation..In.fact,.that.is.the.very.reason.we.must.continue.down.this.road,.as.we.are.the.only.objective.body.in.the.process.because.we.are.not.a.dedicated.deliverer.of.courses..We.make.no.apology.for.our.objective.scrutiny.of.training,.and.our.members.need.only.refer.to.the.National.Training.Strategy.to.see.that.our.only.vested.interest.is.to.ensure.all.training.is.supported.as.far.as.our.budget.can.accommo-date..To.review.and.scrutinise.current.practice.should.not.be.seen.as.a.threat,.but.a.task.that.any.national.support.organisation.should.address.as.a.priority.

nZsarAlthough.NZSAR.is.not.operational.in.the.search.and.rescue.sector.it.is.a.huge.support.vehicle.for.ensur-ing.gaps.are.addressed.and.key.issues.are.supported.at.the.national.and.government.level..LandSAR.has.now.developed.the.ability.to.prove.its.case.around.operational.capability.through.the.reporting.requirements.of.the.Service.Level.Agreement..Proving.our.capability.has.led.to.increased.funding.for.the.next.three.years,.allowing.the.LandSAR.Board.to.further.develop.some.of.our.organisational.needs..This.increase.is.quite.a.feat.in.the.current.financial.environment,.and.thanks.must.go.to.the.Groups.who.have.contributed.to.the.reporting.process.

Life and disabiLity insuranceWe.believe.that.Death.and.Disability.Insurance.for.all.those.in.the.voluntary.emergency.sector.in.New.Zealand.should.be.automatic,.especially.when.volunteers.are.giving.their.time.to.the.commu-nity..however,.because.insurance.did.not.exist.outside.of.normal.ACC.support,.and.in.order.to.ensure.that.all.our.families.have.some.form.of.guaranteed.cover,.LandSAR.has.paid.for.$100,000.worth.of.Death.and.Disability.cover.for.all.of.our.active.volun-teers..We.do.not.think.this.pay-ment.should.come.out.of.Land-SAR’s.funds,.but.for.now.we.must.continue.this.until.we.can.con-vince.someone.to.find.alternative.funding.

Members.should.note.that.this.insurance.applies.only.for.searches.and.training.coordinated.or.supported.by.the.coordinating.authorities.(Police.and.RCC.NZ).

OutdOOr safety cOMMittee suppOrtOur.special.thanks.to.the.Outdoor.Safety.Committee.of.the.Lottery.Grants.Board.for.their.continued.support.of.LandSAR,.including.a.grant.of.just.over.$1.million.in.the.last.year.

LandSAR.now.has.an.allocation.level.which.accurately.reflects.the.services.we.provide..This.funding.directly.contributes.to.improved.operational.safety.and.capability.with.the.provision.of.funds.for.radios,.GPS.and.safety.equipment.


This.consistent.source.of.funding.means.our.individual.members.and.national.organisation.are.able.to.improve.their.support.for.the.lost,.missing.or.injured.

The.national.application.process.is.improving.each.year.and.now.has.a.direct.link.with.Group.planning.and.Specialist.Team.needs..Look-ing.forward,.we.have.been.allocated.a.further.$300,000.on.top.of.the.$1.million.from.last.year..The.total.allocation.of.$1,310,800.is.to.be.applied.as.follows.in.2011–12.(see.table.below).

Accountability.still.remains.an.issue.with.some.Groups,.and.for.the.most.part.LandSAR.makes.all.major.purchases.so.that.this.is.only.required.for.exceptions..however,.some.accountability.is.still.required.and.we.need.to.understand.that.if.we.want.to.

have.this.funding.we.must.remain.accountable.for.its.use.

LandSAR.has.been.well.supported.by.the.OSC.and.the.end.result.is.a.huge.investment.with.all.affiliated.Groups.now.funded.and.resourced.in.some.direct.way.

We.still.need.to.ensure.that.we.get.the.best.annual.outcome.from.this.fund.while.focussing.on.making.a.real.difference.in.our.field.

staffing LeveLsThis.has.been.another.year.of.evolution,.with.four.field.staff.in.place.for.the.whole.year..Although.the.need.for.support.from.the.National.Office.for.field.staff.has.increased.substantially,.we.have.resisted.any.growth.in.administra-tion.but.have.expanded.in.the.area.of.leadership.and.member-

ship.operational.support..That.expansion.includes.the.appoint-ment.of.National.Operations.Manager.Pete.Corbett..Pete’s.appointment.will.ensure.our.Groups.receive.support.with.a.specific.operational.and.training.focus,.FSOs.will.have.a.dedicated.point.of.contact,.and.we.will.retain.a.greater.ability.to.achieve.the.outcomes.stated.in.the.LandSAR.Business.Plan.

LandSAR.staff.are.a.valuable.asset.and.their.close.consultation.with.volunteers.has.achieved.many.milestones.that.were.previously.unachievable.nationally.such.as:.100%.affiliation,.capability.and.training.support.through.the.ATFG.(now.GPT),.identifying.and.raising.membership.profiles,.identifying.key.issues.for.project.support,.identifying.organisational.gaps.in.areas.such.as.committees.and.fundraising.–.to.name.a.few..The.staff.is.a.dedicated.LandSAR.resource.that.we.hope.in.time.will.be.supported.by.a.dedicated.Police.SAR.Coordinator.in.each.Police.District..We.hope.the.Police.SAR.review.may.well.look.into.the.recognition.and.value.that.such.appointments.would.give.to.LandSAR.and.our.communities.

Developing.our.structure.to.ensure.it.meets.the.needs.of.SAR.in.New.Zealand.is.a.key.goal,.but.it.will.not.be.achieved.overnight.due.to.fund-ing.restraints..Such.limitations.should.never.stop.us.aiming.at.the.very.best.outcome.for.the.commu-nities.in.which.we.live.

$80,000 adMinistratiOn cOsts – LandSAR NZ

$100,000 adMinistratiOn cOsts– LandSAR Groups

$30,000 Landsar fOruM and agM

$225,000 Landsar nZ staff saLaries

$295,000

search and rescue equipMent • Communications (radios) $200,000 • Pack covers and headwear $70,000 • Torches $25,000

$110,000

search and rescue direct speciaList suppOrt • Search dogs $65,000 • ACR $25,000 • Caving $15,000 • Swift Water $5,000

$90,000 advanced and refresher training suppOrt

$40,000 vOLunteer training traveL

$15,000 vOLunteer ids

$325,800 natiOnaL safety unifOrM purchase

Osc funding aLLOcatiOn 2011-2012

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pOLice suppOrtSupport.for.LandSAR.from.the.New.Zealand.Police.is.fundamental.for.our.organisation..Most.police.districts.now.appoint.a.dedicated.Police.SAR.coordinator.and.there.is.a.good.level.of.involvement.and.understanding.from.National.headquarters,.districts.and.local.Police.SAR.squads..The.relationship.is.extremely.healthy..We.hope.the.Police.SAR.Review.scheduled.to.

occur.after.the.Rugby.World.Cup.will.recognise.the.need.for.stan-dalone.Police.SAR.Coordinators.in.every.Police.District.and.such.a.push.is.strongly.supported.by.the.LandSAR.Board..We.believe.these.appointments.will.reduce.the.‘at.risk’.position.of.several.vulnerable.Groups.and.Police.Districts.and.also.deliver.consistency.in.the.sector.which.currently.varies.between.districts.

The.challenge.for.all.of.us.is.to.maintain.and.continue.to.grow.our.relationship.with.the.Police..The.big.challenge.for.LandSAR,.the.Police.and.now.RCC.NZ.is.to.ensure.throughout.New.Zealand.there.is.a.growing.consistency.in.coordina-tion.of.operational.services..Also,.that.those.with.the.highest.skills.and.operational.experience.are.given.the.training.and.opportuni-ties.to.further.their.knowledge.

Photo: RMG van Rooden


repOrtingThe.operational.outcomes.as.reported.to.the.National.Office.of.LandSAR.for.2010–11.make.inter-esting.reading..LandSAR.was.mobi-lised.nationally.for.the.first.time.in.support.of.the.Christchurch.Earthquake.in.a.Ministry.of.Civil.Defence.and.Emergency.Manage-ment.(MCDEM)-coordinated.

operation.that.came.under.the.command.of.the.National.Emer-gency.Management.Centre..Over.500.members.eventually.support-ed.the.operational.need,.with.13,500.hours.recorded..LandSAR.also.reports.volunteer.hours.outside.of.the.operational.context..The.SAR.sector.and.Central.Government.requires.accurate.

reporting.from.LandSAR..The.reasons.for.doing.so.are.many.but.include.learning.lessons,.exchang-ing/sharing.ideas,.complying.with.agreements.and.allowing.the.appropriate.distribution.and.use.of.resources..This.information.is.the.basis.for.all.our.support.and.is.available.for.everyone.to.access.and.use...

20,030 1 Operational hours

13,500 2 Chch Earthquake

46,530 3 Administration

98,525 4 Training (LandSAR)

29,298 5 Training (SARINZ)

tOtaL 207,883

(188,158 09–10)

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N E W Z E A L A N D

514%

447%

322%

110%

27%

tOtaL vOLunteer hOurs 2010-2011

gaMing and trust fundingThe.Southern.Trust.(National.Training.Coordinator),.Lion.Founda-tion.(waterproof.notebook.covers),.New.Zealand.Community.Trust.(support.of.FIT.courses.and.manu-als),.Eastern.and.Central.Commu-nity.Trust.(NI.Field.Support.Officer),.First.Sovereign.Trust.(foolscap.folders),.Cuesports.Foundation.(Aides.Memoires),.Pelorus.Trust.(hi-viz.vests).and.Pub.Charity.(SAR.Software).have.supported.LandSAR.NZ.in.2010–11.and.are.a.vital.part.of.our.support.networks..Although.our.sector.has.a.minimal.degree.of.success.at.the.national.level.for.funds.we.must.continue.to.build.our.profile.and.case.nationally.and.locally.for.gaining.a.proportion.of.such.community.funds.

new fundingLandSAR.has.traditionally.received.investments.from.the.Police,.Outdoor.Safety.Committee.and.NZSAR.in.our.core.activities..In.order.to.support.continued.improvements.in.capability,.support.of.greater.levels.of.refresher.training,.meet.member-ship.requests.for.financial.support.and.ultimately.deliver.a.consistent.level.of.operational.support.we.need.to.develop.a.new.significant.revenue.stream.for.LandSAR.

We.believe.LandSAR.is.well.placed.to.build.on.the.Yeti.TvNZ.Commu-nity.Partnership.and.the.improved.use.of.our.brand.to.enhance.the.small.gains.made.this.year..Our.relationship.with.SsangYong.(staff.vehicles.and.membership.pur-chase.discounts).and.Tait.has.

allowed.us.to.evolve.various.strategies.and.templates.that.will.be.useful.in.developing.new.relationships.

We.also.need.to.explore.new.ways.to.make.life.easier.for.ourselves.by.ensuring.we.have.money.in.the.bank.when.needed.at.Group.and.regional.committee.level..LandSAR.NZ.needs.to.support.local.fund-raising.and.develop.strategies.that.will.also.support.local.Group.targets.

On.a.final.note,.our.quest.for.funds.must.relate.to.the.support.of.our.core.capability,.not.to.the.endless.pursuit.of.money.without.a.clear.objective.

Landsar natiOnaL OrganisatiOnaL structure as at 1 aug 2011

cOLOur index

...Strategic.Governance.–.existing

...Training.–.existing

...National.Office.–.existing

...Field.staff.–.existing

...New.appointment(s).–.Aug.1

Membership groups

board

ceO

field supportOfficer (ni)

– currently 2

field supportOfficer (si)

– currently 2

contract training delivery

– as funded/required

Office administrator

Office support (pt)- accounts- trust applications

Office Manager

Operations Manager

national trainingcoordinator


Landsar fieLd guide 2010

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in Many ways, this update Of the Landsar fieLd guide shows.the.evolution.of.our.organisation.and.the.constant.change.that.is.encountered.by.practitioners..It.was.recognised.that.an.update.was.needed.and.this.introduction.and.support.manual.builds.on.the.previous.work.by.the.members.of.the.Auckland.District.Committee.and.many.others..They.include.Roger.Curl.who.wrote.the.2006.edition,.John.Walsh,.Roscoe.Tait,.heather.Walsh,.Jim.Rowe,.Ron.Renz,.Fred.Gallas,.Ken.Whitaker,.Frank.Wielemaker,.Lou.Grant,.Clive.Watson,.Dell.hood,.Jack.McCon-chie,.Peter.Davies,.Trevor.Burgess,.Phil.Callaghan,.and.Ross.Thomp-son.

The.manual.documents.an.introduction.to.standards.that.reflect.best.practice.in.land.search.and.rescue.in.New.Zealand..To.do.this,.the.sector.has.worked.together.to.document.its.com-bined.knowledge..This.included.LandSAR,.SARINZ,.the.NZ.Police,.and.relevant.specialists..SARINZ.generously.permitted.use.of.its.training.documents.and.diagrams.to.underpin.the.guide.

A.steering.committee.provided.oversight.of.the.manual,.and.comprised:

•. hadyn.Smith,.Ross.Browne,.Stewart.Davies,.and.Bayard.Ralph,.LandSAR.

•. Paul.Kelly,.SARINZ.•. Joanne.holden,.hugh.Flower,.

and.Bill.Nicholson,.NZ.Police.•. Stu.Allan.and.Steve.Schreiber,.

the.writing.team.As.well.as.the.generous.contribu-tions.of.time.made.by.the.various.agencies,.funding.was.provided.by.NZSAR.and.from.LandSAR.general.funds.

Landsar website


Our website is a Key resOurce and whiLe it is functiOnaL for.day-to-day.purposes,.it.no.longer.addresses.our.key.needs.or.operates.at.a.level.the.Board.believes.is.required.

While.online.reporting.is.operative.and.the.site.looks.nice,.there.doesn’t.appear.to.be.the.facility.for.development.in.the.direction.we.need.to.go..Training.records,.currency,.membership.access.to.Group.information,.consistent.use/understanding.of.website.head-ings.and.easy-to-follow.processes.

need.to.be.addressed.in.the.near.future.

We.will.investigate.whether.we.can.correct.and.modify.what.we.have.or.whether.we.need.to.start.from.scratch.to.ensure.our.day-to-day.and.future.member-ship.support.needs.are.met.

It’s.a.question.that.will.be.on.the.minds.of.many.in.LandSAR.in.the.coming.year,.but.certainly.it’s.no.longer.a.‘small.job’.to.fix.or.improve.the.website.we.currently.use.

teenage mishap sets pete on search and rescue pathPete Corbett’s introduction to LandSAR came when he and his friend took a short cut during a day’s hunting trip. Their wrong turn severely curtailed their estimated travel time leading to a bush bash down a steep stream congested with wind-fallen trees and thick bush lawyer. Their decision cost them a long, wet, cold night in an improvised bivouac on the slopes of Mount Richardson, and it taught the teenagers a valuable lesson.

Today, Pete is LandSAR’s National Operations Manager, helping to ensure when people make bad decisions like the one he made all those years ago, there are trained

volunteers ready to mount a search and rescue operation.

Pete and his friend managed to walk out of the bush the next day just as the LandSAR team was walking in. He says it was a humbling experience to realise that complete strangers had gone to such a big effort for the pair.

“It was a real wake-up call for me and it completely changed my attitude towards outdoor safety. It also got me thinking about LandSAR and I thought it would be good to give something back to the organisation,” he says.

Pete first joined Hurunui LandSAR in the 1980s prior to joining the police. He later became a member of Alpine Cliff Rescue in Invercargill and Wanaka when he moved south in the 1990s and early 2000s.

A veteran of countless operations, Pete says to be both a volunteer and a full-time employee in search and rescue is deeply fulfilling.

“Pulling someone out of what could be a dire situation and being able to make them safe never fails to affect you. You can see the

vulnerability in their eyes. It’s a very emotional and satisfying experience to unite people with their loved ones,” he says.

Pete says he’s always been a keen hunter, tramper and moun-taineer and loves the outdoors.

“I was a very bad hunter though, because I spent all my time wandering around the hills on the tops just soaking up the scenery and exploring. I didn’t shoot many animals so decided to swap my rifle for an ice-axe.

“I love the environment and I love the people you meet in the outdoors, they are so motivated and they’re really, really good people,” he says.

Pete became a full time tutor at SARINZ in 2006, teaching search management and leadership, making search and rescue his career as well as his interest. He joined LandSAR as the National Operations Manager in July 2011.

The position is new for the organisation and Pete says his work will ensure the organisation is operationally capable and meets LandSAR’s requirements under their Memorandum of Under-standing with New Zealand Police.

“The search and rescue sector is maturing and the ducks are starting to line up, so I believe we are on the right path. I am thrilled that I am going to be able to make a positive contribution to move the organisation forward and work with a great team and a wonderful bunch of volunteers,” he says.

pete cOrbett up cLOse• Lives in Lyttelton on his boat, Lady Willoughby – a 40’ steel

offshore cruising yacht – with his wife Jane, a secondary school teacher, and a neurotic border collie seadog

• Has two (nearly) grown-up sons

• Due to hip replacements and broken legs is now more active as a scuba diver and sailor, although occasionally goes hunting with one of his sons

• A former North Canterbury farm boy who remains a staunch supporter of all things Canterbury

PROFILE.ON.PETE.CORBETT

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N E W Z E A L A N D

ANNUALREPORT 2010-2011

ipstar cOMMunicatiOns in OctOber 2010 nine ipstar

pOrtabLe sateLLite systeMs were.rolled.out.by.LandSAR.and.allocated.to.groups.on.both.the.North.and.South.Island..These.systems.enable.broadband.access.to.the.internet.from.remote.wilderness.locations..The.primary.application.is.to.provide.the.search.management.team.with.Internet.access..Evaluation.of.the.first.12.months.has.also.identified.that.the.equipment.is.valuable.in.providing.all.search.personnel.with.a.means.of.communicating.with.their.family.and.friends.and.keeping.them.informed.

In.our.everyday.life.the.internet.continues.to.develop.as.an.extremely.powerful.tool.for.access.a.wide.range.of.informa-tion.and.services..Many.of.these.tools.are.now.important.to.the.efficient.and.effective.manage-ment.of.search.operations..The.ability.to.have.email.services.and.general.access.to.the.www.have.obvious.benefits.when.you.are.located.in.a.very.remote.location..Some.other.tools.and.applications.that.have.proven.their.value.over.this.first.12-month.period.have.included:

vOice Over ip vOIP.services.are.available.to.establish.telephone.connection.via.the.internet..This.provides.the.ICP.with.one.or.more.phone.numbers.for.incoming.and.outgoing.calls..The.vOIP.phone.service.has.proven.to.be.reliable.and.inexpensive..There.is.some.slight.delay.in.the.service.due.to.the.satellite.link,.but.the.quality.overall.has.been.very.good.

gOOgLe earth A.useful.tool.as.an.adjunct.to.other.mapping.or.GIS.systems.

Met infO There.are.a.range.of.useful.meteorological.services.available.via.the.internet.for.online.access.to.current.and.forecasted.weather.information..This.can.include.real-time.rain.radar.services.to.assist.in.planning.and.support.for.field.teams..Also.available.via.the.internet.is.a.network.of.rural.weather.stations.providing.real.time.and.historical.data.weather.conditions.

river LeveLs Many.Local.Authorities.have.charts.and.data.on.river.levels.available.via.the.internet..The.

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N E W Z E A L A N D

historical.data.can.be.valuable.in.analysing.what.situations.a.MP.might.have.faced.and.the.real-time.information.assists.in.planning.taskings.

etxt:. Many.groups.are.now.using.eTXT.or.other.SMS.messag-ing.systems.to.alert.and.update.members..These.systems.can.be.accessed.via.IPStar.from.the.remote.ICP.to.schedule.resources.for.the.next.operational.period.

intranets Members.have.access.to.a.wide.range.of.additional.services.and.information.via.intranets.they.have.secure.access.to..These.would.include.the.LandSAR.site.(member.database,.search.forms,.T.Cards,.etc).as.well.as.any.sites.their.own.group.maintains.with.similar.information..Whilst.access.to.an.intranet.can.be.a.little.slower.via.a.satellite.connection,.trialling.has.proven.that.this.is.generally.quite.useable.

A.formal.report.has.been.tabled.to.the.Board.on.the.first.12.months.of.IPStar.with.recommendations.to.continue.support.for.these.systems..The.key.findings.included.in.the.report.include:

•. Utilisation.of.the.nine.systems.has.varied.widely..Groups.that.run.their.operations.more.from.established.facilities.have.less.need.to.deploy.IPStar.as.compared.to.those.who.operate.more.from.remote.field.locations.

•. A.more.proactive.program.is.required.to.trial.the.systems.with.more.groups.within.the.regions.where.an.IPStar.system.is.located.to.

introduce.them.to.the.capability.available.to.them..The.equipment.has.been.deployed.at.a.number.of.group.and.regional.SAREX.and.it.is.recommended.that.these.events.be.further.targeted.over.the.next.year.

•. Some.problems.have.been.experienced.in.establishing.the.connection.to.the.IPStar.satellite.service..This.has.in.part.been.due.to.the.low.elevation.in.the.western.sky.of.the.satellite,.making.some.locations.unsuitable..In.some.instances,.however,.the.problems.were.due.to.personnel.not.being.sufficiently.familiar.with.the.setup.of.the.equipment..The.experience.during.the.first.12.months.is.that.Groups.who.have.taken.the.time.to.regularly.practice.the.set.up.have.little.difficulty.successfully.deploying.IPStar.

•. Additional.training.and.guidelines.would.assist.groups.to.harness.the.power.of.the.internet.to.maximise.the.value.of.IPStar.with.respect.to.search.management.particularly.in.

support.of.Planning&Intel.and.Logistics.roles.and.responsibilities.

•. IPStar.supported.some.significant.SAROPs.during.the.year.including.Operation.West.(ChCh).and.Operation.hall.(Wanganui)..In.particular.Operation.hall.was.undertaken.in.a.very.remote.area,.and.IPStar.provided.the.only.external.communications.(phone.and.email).from.the.ICP.

It.is.expected.that.this.technology.will.continue.to.develop.as.will.the.provision.of.broadband.services.to.remote.rural.areas..It.is.recom-mended.to.the.Board.that.IPStar.be.supported.for.an.additional.two.years.with.some.further.invest-ment.in.training.and.support..Further.reviews.will.be.undertaken.annually.to.re-assess.any.issues.and.alternate.strategies..This.strategy.will.be.supplemented.by.search.management.training.and.development.to.further.enhance.LandSAR.skills.and.capability.through.application.of.technology.

aLan thOMpsOn prOJect Manager ipstar prOgraMMe


LANDSAR 2010-2011.OUTCOMES.AUDIT1. OPERATIOnAL SAR SERvIcES TOTAL wEIghTIng: 30%

ObJective ObJective weighting respOnsibiLity target OutcOMe actuaL OutcOMe ObJective

scOre cOMMents

Build a robust and mutually beneficial relationship with the Police and RCC NZ.

5% CEO

Regular meetings at all operational and strategic levels each year. No surprises. Review of MoU and SLA objec-tives from a 360-degree perspective.

With the increase in Cat II searches a new combined MOU is about to be signed off. Still waiting for the Police SAR review to expand.

4%

Good reception from Police and RCC NZ throughout the year. Delay in Police SAR Review due to RWC commitments. Good reception on issues such as operational travel support and reporting.

Ensure the MOU and SLA objectives are consistently interpreted, applied and measured throughout the country.

5% Board/Staff

Make sure practitioners, groups and regions have the opportunity for input and that this is driven by the CEO/Board, FSOs and NTC during any group interactions.

No ‘new’ issues raised over the course of the year. SLA Business Plan submitted and a three-year contract signed off.

4.5%

LandSAR gained secure funding at an increased level for the new three-year term. MOU addressing the issue of consistency. Need better internal feedback on coal face issues through FSOs.

Review and maintain a quality recording, reporting and reviewing process and system for both web and hard copy. Needs to support our relationship with Groups and key stakeholders.

4% NTC/FSOs

Ensure that new electronic internet reporting system or manual substitute is meeting the needs of LandSAR and our partners. Groups to be supported on the admin side of the process with an instructions manual. Project Manager position may support the evolution.

The online reporting is now being completed by 20+ Groups. Increased levels of reporting but many still not taking the issue seriously. Still a work in progress.

3%

Almost 100% achieved throughout the year but only by constant FSO oversight. Need for reporting information to be better known and utilised by individual Groups.

Create an Operational Manager’s Guide.

4% Working GroupTo be refined by a working groups and launched in November.

Concept formulated but unable to gain funding to make this a priority focus.

0.5%

Until competencies and the support of our IMT is finalised we are unable to progress this development.

Assist Groups/Districts in maintain-ing training and qualification records.

2% FSOs

Each Group must maintain records of membership currency for planning purposes. Online system to address and support any long term outcome to be developed by December.

Current website could not deliver as the original specs were faulty. Some examples of good database systems found with Groups.

0.5%A scoping exercise is underway and is a key target in this year’s plans.

Support progress of the NZSAR Core Curriculum.

2% CEO

Encourage and promote the development of and input into the NZSAR Core Curriculum as requested or required.

LandSAR has had input into all NZSAR core curriculum issues including the On Scene Coordinators course.

2%Input from LandSAR into issues has been well applied and received.

Focus on priority outcomes for each Group as established from the 2009 ATFG.

5% FSOs

Focus on key matters in need of priority support as identified in the ATFG. FSOs to prioritise and focus on each Group’s actual operational capability.

FSOs are now a key level of support for our membership and Police. ATFG now well received and setting Group direction.

4%

Still work to be done to make the process complete but good inroads, not only in the ATFG but also the gathering of operational and training information.

Establish a generic group committee structure that can be used as a base by Groups.

3% CEO

Develop and improved base structure that can be modified to suit each Group as a starting point. Place base concept on the website and/or in the Administration Handbook.

Information on generic committee structures and positions established and posted.

2%

Concerns raised by Groups believing structures were compulsory rather than for optional use. Some Groups still at risk in the area of admin and remain purely reactive.

Total score possible: 30% Total actual score: 20.5% (23% in 2009-10)

page 28


N E W Z E A L A N D

1. OPERATIOnAL SAR SERvIcES TOTAL wEIghTIng: 30%


scOre cOMMents

Build a robust and mutually beneficial relationship with the Police and RCC NZ.

5% CEO

Regular meetings at all operational and strategic levels each year. No surprises. Review of MoU and SLA objec-tives from a 360-degree perspective.

With the increase in Cat II searches a new combined MOU is about to be signed off. Still waiting for the Police SAR review to expand.

4%

Good reception from Police and RCC NZ throughout the year. Delay in Police SAR Review due to RWC commitments. Good reception on issues such as operational travel support and reporting.

Ensure the MOU and SLA objectives are consistently interpreted, applied and measured throughout the country.

5% Board/Staff

Make sure practitioners, groups and regions have the opportunity for input and that this is driven by the CEO/Board, FSOs and NTC during any group interactions.

No ‘new’ issues raised over the course of the year. SLA Business Plan submitted and a three-year contract signed off.

4.5%

LandSAR gained secure funding at an increased level for the new three-year term. MOU addressing the issue of consistency. Need better internal feedback on coal face issues through FSOs.

Review and maintain a quality recording, reporting and reviewing process and system for both web and hard copy. Needs to support our relationship with Groups and key stakeholders.

4% NTC/FSOs

Ensure that new electronic internet reporting system or manual substitute is meeting the needs of LandSAR and our partners. Groups to be supported on the admin side of the process with an instructions manual. Project Manager position may support the evolution.

The online reporting is now being completed by 20+ Groups. Increased levels of reporting but many still not taking the issue seriously. Still a work in progress.

3%

Almost 100% achieved throughout the year but only by constant FSO oversight. Need for reporting information to be better known and utilised by individual Groups.

Create an Operational Manager’s Guide.

4% Working GroupTo be refined by a working groups and launched in November.

Concept formulated but unable to gain funding to make this a priority focus.

0.5%

Until competencies and the support of our IMT is finalised we are unable to progress this development.

Assist Groups/Districts in maintain-ing training and qualification records.

2% FSOs

Each Group must maintain records of membership currency for planning purposes. Online system to address and support any long term outcome to be developed by December.

Current website could not deliver as the original specs were faulty. Some examples of good database systems found with Groups.

0.5%A scoping exercise is underway and is a key target in this year’s plans.

Support progress of the NZSAR Core Curriculum.

2% CEO

Encourage and promote the development of and input into the NZSAR Core Curriculum as requested or required.

LandSAR has had input into all NZSAR core curriculum issues including the On Scene Coordinators course.

2%Input from LandSAR into issues has been well applied and received.

Focus on priority outcomes for each Group as established from the 2009 ATFG.

5% FSOs

Focus on key matters in need of priority support as identified in the ATFG. FSOs to prioritise and focus on each Group’s actual operational capability.

FSOs are now a key level of support for our membership and Police. ATFG now well received and setting Group direction.

4%

Still work to be done to make the process complete but good inroads, not only in the ATFG but also the gathering of operational and training information.

Establish a generic group committee structure that can be used as a base by Groups.

3% CEO

Develop and improved base structure that can be modified to suit each Group as a starting point. Place base concept on the website and/or in the Administration Handbook.

Information on generic committee structures and positions established and posted.

2%

Concerns raised by Groups believing structures were compulsory rather than for optional use. Some Groups still at risk in the area of admin and remain purely reactive.

Total score possible: 30% Total actual score: 20.5% (23% in 2009-10)

2. PERfORmAncE, BEST PRAcTIcE And REPORTIng TOTAL wEIghTIng: 25%

ObJective ObJective weighting respOnsibiLity target OutcOMe actuaL

OutcOMeObJective scOre cOMMents

Review Groups using the Group Needs Analysis Tool. Confirm operational needs/wants are realistic nationally.

10% FSOs

Each FSO to ensure reviews occur any time between July and Nov each year. Staff to gather a full list of SAR operational aims and the assets held and needed by each Group. Final results reported in March 2011. Establish target capability level for each LandSAR Group.

The ATFG was well received this year and a degree of trust for the process seems to have developed. Results have supported all levels of planning. Proving invaluable.

7.5%

Still a few minor errors in the wording and a need to expand the focus to include training and operational needs. ATFG now the source of much information to ‘prove’ our case.

Expand and evolve national and regional training and exercise opportuni-ties.

2% NTC

Ensure multi-group training opportunities are developed in each area. Apply new LandSAR Training Policy.

A number of initiatives stalled by the TPP/SARINZ issues. Few teething problems when applied.

0.5%

Going in the right direction but lots of work needed around process and communications.

Introduce operational reviews and discussion forums.

2% NTC/FSOs

Use all media possible (face to face, website, phone, email, etc). Experiences to be learned from. Encourage practitioners to review each other during operations and accept constructive alternatives. After action review focus with website support.

Several attempts made to enter the environment but our website is a major impediment. Trying to get debrief notes and Coronial reports into the operational mix but still a lot of work required.

1%

PIRP (Chch Earthquake) applied for the first time and worked well. Construc-tive input is hard to remove from the politics of some, but new thoughts being progressed for the coming year.

Ensure that operational priorities are adequately supported by providing a national focus on admin services such as reporting/reviewing of operations, website enhance-ment, IT standards and fundraising.

5% CEO

These are core operational areas that require direct staff and SARAG support. Focus on outcomes from the ATFG results, SARAG projects and reporting.

A number of projects on the boil but many stalled due to the Chch Earthquake. Pre-plans a good outcome along with probationary team member info.

1%

Too many interruptions in the year to settle progress. Needs a new focus and attention in 2011–12.

PNHQ to outline issues of note directly to the membership twice per year.

1% PNHQ

Police to be given space in the Searchlight, Newsletter or Year Book to put views and explanations to the membership, if needed.

Only one story forwarded. 0.5%

Lack of input due to Pike Coal Mine and Chch Earthquake priorities with Police.

Hold the 2010 LandSAR Conference in Hokitika.

5% FSOs

Hold a sought after and successful conference to target and with good number of members and SAR partners present.

Good levels of feedback from participants with 98% enjoying the experience. Venue caused some issues, areas to improve on were suggested.

4.5%Good input for the 2012 conference in Taupo from those attending into wants.

TOTAL SCORE POSSIBLE: 25% TOTAL ACTUAL

SCORE: 15% (17% in 2009-10)


3. dEvELOPmEnT And TRAInIng TOTAL wEIghTIng:25%

ObJective ObJectiveweighting respOnsibiLity target OutcOMe actuaL OutcOMe ObJective

scOre cOMMents

Formulate, complete and apply the LandSAR Training Strategy.

8% NTC

Ensure the LandSAR Training Strategy 2011–2015 goals and objectives are applied. All supporting agencies (SARINZ, Police, etc) to have feed back into the final outcome.

The document was delayed due to issues with SARINZ but was finally rolled out in June. Good input from all sources with funding the key issue to address.

4%

Early days of LandSAR showing an interest in training has not been well received by some and future hard work required to ensure our ‘objective’ position in identifying and rectifying gaps is known and understood.

Establish standards of competence, including the recognition of prior learning and experience, at all levels of LandSAR service delivery (MoU and SLA).

6% SARAG/Staff

TLC is now being completed with new competencies progressing as required by the MoU. P & I, Team Member and other competencies to be progressed by working parties facilitated by staff. Updates quarterly.

Introductory member standards being put in place. Somewhat delayed by Chch Earthquake. Working with EMQUAL, MCDEM, SARINZ and other key partners to resolve MOU needs.

2%

May need to engage project management support in certain areas to progress what is a very large project for one person. New ideas being formulated for 2011–12.

Ensure Groups are supported with plan-ning at a level that reflects their operational needs and focus.

3% NTC

Group planning is in need of support. Templates and direct assistance with the planning process should be supported at appropriate levels.

Pre-plan templates produced but other support issues deferred to 2011–12.

1% Group training templates targeted for 2011–12.

National Training Calendar in place annually.

2% NTC

Calendar to be posted on the Website to include national and regional. Info gathering in Sep/Oct.

With unexpected delays and an increased workload, this outcome was not completed.

0%

Is a key focus and priority for 2011–12. We must get this right so volunteers can plan their year.

Ensure that LandSAR has a focus on the evolution of techniques, resources and strategies giving real support and improved capability to our membership and key partners.

6% SARAG/Staff

Through all sources (SARAG, SARINZ, the LandSAR Board, staff, volunteers, the sector or offshore) new ideas are embraced and analysed for potential use. Staff to support the timely delivery of outcomes. Funding for research to be targeted.

Progress reported on throughout the year for all projects with updates regularly posted. Many delayed by other priorities, very few new projects suggested.

4%

Not as many working groups used due to difficult circumstances. Much more planned for the year ahead.

TOTAL SCORE POSSIBLE: 25% TOTAL ACTUAL SCORE: 11% (18% in 2009-10)

Stay informed at:

www.landsar.org.nzpage 30


N E W Z E A L A N D

4. RELATIOnShIP, LEAdERShIP, fInAncE And SuPPORT TOTAL wEIghTIng: 20%


scOre cOMMents

To provide leadership relevant to LandSAR members and membership organisations.

3% Board/CEO

Promote and support effective leadership for the sector and our membership wherever possible.

The Board/CEO have made some key breakthroughs in the year with a new MOU almost complete and meetings occurring with all key Govt Ministers.

2%

LandSAR NZ seeks input on virtually every issue and ensures it is as informed as it can be to make big decisions. Groups must trust or give input into such decisions through FSOs or the Board/CEO.

Review the LandSAR structure so that it reflects the wants and needs of our membership and the community we serve.

3% Board/CEO

Board/CEO to consult and formulate on the best organisational structure that will take LandSAR forward operationally and administra-tively. Changes to be in the best interests of the lost, missing and injured.

The LandSAR structure is by no means consistent but the ATFG has given a focus to the real needs of each Group.

1%

Quality delivery of SAR by Groups based on realistic numbers has been a focus and Groups appear to be addressing issues themselves.

Enhance the LandSAR brand and community value.

2% Board/CEO

All members of LandSAR must understand the need for a strong brand in support of local and national outcomes.

We have added orange and silver reflectorised colours to our brand.

2%

Use of the full term Search & Rescue also seems to be finding favour. Use of brand is becoming far more prevalent.

Hold a LandSAR awareness and funding raising campaign once per year.

2% CEO/Board

Our TVNZ Community Partnership requires it to be June in 2011 but it could be any month in subsequent years. Look at ways to support local promotions.

Bunnings withdrew their support. With no replacement it was supported but not enhanced.

0.5%

Need to get a commercial partner behind this process if it is to grow and feed into Group funds.

Review the LandSAR Constitution so that it reflects our purpose and governance requirements.

1% Board

Annual review by the Board/CEO and membership for further debate by the membership at the AGM.

No issues raised by any Group this year. 1%

Always needs focus but appears to reflect the needs of all.

Business Plans for 2010–11 available to membership.

2% CEO All business plans presented to the membership.

Posted in September 2010. 2% No issues.

Ensure regular feedback opportuni-ties to our membership and key partners on strategy implementation.

3% CEO/Board

Establish new ways of updating the membership and obtaining input into our evolution. Ensure ideas are tried and tested so they remain in touch with its core operational goals. Facilitate membership input into the annual review and update of the Strategic Plan.

FSOs feeding information through as it arises with the CEO Roadshow a face-to-face chance to gather insights.

2%

The Board has evolved its feedback with meeting notes to support opera-tional reporting after each meeting. Groups must use FSOs to feed information into the system.

Establish an effective organisa-tional funding strategy.

2% CEO

Budgets relate to plans and known funding. Commercial interests explored and expanded. Trust funding relationships expanded. Templates and support to Groups.

A lot of progress but this is still hard work alongside other annual priorities.

0.5%Appointment of the NOM should allow a greater focus on this area in 2011–12.

Create and maintain a nationally consistent recruitment, enrolment and induction procedure for LandSAR.

2% CEO

Using existing templates provides a base for Groups to put local induction processes in place.

Development work done but not ready to roll out.

0.5% Hope to have drafts for review before Christmas.

TOTAL SCORE POSSIBLE: 20% TOTAL ACTUAL SCORE: 11.5% (17.5% in 2009-10)

Landsar 2010–11 Outcomes audit final result is: 58% (75.5% in 2009–10)


LandSAR 2010 AwARd winning photoS

categOry aOPS AND TRAINING

“Avo Team Breakthrough” Rhonda van Rooden – Oxford

page 32


N E W Z E A L A N D

categOry cSCENIC

“South” Tod Hollebon – Fiordland

categOry bGENERAL INTEREST

“Wanganui River Rescue” Jim Marsh – Taupo

YEARBOOK 2010-2011

some of the other photos that were entered into the competition . . .

categOry bGENERAL INTEREST

categOry aOPS AND TRAINING

categOry cSCENIC

the Landsar nZ training repOrt

Ross Browne

page 34


N E W Z E A L A N D

Our training taKes Many fOrMs: the fOrMaL cOurses that.underline.much.of.the.technical.skill.of.search.and.search.management;.the.specialist.training.for.specialist.alpine,.caving,.swift.water.and.other.teams;.first.aid;.the.large.amount.of.baseline.training.that.we.do.within.our.Groups,.using.experi-enced.practitioners.to.teach.newer.members;.and.of.course.SAREXs.and.continuation.training.to.ensure.we.remain.current.

training needs tOOLversion.One.of.the.Training.Needs.Tool.was.implemented.during.the.year,.with.54.Groups.completing.the.tool..While.very.basic,.the.tool.has.given.us.useful.data.to.plan.with.for.the.coming.year..version.Two.of.the.tool.(now.part.of.the.Group.Planning.Tool).has.more.of.a.focus.on.information.to.help.Groups.coordinate.between.each.other.on.training.needs.

training strategyThe.LandSAR.Training.Strategy.was.signed.off.by.the.LandSAR.Board.at.the.May.Board.meeting..While.much.of.its.content.is.high-level.some.highlights.are:

•. Establishing.clear.priorities.for.the.national.organisation.to.focus.on

•. Clarifying.roles.and.responsibilities.of.the.national.organisation,.regional.and.group.training.coordinators

•. Establishing.timelines.for.major.training-related.work.areas.for.the.next.four.years

training hOurs2010–11 2009–10

In-Group Training 72,597 61,036

SARINZ Courses 29,298 27,064

SAREX 19,792 47,022

Training secretarial 6,136 5,870

127,823 140,992

In-group.training.continues.to.account.for.the.largest.proportion.of.training.time.

Time.spent.on.SARINZ.courses.has.increased.slightly.this.year.and.continues.to.provide.a.solid.foundation.training.for.new.members.and.those.moving.into.new.roles.

Time.spent.on.SAREXs.is.signifi-cantly.down.this.year,.which.can.be.directly.attributed.to.the.number.of.exercises.cancelled.because.of.the.Christchurch.Earthquake.

Secretarial/administration-related.has.remained.steady.

rOss brOwne natiOnaL training cOOrdinatOr Landsar nZ


the 2010 Landsar conference was a significant activity for the 300 people who attended the hokitika-hosted event. hokitika and greymouth members need to be congratulated for leading the “building One team” event and thanks must go to andrea Jackson and her team for a job really well done.

the evaluations returned from those attending were extremely useful, giving insights into many areas in need of a future focus. as examples, 97% indicated they were satisfied or very satisfied with the conference and 98% said they would return. 96% were happy with the dinner and 98% liked the speakers. those statistics are extremely positive and Landsar as an organisation should be very proud of the focus of topics that were membership-driven in areas such as operational lessons learned, recognising and dealing with stress, interviewing techniques, dealing with the media and medical insights – to name just a few.

the real value of the Landsar conference is the sharing of both conference topics and membership knowledge over a three-day period, and that point was a key feature of individual returns in support of the event.

a full public report on the 2010 Landsar conference can be found, along with all the raw evaluation data, on the Landsar website at http://www.landsar.org.nz/Article.aspx?ID=1805

we now look forward to the 2012 Landsar conference that has been awarded to taupo and will take place at the bayview wairakei resort between the 16th and 18th november 2012.

a craving for caving – meet sarah brewerThe physical challenge and the thrill of negotiating steep or narrow passages is what turned caving into a passion for Sarah Brewer.

PROFILE.ON.SARAh.BREWER.

It’s this passion that led her, with her husband Michael, to join Cave Search and Rescue (CaveSAR) in 1998, and LandSAR a couple of years later.

“I’d always been a keen outdoorswoman, and after seeing a documentary on Nettlebed Cave in the Mount Arthur, I was inspired to give it a go and I’ve been hooked ever since. I love the physical challenge and sense of adventure I get from being in a cave,” she says.

For the past 13 years Sarah has been involved in numerous rescues, including at least 12 cave rescues in the Motueka and Nelson region, and has been active in both national and local CaveSAR training exercises and helping run land and cave search operations.

“Cavers are a small tight-knit community and when we are called out we often know the people we’re rescuing. We also know most of the rescuers well and are aware of their strengths and weakness when it comes to caving and this can be a huge asset when it comes to a rescue because we know what they are capable of,” she says.

The most dramatic rescue Sarah has experienced was from the other side of the fence, when in 2007 her husband Michael was trapped in a cave system under Takaka Hill.

“I waited anxiously with our two children for Michael to be rescued, in what turned out to be a hugely complex and technical operation. He was finally pulled to safety after spending 60 hours trapped underground, and suffered concussion, cracked ribs and a broken pelvis.

“For my husband, knowing that a team of experienced and highly skilled cavers were coming to his rescue, who he knew personally, gave him faith that he would be ok,” she says.

Over 70 people were involved in the rescue and the team was later recognised by Parliament and became the first recipients of the New Zealand Search and Rescue Certificate of Achieve-ment.

Sarah’s contribution to LandSAR has also involved working towards preventing the need for cave search and rescue missions.

“Harwood’s Hole, at the top of Takaka Hill, draws a large number of climbers who are ill-prepared or inexperienced and they often become lost down the hole. So we made sure that signage was put in certain places, so lost climbers could find their way out. This helped reduce the number of rescues that need to be carried out there,” she says.

For Sarah, being a CaveSAR and LandSAR member is extremely satisfying, and working with a team of skilled and dedicated volunteers is the highlight for her.

“There’s nothing quite like the buzz in the operations room when a rescue is successfully carried out and it’s an honour to work alongside such dedicated and skilled volunteers, many who make a much larger contribution than I do.

“It has also been great to watch LandSAR expand and develop over time. The training we are now offering volunteers is very thorough and we’re also starting to see more women join LandSAR. This is all fantastic to see,” she says.

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N E W Z E A L A N D

YEARBOOK 2010-2011

cave sar can again repOrt a quiet year which LOOKs gOOd for.us..A.few.minor.incidents.occurred.but.were.quickly.resolved.by.local.resources..Exploration.has.continued.in.the.deep.and.remote.caves.of.Mt.Arthur.and.Mt.Owen..This.keeps.us.mindful.of.the.potential.for.a.very.serious.large.scale.rescue.occurring.at.some.time.for.us..Significant.projects.such.as.Stormy.Pot.high.on.Mt.Arthur.are.seeing.cavers.staying.for.a.week.underground.many.kilometres.from.an.entrance.and.over.700m.vertically.underground..The.Pearce.resurgence.at.the.bottom.of.the.mountain.is.being.slowly.pushed.deeper.by.Austral-ian.and.British.divers.who.have.nearly.reached.minus.200m.using.technical.diving.equipment..

These.caving.projects.see.NZ.becoming.more.exposed.in.the.world.media.and.increasingly.recognised.as.the.place.to.come.for.new.exploration..This.will.bring.with.it.additional.risk.and.prob-lems.for.CaveSAR..

In.terms.of.training,.cavers.have.continued.to.be.involved.both.regionally.through.local.SAREX.events.and.nationally.through.

refresher.training..The.Queen’s.Birthday.workshop.involving.many.different.ACR.teams.from.the.North.Island.gave.some.cavers.a.chance.to.mix.with.their.rope.rescue.peers.from.other.areas..This.sort.of.meeting.really.highlights.the.importance.of.sharing.know-ledge.and.working.together.across.different.groups..It.is.hoped.that.the.Queen’s.Birthday.Rope.Rescue.workshop.model.can.be.repeated.in.the.South.Island.next.year.and.then.continued.alternatively.in.each.island.

Funding.by.LandSAR.has.been.greatly.appreciated.in.enabling.the.refresher.training.to.happen.and.this.will.become.increasingly.important.as.many.people.who.have.completed.training.over.the.last.few.years.start.to.get.a.bit.rusty..Next.year.will.see.us.gearing.up.for.the.deep.cave.SAREX.in.2013.so.CaveSAR.will.be.targeting.training.towards.management.training.and.ensure.vertical.skills.are.kept.up.to.spec.

Kip MandenO Landsar caving

Kip Mandeno

cave sar in nZ


N E W Z E A L A N D

five decades of dedication

With 300 rescues under his belt over the past 50 years Roger Bates has been instrumental in saving the lives of countless New Zealanders. Becoming a volunteer straight out of school, Roger’s love of the outdoors and passion for helping others has led to a diverse and admirable five decades with LandSAR.

His contribution was honoured at the national LandSAR conference in Hokitika last year, when Roger was awarded LandSAR lifetime membership and became

one of only four people to ever be awarded this significant honour.

Roger has held many roles within the organisation, from field team member through to leading LandSAR volunteers and chairing at both a local and national level, and today is the Chairman of LandSAR Turangi.

It was Roger’s love for the outdoors that inspired him to join LandSAR’s predecessor Search and Rescue (SAR) in 1961.

“I was a keen tramper and hiker, and member of the Tararua Tramping Club. It seemed like a natural step to become a volunteer. I found it extremely rewarding and like so many other dedicated LandSAR volunteers, if I was ever in a similar position I hope someone would do the same for me.

“In my early volunteering days, injured hikers were rescued using ropes and cables and carried out of the bush on stretchers, and this could be for miles. One of the highlights of my career was being part of one of the first helicopter rescues in 1965.

“Helicopters have changed everything for LandSAR. Now we can locate and rescue people so much faster, and this time can mean the difference between life and death,” he says.

In 1979 he assisted police in planning the recovery of bodies from the Air New Zealand DC10 crash on Mt Erebus. As a police liaison, he set up the recovery operation and coordinated search teams from Police National Headquarters in Wellington.

“I have had some very dramatic and sad rescues. If you don’t find someone it always stays in your mind. Although that can be hard, the satisfaction of carrying out a successful search and rescue operation makes it all worth it,” he says.

During Royal tours to New Zealand, Roger followed the Queen’s flight path, along with a team of accomplished SAR mountain-eers – on call in case of any emergency or if anything was to happen to the Queen.

Roger’s dedication to the organisation extends to his own wallet. When he was paid $2,000 last year for the administration work in Turangi LandSAR he kept $500 to cover expenses and donated $1,500 back to the local group.

Roger’s whole family is involved: his wife Marg and daughter Heather are accomplished outdoor enthusiasts and LandSAR volunteers in their own right.

rOger bates’ career highLights:• Joined Wellington SAR in 1961 – his first search was for Betty

Joy who went missing in the Tararuas

• First helicopter operation was the Kerry search in 1965 in a bubble helicopter piloted by Mr Alexander of Alexander Helicopters

• In 1963 Roger was the national co-leader setting up the Face Rescue Teams (now Alpine Cliff Rescue Teams)

• In 1979 Roger was called upon by the Government to assist the police in planning the recovery of bodies from the Air New Zealand DC10 crash on Mt Erebus

• In 1980 gazetted as a Police LandSAR Adviser, which involved providing leadership, training and running many operations

• Instructed, organised and facilitated many national courses, workshops and seminars including Police Officers’ SAR courses, Representatives seminars and district SAREX’s, Field Controllers’ courses

• National Convenor of the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand SAR Sub Committee, which was the forerunner of LandSAR, from 1983 to October 1990

• A supporter and trustee of the SARINZ Trust since its inception in 2003.

PROFILE.ON.ROGER.BATES.

page 39YEARBOOK 2010-2011

Landsar search dOgs’ MissiOn hasn’t changed. we exist.to.provide.a.useful.tool.to.Search.Managers.in.the.form.of.competent.dog.teams..We.currently.have.27.operational.teams.including.11.avalanche,.14.wilderness.and.two.teams.qualified.in.both.

In.the.year.ending.June.30.Search.Dog.teams.were.called.out.on.49.occasions..This.is.slightly.down.on.last.year,.but.what.is.significant.is.that.28.of.those.callouts.were.in.the.last.quarter.and.often.involved.multiple.dog.teams..Teams.had.success.in.finding.lost.parties,.property.and.providing.valuable.information.to.the.Management.team..Mostly.though,.the.dogs.are.just.part.of.the.overall.team.

As.an.organisation.we.are.always.trying.to.improve.our.end.product.and.to.that.end.we.held.a.record.number.of.13.training.and.assess-ment.events.during.the.year..We.also.held.an.Assessor/Trainer.workshop.and.held.three.Commit-tee.meetings..This.requires.an.enormous.amount.of.volunteer.time.and.thankfully.the.workload.is.shared.amongst.many.willing.and.able.members.

highlights.of.the.year.were.a.NZSAR.award.presented.to.Larry.

Charles.for.his.long.and.outstand-ing.contribution.to.Search.Dogs.and.a.LandSAR.plaque.award.presented.to.Brent.MacDonald.for.his.leadership.and.contribution.to.Search.Dogs,.especially.Avalanche.Dogs.

We.continue.to.have.a.very.strong.relationship.with.the.Police.dog.section.and.were.very.pleased.to.receive.a.letter.from.Senior.Sergeant.John.Edmonds.(O/C.Police.dog.training.centre).praising.the.organisation.for.a.“very high standard of dogs and handlers and the professional level of organisa-tion at an assessment camp”.

Please.visit.our.website.www.searchdogs.co.nz.via.the.LandSAR.website.and.if.you.get.a.chance.read.our.newsletter..Both.reflect.well.on.our.organisation.

iain watsOn secretary Landsar search dOgs

Iain Watson

Landsar nZ search dOgs inc

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Photos: RMG van Rooden


OBITUARIES.2011

We honour the LandSAR members who passed away in the last 12 months. Their contribution to search and rescue will never be forgotten. Among those who are no longer with us are John Simpson, Alan Hepburn and Bruce Mouat.

bruce MOuat – taranaKiBruce.Mouat.joined.the.Mt.Egmont.Alpine.Club.in.the.late.1980s.and.made.a.big.impression.from.day.one.with.his.passion.for.climbing..he.was.a.willing.and.active.committee.member.and.was.soon.promoted.to.club.captain.where.he.excelled,.running.many.successful.club.snowcraft.cour.ses.on.both.Egmont.and.Ruapehu..he.was.never.happier.than.when.he.was.with.his.friends.on.or.near.the.top.of.Mt.Egmont.

The.success.of.recent.annual.summit.open.climbs.is.attributed.mostly.to.Bruce..The.organisation.and.running.of.this.event.was.carried.out.with.military-like.precision,.but.was.always.enjoyable.and.rewarding.for.those.involved..The.many.satisfied.members.of.the.public.that.achieved.their.personal.goal.of.reaching.the.summit.on.one.of.his.climbs,.will.attest.to.that..his.annual.midwinter.Night.in.the.Fridge.trip.to.Syme.hut,.and.the.midwinter.summit.climb,.were.popular.events.when.the.weather.allowed.

Ropework.and.technical.skills.were.where.he.really.shone.and.he.was.signed.on.as.a.member.of.the.elite.Fonterra.Emergency.Response.Team..This.gave.him.as.a.team.member,.new.opportunities.and.some.unique.challenges.and.experiences.in.dealing.with.disasters.on.a.national.scale.including.the.2008.Manawatu.floods,.restoration.work.following.the.2010.bush.fires.in.victoria,.Australia.and.most.recently,.the.Christchurch.earthquake.

Bruce.was.a.much.admired.and.respected.president.of.TACR.&.MtEAC..his.leadership.and.organisational.abilities.were.appreciated.within.both.organisations..As.president.of.MtEAC.for.some.four.years,.he.chaired.many.meetings,.was.a.good.listener,.dealt.fairly.with.contentious.issues,.and.always.achieved.a.good.outcome.

At.the.time.of.his.passing,.he.was.Leader.of.the.Taranaki.Alpine.Cliff.Rescue.Team.and.actively.involved.in.specialised.training.and.mountain.rescue.work..he.will.be.sadly.missed..Bruce.is.survived.by.his.wife.Sue,.son.Laine,.daughter.Geena.and.his.mother.Mary..he.was.48.years.of.age.

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aLan hepburn qsM – MethvenAlan.hepburn.(hep).was.a.pioneer.of.LandSAR.in.New.Zealand..In.1967.he.helped.establish.one.of.the.first.LandSAR.Groups.in.the.country.in.Methven..Prior.to.this,.Alan.and.others.ran.an.informal.SAR.group.with.the.local.police.constable..For.the.next.40.years.he.remained.an.active.member..Inaugural.Chairman.of.the.Group,.he.held.the.position.unop-posed.for.36.years.until.he.stood.down.in.2004.

hep’s.dedication.to.LandSAR.extended.beyond.his.local.group.and.he.was.also.an.Advisor.and.Chairman.of.the.District.and.Canterbury.Regional.Committee.during.the.1980s.and.1990s..he.was.a.strong.and.decisive.leader.and.as.a.mark.of.respect.for.his.enormous.dedication.to.Methven.hep.was.made.patron.of.the.group.when.he.stepped.down.as.Chair.

he.was.awarded.a.Queens’.Service.Medal.in.1993.in.recognition.of.his.contribution.to.his.community..A.significant.part.of.this.was.his.due.to.his.dedication.to.search.and.rescue.

JOhn siMpsOn – nOrth OtagOOamaru’s.John.Simpson.became.known.as.Mr.SAR..In.1974.as.a.police.sergeant.he.became.the.SAR.police.liaison.officer..Active.in.all.aspects.of.the.group,.John.was.particularly.adept.at.ensuring.the.equipment.was.sourced.via.the.Police..‘Reallocated’.he.used.to.say.

Retiring.from.the.Police.in.1993.he.continued.his.involvement.as.a.volun-teer,.becoming.the.Group’s.equipment.officer,.then.vice.President,.and.latterly.the.personnel.officer.managing.the.call.out.lists.

John.was.very.involved.in.fundraising.for.the.group,.including.many.successful.4WD.fundraising.trips.conducted.over.the.years.with.over.7000.people.being.led.around.the.high.Country..his.efforts.contributed.to.over.$100,000.being.raised.for.training.and.equipment.

John.continued.to.attend.management.meetings.virtually.up.to.the.time.of.his.death.at.age.73.


area repOrts

nOrthernThe.Northland.and.Far.North.Groups.have.seen.a.moderate.number.of.SAROPs.while.Auckland.continues.to.have.a.significant.number.of.urban.operations.with.a.large.amount.involving.the.use.of.Wandatrak..Auckland.SAR.volunteers.deployed.to.Christchurch.in.March.on.Operation.Rubble.to.check.and.record.the.location.of.any.earthquake.debris.that.was.large.enough.to.potentially.conceal.a.body..

The.region.continues.to.benefit.from.a.good.volunteer.police.working.relationship.and.all.Groups.have.identified.the.need.to.continue.to.build.their.regional.and.inter-regional.partnerships..This.year.SAREXs.were.held.at.Taupo.Bay.for.the.Far.North.and.in.the.Woodhill.State.Forest.for.Auckland..

MidLandThe.twelve.Midland.Region.SAR.Groups.have.effectively.split.into.two.Police.Districts.–.Waikato.and.Bay.of.Plenty.–.and.the.Midland.Region.has.no.working.committee..The.Waikato.and.Coroman-del.SAR.Groups.that.make.up.the.Waikato.Police.District.communicate.and.cooperate.well..They.have.the.benefit.of.a.full.time.Police.SAR.Coordinator.and.a.volunteer.adminis-trative.coordinator.for.the.five.Coromandel.SAR.Groups.or.Coroman-del.Peninsular.SAR.(CPenSAR)..Training.

is.well.coordinated.and.the.majority.of.groups.are.well.equipped.to.meet.operational.needs..The.Bay.of.Plenty.SAR.Groups.are.working.to.improve.their.communication.and.cooperation.with.each.other..Partnerships.are.working.well.in.geographical.areas..

The.Midland.Region.is.traditionally.the.busiest.for.wilderness.SAROPs.in.the.North.Island,.with.a.noticeable.increase.in.operations.in.the.Rotorua.and.Whakatane.areas..The.number.of.beacon.alerts.has.been.increasing.steadily.

The.Midland.Region.contributed.personnel.to.Operation.West.in.Christchurch.in.late.February–early.March.and.included.volunteers.from.hamilton,.Tauranga,.Rotorua,.Taupo.and.Turangi.SAR.Groups..Their.role.was.to.identify.any.welfare.issues.and.report.significant.damage.in.the.less.affected.suburbs.of.Christchurch.

There.were.six.SAREXs.throughout.the.region.and.an.IMTEX.conducted.in.Thames..The.learning.from.these.will.greatly.assist.in.further.developing.the.SAR.capability.and.partnerships.throughout.the.Midland.Region.

easternThe.three.Groups.that.make.up.the.Eastern.Region,.Gisborne,.Wairoa.and.hawkes.Bay,.have.had.a.busy.year,.with.an.increase.in.the.number.of.SAROPs.and.all.Groups.rationalising.Group.numbers.and.generally.adopting.a.

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smaller.group.of.core.volunteers..The.amount.of.formal.training.is.still.increasing.and.this.is.now.based.firmly.on.the.needs.of.a.Group..All.three.Groups.are.in.the.process.of.improving.their.IT.knowledge.and.capabilities.to.improve.efficiency.in.the.IMT.during.operations.

There.has.been.an.improvement.in.the.communication.and.cooperation.between.the.three.Eastern.Region.Groups.with.regional.representation.of.volunteers.on.courses.and.at.SAREXs,.but.the.Regional.Committee.has.not.been.reformed.at.this.stage.

SAREXs.have.been.conducted.in.Gisborne.and.are.planned.for.Wairoa.and.the.hawkes.Bay.for.October.and.November..An.IMTEX.is.planned.in.the.Eastern.Region.for.2012.

sOuth and west Of Mt. ruapehu, pLus a LittLe way nOrthThis.area.has.been.operationally.pretty.busy.in.the.last.year..here.is.a.sample.of.some.of.the.operations.that.have.happened.in.the.past.12.months.

The.Wellington.area.appears.to.be.one.of.the.busiest.areas.in.NZ,.with.steady.numbers.of.SAROPs.including.short.and.multiday.events..The.most.high.profile.event.was.likely.to.be.the.diver.that.went.missing.off.the.Kapiti.Coast.and.then.showed.up.in.hawkes.Bay.

The.area.in.the.centre.of.the.North.Island,.in.particular.the.Tongariro.National.Park,.has.a.steady.number.of.SAROPs.during.the.whole.year..The.most.prominent.SAROP.was.the.rescue.of.two.Korean.travellers.stranded.at.Red.Crater.on.the.Tongariro.Crossing.in.May.in.very.poor.weather.conditions..They.were.lucky.enough.to.be.able.to.use.their.mobile.phone.to.call.for.help.and.use.the.technology.in.their.phone.to.provide.a.grid.reference.as.well..very.lucky.indeed,.and.our.members.were.there.to.save.two.lives.

There.have.been.plenty.of.jobs.in.the.Tararua.Range..Did.you.hear.about.the.operation.where.two.young.people.went.tramping.with.one.parka.between.the.two.of.them,.and.the.map.they.used.was.a.photo.stored.on.a.mobile.phone?.Or.the.person.wanting.to.do.a.west-to-east.crossing.of.the.Tararuas.with.his.mountain.bike?.They.all.required.assistance.from.Police.and.LandSAR.members.

Taranaki.deals.with.regular.operations.either.in.the.bush.or.on.their.mountain..In.August.three.members.had.to.spend.a.very.cold.night.out.on.Mt.Taranaki.to.rescue.a.stranded.snowboarder.

At.the.start.of.2011.the.Waikato.District.ran.the.operation.Erbay.to.find.a.young.man.that.had.not.been.seen.since.New.Year’s.Eve..This.event.in.particular.received.a.lot.of.media.coverage.

The.most.important.and.encouraging.aspect.in.all.of.the.above.mentioned.cases.is.the.fact.that.nowadays.more.regular.SAR.operations.involve.teams.from.different.LandSAR.Groups..For.operations.in.Wellington.and.the.Tararuas.there.are.often.teams.from.Wairarapa,.Palmerston.North,.Tararua,.horowhenua.and.Wellington.involved..In.the.Central.North.Island.around.Tongariro.National.Park.operations.regularly.go.across.Police.District.boundaries.(without.too.many.issues).and.include.teams.from.Turangi,.Taihape,.Taupo,.Ruapehu,.RARO.and.Whanganui..And.in.the.Waikato,.Groups.from.Waitomo,.hamilton.and.the.Coromandel.Peninsula.are.often.working.together.

It.is.great.to.see.that.‘across.the.boundary’.support,.cooperation.and.collaboration.is.happening.in.many.areas.and.is.helping.LandSAR.to.provide.the.best.possible.support.to.the.lost,.missing.and.injured.person.

For.the.future,.let’s.build.on.this.cooperative.and.collaborative.approach.that.has.been.started.

tasManIt.has.been.twelve.months.with.some.distinct.operational.highlights,.with.our.members.having.been.involved.in.some.major.events.

Operation.West.saw.a.large.number.of.members.from.all.Tasman.Groups.travel.to.Christchurch.after.the.February.earthquake.in.support.of.the.LandSAR.response..This.was.the.first.time.such.a.large.involvement.with.Civil.Defence.has.occurred,.and.will.hopefully.lead.on.to.Groups.having.greater.involvement.with.their.local.Civil.Defence.units.

The.Pike.River.mining.disaster.was.another.significant.event.that.involved.our.people.in.an.operation.that.is.outside.of.our.norm..Tasman.Groups.provided.people.who.assisted.the.Police.in.a.variety.of.roles.but.predominantly.in.the.IMT..Both.this.and.Op.West.operations.highlight.the.fact.that.our.training.and.skills.make.us.valued.for.incidents.other.than.pure.land.search.and.rescue.

There.was.also.a.couple.of.significant.wilderness.search.operations.this.past.year,.with.the.largest.one.in.the.Wangapeka.track.area..This.search.involved.many.Groups.from.throughout.our.region.plus.support.from.our.neighbours.in.Canterbury..A.successful.result.to.the.operation.has.also.provided.some.valuable.lessons.learned.

As.the.demographic.of.the.people.we.search.for.continues.to.evolve,.the.region.is.increasing.its.capability.in.different.areas..One.of.these.is.in.the.area.of.searching.for.mentally.impaired.wanderers:.we.now.have.the.Wandatrak.system.in.hokitika,.Westport.and.Nelson.

hokitika.hosted.the.National.Conference.last.November.which.was.a.major.coordination.exercise.by.them.with.support.from.the.Greymouth.Group..It.was.a.great.event.which.everyone.enjoyed,.bringing.people.together.from.throughout.the.country.

Training.is.progressing.well.with.various.programmes.happening.


throughout.the.region..Tasman.will.have.engaged.in.our.first.nationally.funded.IMTEX.during.August.which.has.been.well.anticipated.to.provide.some.focused.learning.for.our.IMT.people.

We.had.a.noteworthy.member.recog-nised.for.his.contribution.to.SAR.over.many.years..Larry.Charles.has.been.awarded.the.NZSAR.Certificate.of.Achievement.for.his.long.involvement.with.Search.Dogs.

The.regional.committee.continues.to.function.well,.with.good.representation.from.both.the.Groups.and.Police.at.the.twice-yearly.meetings..These.meetings.are.important.as.they.provide.the.means.for.Groups.to.more.effectively.support.and.network.with.each.other.

canterburyIn.a.year.that.has.been.dominated.by.natural.disasters,.the.Canterbury.Region.has.continued.to.develop.its.capability.and.partnerships.

The.big.shakes.of.September,.Boxing.Day,.February.and.June.now.seem.to.be.punctuation.marks.on.a.continuum.of.disaster.that.rocks.Canterbury..The.most.devastating.one.on.February.22.saw.an.immediate.and.sustained.response.from.the.groups.within.Canterbury.which.built.into.the.largest-ever.deployment.of.LandSAR.personnel.from.all.over.New.Zealand..It.was.a.gratifying.experience.to.see.so.many.willing.and.capable.people.join.in.so.seamlessly.for.the.operation.that.was.Op.West.

Simultaneously,.as.Op.West.was.underway,.our.core.business.of.land.SAROPs.was.not.neglected,.with.several.groups.undertaking.operations.during.that.same.period.

Throughout.the.twelve.months.SAROPs.have.been.about.the.norm.and.concluded.with.the.largest.operation.for.some.time.looking.for.an.elderly.possum.hunter.in.the.Ashley.Gorge.area..This.search.was.suspended.after.seven.days.

and.had.involved.a.large.number.of.volunteers,.including.some.from.as.far.as.Westport.and.Marlborough..As.yet,.this.search.is.yet.to.be.successfully.resolved.

Operationally.the.region.continues.to.improve.due.in.part.to.the.cohesive.region.support.structure,.but.also.to.the.focus.on.IMT.training.that.has.been.led.by.the.Christchurch.group.and.support-ed.by.nationally.funded.annual.IMTEXs..This.has.led.to.the.improving.manage-ment.of.operations..This.year.has.also.seen.deployment.of.more.Canterbury.people.by.the.RCC.NZ.on.Category.ll.Operations.plus.inclusion.in.On-Scene.Coordinator.training.

Wandatrak.capability.in.Canterbury.now.includes.South.Canterbury,.who.purchased.their.kit.this.year..We.now.have.kits.based.at.both.Christchurch.and.Timaru.

During.the.2010.winter.there.were.a.number.of.back.country.incidents,.including.two.fatalities.due.to.heli-skiers.being.avalanched.on.slopes.in.the.Rakaia.headwaters..In.response.to.this.the.Police.have.taken.the.initiative.and,.in.cooperation.and.liaison.with.representatives.of.the.industry,.produced.a.comprehensive.Winter.Response.Plan.to.coordinate.operations.when.similar.events.occur.in.the.future.

As.we.emerge.from.the.depths.of.winter.our.thoughts.remain.with.the.families.in.our.region.who.are.coping.with.broken.lives.and.broken.homes,.some.of.whom.are.members.of.our.SAR.family.(Police,.Coastguard.and.LandSAR).who.continue.to.support.their.community.despite.their.own.hardship..

sOuthernThe.question.may.be.asked.“What.is.the.function.of.a.region.committee?”.The.short.answer.must.be.cooperation.and.communication..We.can.all.work.in.isolation,.or.we.can.combine.our.resources.and.work.together..We.can.

share.expertise,.experience.and.even.resources,.thereby.giving.the.lost,.missing.or.injured.‘Johnny.and.Jenny’.the.best.service.possible.

At.the.last.meeting.of.the.southern.region.we.had.33.people.in.attendance.including.10.police.officers,.and.all.11.LandSAR.Groups.were.represented..With.this.level.of.commitment.from.the.SAR.community.issues.can.be.addressed,.lessons.can.be.learned.and.we.can.continue.to.improve.our.overall.capability..

We.must.also.look.outside.our.patch.and.look.to.others.for.inspiration.and.advice..Big.brother.Tasman.has.been.leading.the.way.for.some.years,.so.a.delegation.of.three.southerners.headed.to.Nelson.to.see.how.things.are.done.up.there..Combine.this.with.regular.attendance.at.the.Tasman.meetings.and.we.have.been.able.to.initiate.some.change.in.the.south.

In.the.last.year.we.have.looked.at.a.couple.of.issues..One.is.the.de-brief.procedure.which.we.identified.as.a.priority..This.all.important.after-action.event.is.not.always.done.well,.and.lessons.learned.are.almost.never.shared.throughout.the.SAR.community..We.formed.a.working.group.which.came.up.with.a.report.offering.solutions.and.what.we.believe.is.an.improved.de-brief.template..We.are.pleased.to.say.that.the.Southland.Police.Area.Commander.has.already.implemented.these.suggestions..

The.other.area.that.we.saw.as.a.priority.was.In-Group.training..Most.of.the.training.offered.currently.is.designed.for.individuals,.and.the.Region.is.investigat-ing.a.new.concept.for.an.instructor.to.go.to.a.group.in.their.own.patch.and.offer.training.that.is.needed..Whatever.the.group.sees.as.a.priority.is.what.will.be.delivered..The.Region.has.a.small.working.group.assigned.to.this.initiative.

The.Region.again.held.a.successful.Tautuku.Cup.SAR.Competition.with.150.people.in.attendance..The.Catlins.team.

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did.a.marvellous.job.organising.this.event.and.the.quality.of.the.catering.will.be.talked.about.for.years..We.were.also.very.grateful.to.the.Police.Operations.Manager,.Inspector.Lane.Todd,.for.supporting.this.event.

We.still.await.the.appointment.of.a.fulltime.Police.SAR.coordinator,.a.position.that.we.believe.is.essential.to.ensure.best.practice.in.our.patch..Good.things.take.time.and.we.await.the.outcome.of.the.Police.review.on.SAR.in.anticipation.

This.last.year.also.saw.the.retirement.of.our.Chairman.John.Taylor..John.is.still.actively.involved.in.the.Wanaka.group,.but.decided.that.it.was.time.for.a.change.at.regional.level..John.should.be.well.pleased.with.the.progress.of.the.Committee.during.his.tenure.and.we.are.all.very.grateful.for.his.contribution..Snow.Dance.from.Central.Otago.is.the.newly.elected.Chairman.

aLpine and cLiff rescueThe.main.effort.in.the.past.12.months.has.gone.into.establishing.contacts.and.building.relationships.with.our.existing.ACR.teams.and.groups.across.the.country..Communication.between.the.national.organisation.and.ACR.teams/groups.has.been.started,.albeit.on.an.irregular.basis..Wherever.possible.and.where.it.makes.operational.sense.cooperation.and.collaboration.between.ACR.teams.is.being.supported.

For.the.first.time.in.2011.LandSAR.applied.for.direct.support.through.OSC.funding.to.be.allocated.to.ACR.Groups.NZ-wide..This.was.successful,.and.some.of.that.funding.was.used.to.provide.technical.equipment.to.a.number.of.ACR.teams..Gear.and.equipment.supplied.ranged.from.replacement.helicopter.strops,.static.rescue.ropes,.karabiners.and.various.other.alpine-related.hardware.

The.majority.of.the.OSC.ACR-allocated.funding.was.used.to.support.special-ised.training.efforts.by.our.ACR.members..A.combined.training.event.in.

the.use.of.night.vision.goggles.was.held.in.Queenstown.pre-winter.2011.with.ACR.members.from.South.Westland,.Wanaka,.Queenstown.and.Aoraki.Mt..Cook.in.attendance.

The.Taranaki.ACR.team.received.support.to.assist.them.to.become.familiar.with.the.new.rescue.machine.for.the.Taranaki.province.

Other.supported.training.events.included.the.Winter.2011.combined.North.Island.Avalanche.Rescue.Training.weekend.which.included.29.members.from.Taranaki.ACR,.Ruapehu.Alpine.Rescue.Organisation,.NZ.Police,.individual.LandSAR.members.from.the.Tararua.Group,.and.two.Avalanche.Search.Dog.handlers.and.their.dogs.

held.also.for.the.first.time.in.2011.was.a.combined.Technical.Rope.Rescue.workshop..This.included.26.members.from.ACR,.Cliff.Rescue.and.CaveSAR.getting.together.for.three.days.over.Queen’s.Birthday.weekend.to.practise.rope.rescue.skills.together..This.was.a.novel.approach.which.received.very.positive.feedback.and.was.seen.as.a.good.investment.of.time.and.effort.by.our.members.who.attended.


this year has been a busy year fOr MOst sar grOups in the nOrthern, Midland.and.Eastern.Regions,.with.progress.being.made.in.all.areas..Although.there.have.been.issues.over.the.delivery.and.funding.of.formal.training,.these.are.being.or.have.been.resolved..When.I.reflect.on.where.LandSAR.was.five.years.ago.when.I.started.in.the.role.of.Field.Support.Officer.I.feel.there.has.been.significant.progress.made.in.building.the.organisa-tion,.training.and.equipping.the.unpaid.professional.people.that.make.up.LandSAR,.and.improving.our.relationship.with.the.NZ.Police.and.other.partners.

Other.significant.events.were.the.deployment.of.personnel.from.the.Turangi,.Taupo,.Rotorua,.Tauranga.and.

hamilton.SAR.Groups.to.Operation.West.and.Auckland.SAR.to.Operation.Rubble.in.Christchurch.during.late.February.and.March.this.year..Although.the.tasks.that.LandSAR.was.allocated.were.different.to.the.usual.search.and.rescue.role,.the.training,.enthusiasm.and.adaptability.of.the.volunteers.enabled.these.tasks.to.be.completed.quickly.and.effectively.and.lifted.the.profile.of.the.organisation.hugely.

I.have.been.given.the.responsibility.to.manage.advanced.tracking.training.for.LandSAR,.and.based.on.feedback.gathered.from.course.attendees,.tracking.practitioners.and.instructors,.I.have.developed.a.training.pathway.for.field.personnel.that.will.also.incorporate.training.for.IMT.personnel.to.manage.and.deploy.tracking.resources.effec-tively..In.August.this.year.another.very.successful.five-day.tracking.workshop.was.conducted.at.the.Outdoor.Pursuits.Centre.in.the.Central.North.Island.which.incorporated.the.majority.of.recommen-dations.from.the.previous.year..The.National.Training.Calendar.outlines.advanced.tracking.training.for.2012.and.I.will.have.written.and.distributed.to.all.LandSAR.Groups.an.outline.and.vision.for.the.role.of.tracking.in.LandSAR.for.the.future.

The.number.of.SAROPs.this.year.has.been.steady..Some.traditionally.busy.groups.have.experienced.fewer.operations.but.other,.usually.quiet.areas,.have.had.a.significant.increase.in.the.callouts,.particularly.with.urban.

searches.for.despondents..To.me.this.reinforces.the.requirement.for.all.groups.to.have.a.robust.training.programme.that.incorporates.group,.regional.and.national.training.courses.and.workshops.

–.we.don’t.know.when.or.where.the.next.big.search.will.happen..One.very.pleasing.aspect.this.year.has.been.the.continued.improvement.in.communica-tion.and.cooperation.between.Groups.and.Regions.both.with.training.and.operations,.and.individuals.and.teams.are.travelling.well.out.of.their.areas.at.times.to.attend.various.events.and.SAROPs.

The.year.ahead.is.going.to.be.busy.for.us.all.as.we.now.have.a.well.developed.and.full.training.calendar.and.a.new.round.of.Group.Planning.Tools.to.complete.(previously.the.ATFG)..There.will.also.be.a.variety.of.projects.completed.in.the.coming.financial.year.and.more.equipment.will.be.delivered,.including.items.of.individual.clothing.to.suit.Group.needs..All.this.goes.toward.enhancing.the.capabilities.of.the.LandSAR.Groups.and.individuals.

Finally.I.would.like.to.thank.all.the.LandSAR.personnel.who.give.their.time.and.skills.to.Search.and.Rescue..I.thank.SARINZ.and.the.Police.for.their.commit-ment,.enthusiasm.and.support.to.the.unpaid.professionals.of.LandSAR..I.look.forward.to.working.with.you.all.in.the.year.ahead.

ian newMan nifsO

Ian Newman

Landsar nZ nOrth isLand fieLd suppOrt Officer

page 48


N E W Z E A L A N D

wOw! My secOnd year as Landsar fsO is gOne aLready. never a boring.day.working.for.LandSAR,.and.most.days.are.either.good.days.or.exceptionally.good.days.working.for.and.with.our.diverse.membership.

The.year.started.off.with.the.second.round.of.ATFG.visits.to.Groups..This.time.round.those.Groups.that.had.adopted.their.ATFG.priorities.set.from.the.previous.year.and.focused.the.management.of.their.Group.according.to.those.priorities,.showed.a.marked.improvement.and.reported.good.progress.in.the.running.of.their.local.Group..This.showed.up.in.the.result.for.two.particular.Groups..Both.made.big.

jumps.and.progress.in.overall.perform-ance..As.FSO.it.is.pleasing.to.see.the.difference.the.ATFG.can.make..In.addition.to.that.the.Training.Needs.Tool.was.introduced.to.Groups,.which.took.a.bit.of.explaining..The.data,.figures.and.information.collected.will.show.a.benefit.in.time.to.come.

Some.of.my.work.highlights.during.the.year.were.three.SAREXs.that.I.partici-pated.in:.the.2010.Taupo.event.in.the.Pureora.Forest,.and.most.recently.in.the.Kaimanawa.Forest.Park,.and.the.Waikato.Police.District.SAREX.held.at.Pirongia.in.June.2011..All.three.events.used.a.similar.SAREX.format.of.a.round.robin-type.skills.station.training.event.on.the.first.day.to.provide.training.in.a.variety.of.practical.field.skills.relevant.for.LandSAR.members..That.was.followed.by.a.tracking-focused.field.exercise..here.members.could.put.their.tracking.skills.to.the.test,.track.a.lost.party,.find.them.and.process.a.camp.site..Feedback.from.all.three.events.was.in.the.majority.favourable:.“Time.well.spend.learning.new.skills.and.consoli-dating.existing.knowledge..Practical.and.hands-on.training..No.waiting.around.”

Another.positive.aspect.was.that.both.Taupo.and.Waikato.SAREX.events.also.mixed.up.teams.from.different.LandSAR.Groups,.which.for.many.LandSAR.members.was.an.eye.opener:.to.actually.work.with.new.colleagues.or.friends.from.within.our.organisation.and.see.how.they.‘skin.the.cat’..And.

amazingly,.overwhelmingly.positive.comments.were.received.about.the.mix-and-mingle.approach,.and.individuals.treasured.the.opportunity.to.work.with.other.LandSAR.members.

It.never.fails.to.impress.me.the.amount.of.enthusiasm.and.dedication.our.members.bring.into.the.mix.to.assist.LandSAR.with.our.mission.to.provide.support.to.the.lost,.missing.or.injured.

I.feel.privileged.to.be.able.to.work.and.interact.with.such.a.dedicated.bunch.of.people.

Enjoy.the.outdoors,.play.safe.and.I.will.see.you.and.catch.up.during.the.year.

peter ZiMMer nifsO

Peter Zimmer

Landsar nZ nOrth isLand fieLd suppOrt Officer


it has been a chaLLenging year but nOt withOut its highLights.

As.always,.the.National.Conference.hosted.by.hokitika.provided.an.early.highlight.for.the.year..These.events.provide.such.a.wonderful.opportunity.for.people.from.all.over.NZ.to.come.together,.share.knowledge.and.build.friendships.that.inevitably.strengthen.our.ability.to.perform.SAROPs..These.operational.skills.of.our.people.were.to.be.called.upon.during.the.conference.to.assist.with.the.Incident.Manage-ment.of.the.Pike.River.mining.disaster.

Our.other.more.widely.known.disaster.response.was.to.the.Canterbury.earthquakes,.particularly.Op.West.in.

February..This.provided.some.opera-tional.challenges,.particularly.in.the.area.of.interoperability.with.other.emergen-cy.agencies,.but.it.also.highlighted.how.well.we.can.respond.to.a.situation.that.did.not.fit.our.normal.experience..There.were.two.big.pluses.that.came.from.this:.firstly,.the.national.deployment.provided.an.invaluable.opportunity.for.operational.LandSAR.people.from.the.length.and.breadth.of.NZ.to.work.together..Secondly,.we.displayed.a.high.level.of.professionalism.that.has.earned.us.kudos.within.the.emergency.response.sector.

What.has.become.more.obvious.to.me.this.past.year.is.our.desire.to.keep.improving.our.operational.cohesion.and.professionalism..This.was.suitably.highlighted.recently.at.a.training.weekend.held.specifically.for.Field.Team.Leaders.in.Canterbury,.where.those.involved.discussed.the.need.for.standards.to.benchmark.our.perform-ance.against.and.focus.our.training.efforts..Similar.discussions.have.also.occurred.at.the.IMTEXs.that.have.taken.place,.and.are.providing.a.very.positive.direction.for.us.to.follow..As.a.result.of.the.Canterbury.Team.Leaders’.training.weekend,.they.have.initiated.another.weekend.before.the.end.of.this.calendar.year.to.hold.a.forum.to.further.discuss.the.issues.that.they.identified.and.come.up.with.solutions..This.is.highly.commendable.and.an.initiative.that.I.will.be.supporting.wholeheart-edly.

On.the.tail.of.this.there.is.one.issue.that.has.come.to.the.fore.recently:.the.need.to.clearly.communicate.with.members.of.your.groups.their.opera-tional.status..There.has.been.a.couple.of.instances.where.a.member’s.belief.in.their.operational.ability.has.exceeded.that.held.by.their.group.leader..This.has.led.to.unfortunate.situations.and.conflict.when.these.individuals.have.not.been.included.in.operations.that.they.believe.should.have.included.them..What.would.have.helped.to.avoid.these.situations.from.occurring.would.have.been.the.group.leader’s.clear.notifica-tion.to.the.individual.of.that.person’s.operational.status..I.encourage.all.Groups.to.do.this.as.I.have.seen.only.a.few.examples.where.this.is.done.consistently..One.tool.that.will.assist.you.to.confidently.carry.this.out.will.be.the.development.of.the.national.competency.framework,.which.will.be.a.useful.tool.for.you.in.the.future..So.when.the.opportunity.arises.to.have.input.into.this.development.please.take.it.

It.has.been.a.challenging.year.where.not.all.that.was.anticipated.has.been.achieved,.but.we.also.made.the.most.of.the.unexpected.opportunities..I.am.looking.forward.with.optimism.to.what.the.next.twelve.months.will.bring.

fritZ van rOOden sifsO

Fritz van Rooden

Landsar nZ sOuth isLand fieLd suppOrt Officer

page 50


N E W Z E A L A N D

it is twO years since i was appOinted tO the JOb Of sOuth isLand fieLd Support.Officer.and.I.guess.it.is.a.good.chance.to.reflect.on.what.my.job.is.and.what.we.are.all.trying.to.achieve.

“What.is.it.you.do?”.is.a.question.that.is.often.asked..Well,.to.remind.myself.of.the.actual.job.I.revisited.my.job.description..here.is.the.short.version.

“To.interact.and.provide.support.for.our.volunteers.in.achieving.outcomes.in.the.LandSAR.strategic.plan..To.ensure.there.is.a.level.of.consistency.of.delivery.and.capability.of.LandSAR.groups.throughout.New.Zealand..To.provide.communication.between.the.practitioners,.the.National.Office.and.the.LandSAR.Board.”

There.are.27.other.listed.tasks.but.the.above.description.is.the.‘guts’.of.it..I.am.a.small.cog.in.a.big.machine.that.is.attempt-

ing.to.make.us.all.better.at.what.we.do..Some.would.say,.the.wheel.wasn’t.broken,.so.why.fix.it?.The.answer.is.that.the.wheel.may.not.have.been.broken.but.it.sure.as.hell.was.rusty.and.it.does.need.a.makeover..To.assume.that.we.are.as.good.as.we.are.going.to.get.is.short.sighted.–.there.is.always.going.to.be.room.for.improvement..Throw.in.the.demands.from.NZSAR.for.national.reporting.and.requests.from.the.Police.for.levels.of.competency,.and.you.realise.that.like.it.or.not.we.have.to.sharpen.up.and.provide.a.more.consistent.level.of.capability.across.the.country.

how.we.have.gone.about.that.task.of.improving.our.level.of.capability.has.been.the.topic.of.some.discussion..Some.things.we.have.done.well,.some.things.we.could.have.done.better,.and.some.things.we.made.a.complete.mess.of..There.is.no.point.in.making.excuses.for.the.mistakes..We.just.need.to.acknowledge.that.we.could.have.done.better.and.move.on..Despite.the.mistakes,.I.don’t.have.any.doubt.that.our.overall.direction.is.the.right.one.and.we.will.see.a.better.organisation.in.the.long.run.

One.thing.that.I.have.learned.in.this.job.is.that.we.must.seek.out.and.listen.to.our.most.experienced.members..The.staff.of.LandSAR.are.not.necessarily.experts.in.the.industry..We.are.communicators.and.facilitators..There.is.a.wealth.of.know-ledge.within.the.volunteer.community.and.the.Police,.and.we.must.empower.those.people.to.be.part.of.the.decision-making.process..The.proposed.Search.

Management.Support.Group.could.go.a.long.way.to.making.this.happen.

Another.thing.that.I.have.learned.is.the.invaluable.contribution.that.is.made.by.the.administrators.in.the.Groups..The.top.Groups.have.sourced.capable.people.to.do.this.job,.and.their.worth.is.right.up.there.with.the.most.senior.advisor.in.my.opinion.

For.us.to.achieve.our.goals.we.must.be.working.in.a.true.partnership.with.the.Police..It.is.a.continued.source.of.frustration.for.me.that.on.occasions.we.do.not.get.the.partnership.thing.quite.right..(I.spent.24.years.in.the.Police.and.almost.all.of.that.time.I.was.attached.to.a.SAR.squad.and.involved.in.SAR)..It.has.to.be.acknowledged.that.the.Police.have.a.massive.job.to.ensure.they.do.the.best.they.can.in.crime.and.traffic,.but.SAR.has.been.down.the.list.of.some.district.priorities..This.is.understand-able.to.a.degree,.but.SAR.does.deserve.a.level.of.consistency.throughout.the.country.and.this.is.where.we.can.all.improve..Individually.the.Police.SAR.members.are.great..But.we.will.only.get.operational.consistency.if.we.have.dedicated.Police.SAR.Coordinators.to.assist.us.in.that.process,.and.that.will.not.happen.unless.a.directive.comes.from.the.very.top..Let’s.hope.that.the.Police.SAR.review.will.address.this.longstanding.issue.

iain (cOOch) watsOn sifsO

Landsar nZ sOuth isLand fieLd suppOrt Officer

Iain (Cooch) Watson



N E W Z E A L A N D

John Scobie

the audit and risK cOMMittee Met fOur tiMes in the 2010-11 financial.year..The.members.of.the.audit.committee.are.John.Scobie.(Chair),.Phillip.Melchior,.Dave.Comber,.and.Greg.Bishop.

Work.continues.around.reviewing.and.developing.our.governance.policies.and.this.should.be.finished.early.in.2012.

The.2010–2011.financial.year.has.thrown.up.the.odd.challenge.for.LandSAR.NZ..The.finance.person.employed.by.LandSAR.left.us.after.a.few.months.in.the.job.as.he.felt.his.skill.set.wasn’t.appropriate.to.the.requirements.of.the.position..This.left.a.large.gap.which.needed.to.be.quickly.filled,.and.so.the.

Audit.and.Risk.Committee.of.the.Board.recommended.that.the.services.should.be.outsourced.to.Grant.Thornton.who.were.ap-pointed.as.Accountants.in.Sep-tember.2010..The.finance.paper-work.is.still.done.within.the.LandSAR.National.Office,.with.Grant.Thornton.collating.the.monthly.figures.and.producing.reports.for.the.Audit.and.Risk.Committee.and.the.Board,.with.the.partner.responsible.for.our.account.attending.Audit.and.Risk.Committee.meetings.

The.Audit.and.Risk.Committee.took.the.decision.that.because.of.the.timing.and.abrupt.departure.of.the.accounts.person,.it.was.prudent.that.LandSAR.have.a.fraud.audit.undertaken.by.the.auditors,.BDO.Spicers..This.was.done.in.two.parts.early.and.midway.through.2011..The.ensuing.reports.to.the.Board.made.it.quite.clear.that.LandSAR.adheres.to.sound.processes.and.procedures.under.its.delegated.authorities,.and.that.the.internal.controls.are.operating.effectively.

LandSAR’s.cash.reserves.have.now.been.reduced.to.$500,000,.which.is.acceptable.to.our.funders.and.provides.LandSAR.with.an.opera-tional.buffer.allowing.us.to.operate,.albeit.at.reduced.levels,.for.a.period.of.approximately.

twelve.months,.in.the.event.of.all.sources.of.funding.being.removed..This.rundown.of.reserves.was.a.deliberate.decision.taken.by.the.Board.

On.a.positive.note,.the.organisa-tion.has.been.moderately.success-ful.in.its.endeavours.to.gain.trust.funding,.with.a.number.of.philan-thropic.and.gaming.trusts.approv-ing.funds.for.projects.which.wouldn’t.otherwise.be.undertak-en,.and.a.major.injection.of.funds.from.the.New.Zealand.Community.Trust.to.support.our.training.camps.

The.budgetary.process.has.become.a.lot.easier.this.year.with.the.change.of.financial.year.to.31.August..We.are.now.able.to.formulate.the.budget.knowing.the.funding.levels.expected.from.the.SAR.Council,.the.Outdoor.Safety.Committee.of.the.Lottery.Grants.Board.and.the.Police.

It.is.pleasing.to.end.the.year.with.a.clean.audit.and.a.financial.result.that.is.an.improvement.on.our.target.budget.of.a.loss.of.$157,000...In.closing.I.should.add.that.we.are.now.at.our.stated.reserve.level.and.LandSAR.will.now.return.to.a.surplus.budget.in.the.2011-12.year.

JOhn scObie chairMan, Landsar nZ audit and risK cOMMittee

the Landsar nZ audit and risK cOMMittee repOrt 2010-2011

John Scobie


N E W Z E A L A N D


N E W Z E A L A N Dpage 60


N E W Z E A L A N D

YEARBOOK 2010-2011

never a dull day in the life of board member bill

Ask Bill Day why he decided to join the LandSAR Board and he’ll say “it’s because LandSAR volunteers are ‘good bastards’.”

The Wanaka-based businessman is always on the lookout for the next challenge, and when he’s presented with an opportunity to contribute his skills

to a good cause he’ll take it.

“I heard about LandSAR through my mate Phil Melchior. I knew of the volunteers’ work but not much about the organisation itself. The more I talked to Phil, the keener I was to be part of it.

“I’ve met lots of LandSAR volunteers over the past year and they are the sort of people who make being a New Zealand-er worthwhile. They are the good bastards who get out of warm beds on cold nights to search for perfect strangers. Their dedication to their communities, willingness to help others and knowledge about the outdoors is really impres-sive. I’m loving the opportunity to play my part,” he says.

Bill is one of the three Independent Directors on the Board, and the 52-year-old is an outdoors man himself. His list of outdoor pursuits is constantly growing as he tries some-thing for the first time and discovers a new passion. Currently Bill enjoys mountaineering, skiing, wakeboarding, flying helicopters and aeroplanes and diving, and has recently completed a mountain biking adventure, cycling from Nairobi in Kenya to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

But it is underwater adventure and exploration that formed the basis of Bill’s business career.

While at university in Wellington Bill started a scuba diving business called Seaworks. The company has grown into a global marine services company, with its own fleet of vessels. Seaworks lays under-sea cables, runs underwater robots, salvages sunken vessels, inspects oil rigs around the world, and has managed the marine work for Steven Spielberg movies.

“Seaworks was just one of the businesses I started. Some failed and some did ok, but it was Seaworks that grew and it is probably my greatest achievement, apart from my family,” he says.

Bill sold the business in 2010 but remains a strategic advisor and member of its Board.

Bill says he has a long bucket list and doesn’t believe in setting limits for himself – “that’s what you do when you are afraid,” he says.

Next, it’s conquering Mt Sefton and another trip to the Auckland Islands to try again to find the wreck of the General Grant. In 1866 the ship was en route to London carrying gold from the Australian mines when it struck the cliffs, and the wreck – including its gold treasure – has never been recovered despite four attempts by Bill and his crew, and 27 by all others.

“If there’s one thing I need to chalk up, it’s finding the General Grant,” he says.

No matter where his adventures take him, there’s no place like home for Bill.

“There’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be. I reckon we won the birthday lottery when we were born here in New Zealand. We can do anything from here – there’s no reason to live anywhere else,” he says.

biLL day up cLOse• Married to Karen with two adult sons

• Qualified fixed wing and helicopter pilot

• Lives in Wanaka

• Speaks Italian and is now learning Spanish

• New Zealand Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of Year Award winner.

PROFILE.ON.BILL.DAY

CONSTITUTIONAL..MEMBERS.OF.NEW.ZEALAND..LAND.SEARCh.AND.RESCUE

first scheduLeassOciate MeMbers as at 31 august 2011

•. The.New.Zealand.Search.and.Rescue.Council.(NZSAR)

•. New.Zealand.Police•. Rescue.Coordination.Centre.

of.New.Zealand.(RCC.NZ)•. Search.And.Rescue.Institute.

of.New.Zealand.(SARINZ)•. Department.of.Conservation.

(DOC)•. The.New.Zealand.Mountain.

Safety.Council.Incorporated.(MSC)

•. The.New.Zealand.Speleological.Society.Incorporated.(NZSS)

•. The.Federated.Mountain.Clubs.of.New.Zealand.Incorporated.(FMC)

•. Amateur.Radio.Emergency.Communications.(AREC)

secOnd scheduLeList Of grOups as at 31 august 2011

Arthurs.Pass.Rescue

Auckland.Land.Search.and.Rescue

Banks.Peninsula.Search.and.Rescue.Club.Inc

Catlins.Search.and.Rescue

Central.Otago.SAR

Christchurch.Search.and.Rescue

Clutha.District.Search.and.Rescue

Dunedin.Group

Eastern.Southland.Combined.SAR

Ellesmere.Search.and.Rescue.Inc

Far.North.Search.and.Rescue.Organisation.Inc

Fiordland.SAR.Committee

Gisborne.Land.Search.and.Rescue

Golden.Bay.Search.and.Rescue

Greymouth.LandSAR

haast.LandSAR

hamilton.Search.and.Rescue

hanmer.Springs.Search.and.Rescue

hawke’s.Bay.Search.and.Rescue

hokitika.LandSAR.Group

horowhenua.Search.and.Rescue.Committee

hurunui.Land.Search.and.Rescue.Group

Kaikoura.Search.and.Rescue

Kuaotunu.Land.Search.&.Rescue

LandSAR.Caving

LandSAR.Wanaka

Marlborough.Search.and.Rescue

Methven.Search.and.Rescue.Inc

Motueka.Search.and.Rescue

Murchison.Search.and.Rescue.Group

North.Otago.Search.and.Rescue.Inc

Northland.Search.and.Rescue

Oxford.Search.and.Rescue

Paeroa.Search.&.Rescue

Palmerston.North.Land.Search.and.Rescue.Advisory.Committee.Inc.

Rakaia.Search.and.Rescue

Reefton.Search.and.Rescue.Squad

Rotorua.LandSAR

Ruapehu.Alpine.Rescue..Organisation.(RARO)

Ruapehu.Search.and.Rescue.Group

Search.and.Rescue.Karamea

Search.and.Rescue.Nelson.Inc

South.Canterbury.Group

South.Westland.Search.and.Rescue

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Stewart.Island/Rakiura.Search.and.Rescue

Taihape.Search.and.Rescue.Group

Tairua-Pauanui.Land.Search.and.Rescue.Inc

Taranaki.Search.and.Rescue.Group

Tararua.Search.and.Rescue.Club.Inc

Taupo.Search.and.Rescue.Group

Tauranga.Search.and.Rescue

Thames.Land.Search.and.Rescue.Inc

Turangi.Search.and.Rescue.Group

Waihi.LandSAR

Wairarapa.Search.and.Rescue.Inc

Wairoa.Search.and.Rescue.Inc

Waitomo.Search.and.Rescue

Wakatipu.LandSAR

Wanganui.Search.and.Rescue.Inc.

Wellington.Land.Search.and.Rescue

Westport.Land.Search.and.Rescue.Inc

Whakatane.Land.Search.and.Rescue

third scheduLeList Of speciaList discipLines as at 31 august 2010

•. YSAR.hamilton•. YSAR.Tauranga•. YSAR.Nelson•. ACR.teams

-. Christchurch.ACR-. Mt.Cook/Twizel.ACR-. RARO.(ACR)-. Taranaki.ACR-. Tasman.ACR-. Southland.ACR-. Wanaka.ACR-. Wakatipu.ACR

•. Caving.teams-. Auckland-. Canterbury-. hamilton/Waitomo-. Coast.Cave-. Manawatu-. Nelson-. Northland-. Southland-. Wellington

•. LandSAR.NZ.Search.Dogs-. SAR.Dogs.Otago

•. Swift.Water.Rescue-. Tasman.Swift.Water

fOurth scheduLeList Of natiOnaL Life MeMbers as at 31 august 2010

roger barrowclough.(Dunedin).December.2006

roscoe tait.(Auckland).September.2007

tom clarkson.(Wellington)..September.2009

roger bates (Turangi).November.2010


Name Date Presented

John P Tristram 20 Nov 1994

Roger Bates 20 Nov 1994

Roger Barrowclough 20 Nov 1994

**Peter Davis 20 Nov 1994

**Fred Gallas 20 Nov 1994

Ivan McLachlan 20 Nov 1994

Ted Robinson 20 Nov 1994

Roscoe Tait 20 Nov 1994

Barry Were 20 Nov 1994

Trevor Plowman 25 Mar 1995

**R W G (Ron) Kingston 11 Nov 1995

E S (Ted) Withers 11 Nov 1995

**Merv Passau 16 Mar 1996

Jim Rowe 16 Mar 1996

**Don McKay 24 Aug 1996

Don Major 24 Aug 1996

Ken Hayhurst 24 Aug 1996

Lawrence William Cobb 15 Mar 1997

**Alan Hepburn 15 Mar 1997

Keith Hepburn 15 Mar 1997

Neil Harris 15 Mar 1997

Edward (Ted) Neil Morgan 16 Aug 1997

Gordon Victor Brett 16 Aug 1997

Max Curtis 16 Aug 1997

Leon Bradley 16 Aug 1997

Alan V Berry 16 Aug 1997

**Ron Boocock 8 Nov 1997

Derick Mathews 8 Nov 1997

Anthony Jones 22 Aug 1998

Jim Farley 22 Aug 1998

Rod Mills 22 Aug 1998

Ray Furness 22 Aug 1998

**Kenneth James Burrows 14 Nov 1998

Gordon Edgar Hasell 14 Nov 1998

Ernie Hagger 21 Aug 1999

Mel Knauf 21 Aug 1999

Don Morrison 21 Aug 1999

**John Cassidy 21 Aug 1999

Ray Anstis 21 Aug 1999

Name Date Presented

Don Bogie 21 Aug 1999

Noel Herman 14 Nov 1999

Terry Conaghan 14 Nov 1999

**Tom Luff 17 Jan 2000

John Mason 25 Mar 2000

Tom Carter 12 Apr 2000

Brent Martin 27 Apr 2000

Dallas Winch 19 Aug 2000

**Brian Ahern 19 Aug 2000

John Haynes 19 Aug 2000

Bill Jackson 11 Nov 2000

Jacqueline Martin 11 Nov 2000

Phil Malham 11 Nov 2000

Dave Saunders 4 Feb 2001

**Andrew Shaw 17 Mar 2001

John Jordan 26 Jun 2001

Neil Sinclair 26 Jun 2001

Phil Rundle 18 Aug 2001

Tony Taylor 18 May 2002

**Bruce Hedley Heighway 27 May 2002

Peter Mann 4 Apr 2002

Graham Thorp 17 Aug 2002

Dave Brewer 16 Nov 2002

Mark Paterson 16 Nov 2002

Chris Sharp 16 Nov 2002

Russell Watson 16 Nov 2002

Brian Benn 31 Aug 2003

Lyn Manning 31 Aug 2003

Daniel O’Connell 31 Aug 2003

Paul Brennan 31 Aug 2003

Tom Hunter 31 Aug 2003

Markus Milne 15 Nov 2003

Linda Pike 15 Nov 2003

Larry Charles 15 Nov 2003

Andrew Pealing 15 Nov 2003

Alan Cross 23 Feb 2004

Terry Sweetman 23 Feb 2004

Tony McEnaney 23 Feb 2004

Mike DeLury 15 May 2004

Stephen Langridge 15 May 2004

RECIPIENTS.OF.ThE.NEW.ZEALAND..LAND.SEARCh.AND.RESCUE.AWARD

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RECIPIENTS.OF.ThE.NEW.ZEALAND..LAND.SEARCh.AND.RESCUE.AWARD

Name Date Presented

Jim McIntosh 15 May 2004

Steven Neilson 15 May 2004

Rodney Perrin-Smith 15 May 2004

Barry Petrie 15 May 2004

Hacky Sims 15 May 2004

Paul Tinnelly 15 May 2004

John Torrance 15 May 2004

Ashley Shaw 15 May 2004

Tony Macklin 20 May 2004

Dave Kerwin 8 Jun 2004

Dave Brockway 8 Jun 2004

Dave Dittmer 29 Aug 2004

Noel Bigwood 29 Aug 2004

Alan Marks 29 Aug 2004

Peter Adams 29 Aug 2004

Bill Dowle 29 Aug 2004

Dave Comber 13 Nov 2004

Geoff Olorenshaw 13 Nov 2004

Brian Holland 13 Nov 2004

Don Geddes 13 Nov 2004

Des Wood 13 Nov 2004

Gary Brehaut 13 Nov 2004

Tric Moller 2 Feb 2005

Stuart Warrington 2 Feb 2005

Ron Ealam 27 Feb 2005

Arch Fidler 27 Feb 2005

Rod Lawrence 27 Feb 2005

Brian Judson 27 Feb 2005

Jeffrey Kerr 27 Feb 2005

Gary Davis 14 May 2005

David Maclean 14 May 2005

John Walsh 14 May 2005

Roger Curl 14 May 2005

Terry Patterson 8 Jun 2005

Mike Sheridan 8 Jun 2005

Marty Green 8 Jun 2005

Russell Miller 28 Aug 2005

**Eric Macdonald 28 Aug 2005

Phil Whitelaw 30 Sept 2005

Rob Duncan 16 Nov 2005

Walter Russell 16 Nov 2005

Richard John Hayes 27 Nov 2005

Lex Perriam 27 Nov 2005

Name Date Presented

Gerard Prins 13 May 2006

Brian Purdie 13 May 2006

John P Tristram 13 May 2006

Phil Rundle 13 May 2006

Jim Lattimore 16 Nov 2006

Harvey Grieve 16 Nov 2006

Paul Dixon 16 Nov 2006

Don Scott 16 Nov 2006

Russell Currie 16 Nov 2006

David Barnes 16 Nov 2006

Trevor Pullar 16 Nov 2006

**Dennis Egeton 5 Dec 2006

Melvern Wainwright 5 Dec 2006

Keith Theobald 5 Dec 2006

Peter Vollweiler 17 Jun 2007

Dave Robertson 17 Jun 2007

Vince Dennis 17 Jun 2007

Dave Ward 29 Sept 2007

Stuart Thorne 29 Sept 2007

Brent Dalzell 29 Sept 2007

John McMillan 29 Sept 2007

Kevin Earl 29 Sept 2007

Roley Chaney 12 Aug 2008

Sandy Begbie 14 Dec 2008

Bruce Sandford 19 Aug 2008

John (JT) Thomason 22 July 2008

Dave Dittmer 20 Feb 2009

Glenn Mitchell 25 Sept 2009

Geoff Wayatt 25 Sept 2009

Alan Gillespie 25 Sept 2009

Debbie Robertson 25 Sept 2009

Jim Lewis 25 Sept 2009

Steve Wilks 25 Sept 2009

Mike Cotsilinis 25 Sept 2009

Matthew Nolan 25 Sept 2009

Dave Erson 15 Feb 2010

Laurie Gallagher 30 July 2010

Michael Irving 07 Sept 2010

Tony McLeod 29 Sept 2010

Gary Dickson 19 Nov 2010

Barry Shepherd 19 Nov 2010

Murray Johnston 19 Nov 2010

Brent MacDonald 19 Nov 2010

** Deceased



N E W Z E A L A N D

PROFILE.ON.PETER.ZIMMER.

hOMetOwn: Owhango (39° South)

LOcaL Landsar grOup: RARO (Ruapehu Alpine Rescue Organisation), Ruapehu and Turangi

respOnsibLe fOr: Looking after all LandSAR Groups South and West of Mt. Ruapehu plus a little way to the North. National contact for Alpine Cliff Rescue, Cliff Rescue and CaveSAR.

Landsar bacKgrOund: Been a member of RARO since 1995, joined what used to be the King Country Search and Rescue Group in 2000 (these days known as LandSAR Ruapehu) and officially joined LandSAR Turangi Group early in 2010.

persOnaL histOry: Former dairy farmer and started a career as an outdoor instructor and guide in 1992 working in alpine, bush and river environments. Established his own independent guiding and instructing business in 1995 and was the Operations Manager for an outdoor centre in the Central North Island. Became involved and active in the NZ volunteer scene shortly after arriving in the Central North Island in 1992. Member of the NZ Mountain Safety Council, the Tongariro Natural History Society, the NZ Alpine Club, the NZ Outdoor Instructors Association, the NZ Rafting Association, the Owhango Volunteer Fire Brigade and founding Chairperson of the Owhango Community School Ski Club.

favOurite pastiMes: Mountaineering, rock-climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, “skiing with my daughter”, flying a kite, organic farming and when time allows trout fishing.

faMiLy: Married to Claudia, with one “whirlwind” daughter.

from birkenfeld to Owhango

Peter Zimmer left his German homeland for New Zealand in 1990 straight out of university and he’s never left. As a LandSAR Field Support Officer Peter works from his small block of land in the Central North Island close to Tongariro National Park – an area of New Zealand that has captured his heart.

NOTES


ThE.WAY.FORWARD

Landsar’s 2011-2012 business pLanOur MissiOnTo.provide.search.and.rescue.support.for.the.lost,.missing.and.injured.

Our ObJectivesTo.provide.effective.and.efficient.land.search.1..and.rescue.services,.expertise.and.resources.when.required.to.the.Police,.the.Rescue.Coordination.Centre.of.New.Zealand,.and.in.turn.to.all.New.Zealanders.and.international.visitors.To.meet.or.exceed.recognised.standards.of.2..operational.performance.in.land.search.and.rescue.To.develop.relationships.with.Central.and.Local.3..Government.and.our.key.SAR.and.emergency.sector.partners.To.encourage,.support.and.provide.4..opportunities.for.the.development.of.search.and.rescue.techniques.and.knowledge.To.provide.leadership.and.support.to.our.5..volunteers,.the.SAR.sector.and.emergency.service.partners.

In.2009.the.membership,.partners,.staff.and.the.Board.finalised.the.LandSAR.2009.to.2014.Strategic.Plan..Our.longterm.vision.for.LandSAR.is.reviewed.annually,.with.our.wording.changed.slightly.from.best.practice.to.operational.performance.in.objec-tive.two,.and.Local.Government.added.to.objective.three..Out.of.the.updated.Strategic.Plan.comes.the.2011–2012.Business.Plan,.with.targets.our.organisa-tion.will.aim.to.achieve.in.the.coming.financial.year.

These.targets.need.to.be.known.by.all.LandSAR’s.key.partners.and.practitioners.so.that.we.are.all.aware.of.the.role.we.need.to.play.in.achieving.these.outcomes..The.National.Organisation.does.not.exist.in.isolation.and.has.no.actual.role.in.operations..The.national.function.is.therefore.to.support.the.membership.in.ensuring.they.are.best.prepared.for.such.operations..With.that.in.mind,.our.goals.and.key.targets.for.2011–12.in.percentage.terms.are:

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