Interested in joining?
The scenario...
It’s 10pm on a Sunday evening. You arrive at the Catchpool car park to see a group of people gathered around two distraught parents. They haven’t seen their 4 year old since he disappeared at just after 7pm.The parents spent two hours frantically searching before calling 111. The temperature is expected to drop to near-freezing overnight, and wind and rain are forecast to arrive within 3 hours.
The assembled LandSAR teams are all that separates a happy reunion and a family tragedy. Have you got what it takes to help?
Search and rescue work is unglamorous, call-outs happen at inconvenient times of the day and night, in bad weather and when you least expect it. It’s often a thankless task. Far from typical media images of helicopters and search dogs, most work gets done by steady, calm and methodical effort. Stamina is more important than speed.
We need people who can quietly join the team, commit to the necessary training and work steadily to build up their search and rescue skills. You also need to be available week days during the day for call-outs. If you’re after a quick adrenaline hit, then LandSAR isn’t for you
Volunteering options
1. Field team member or Suburban team Field member
2. Incident Management team
3. Support Crew
To learn more, please on the check out the fact sheets.
The joining process for field members.
Connect
Email the membership officer expressing your interest to join. You’ll be provided some information so you can self-evaluate if it is for you and if you do feel you’d like to continue. You will be sent a joining form to fill out & name is added to the next intake and you will be advised when that will happen.
We usually only do one intake per year. Follow our Facebook Page, as all intakes are announced there.
When intake opens you’ll be asked to complete more forms including authority to be police checked.
Info Evening
When our intake opens, we invite members to attend and information evening. This is an opportunity for you to learn about us, and ask your questions and for us to learn more about you.
After the overview of Police & LandSAR Wellington, we break into small groups to interview and be interviewed by you.
This is the first round of the selection process. Only some members are invited to continue on with the process.
Nav & Gear Check
We conduction a navigation test to evaluate your skills.
You are then expected to lay out your gear for inspection. A gear list is provided prior to this, so all members are aware of the requirements as to what they need to carry.
This is the second round of the selection process, like the first only some members are invited to continue on with the process.
Overnighter
The over-nighter is where you get to show the skills you have. Navigation, team work, water skills and preparedness in the bush is all put to the test. The over nighter starts at 1800hrs (6pm),members are expected to be there 20 minutes early and ready to go.
The exercises can take you the wee small hours before pitching camp and having an early start on the Saturday.
Members finish about 1300 hrs (1pm) and this is the third phase of the selection process.
Join
While the selection process has been going on, your references have been followed up on, your police check has been conducted and you have been evaluated as to if you are a suitable and skilled fit for the group.
Your name is submitted to the group committee and they are the final step in the decision making process as to if you will receive an invite to join.
Upon joining even more is expected of you!
In your first 18 months of being a member, the training is intensive.
Induction
You have an induction evening where you will be provided information about our membership database, how to sign up for training on both a local and national level. Who-is-Who is covered too! You will also be provided your safety vest, notebook and cap.
As probationary, you will be able to attend call-outs and will be deployed with experienced members.
Group Events
You will be expected to participate in group events such as marshaling the Tararua Mountain Race, Te Papa Emergency Services Expo, Life Flight Trust Open day, our end of year family BBQ and our Annual General Meeting.
Group Training
You will need to attend our monthly training. The group training is often held at the third Thursday of the month at 1900hrs. This can range from 90 minutes to 2 hours in duration.
You will also need to attend the annual River Safety training day held in the end of Jan, and the yearly SAREX held over the weekend in November.
National Training
You will be expected to attend 3 weekend national training events to become a qualified team member. These include first aid, tracking and wilderness search skills. You will also be recommended to attend a Search the Surbuban Environment skills weekend.
Most new members get these completed within 18 months of joining.
Still interested?
Your invite to begin the process!
We need new members that are available during the day, weekdays in particular.
If you are still interested, willing and able to commit the time to be involved in LandSAR Wellington then you are invited to email membership@landsarwellington.org and connect with our membership officer to begin the joining process.