Class Descriptions

SAR Tracker

  • Instructor: Fernando Moreira

Training to prepare SAR members for urban, rural and night tracking under “ideal” conditions. This course is for the SAR or law enforcement person that has the desire to become a tracker for the purpose of Search & Rescue. It is an intensive course with 4 hours of classroom and 16 hours in the field. Based on Jack Kearney’s “Tracking: A Blueprint for Learning How” and developed with his consent, this course teaches all the basics.

K9 High Line

  • Sponsoring team: PA Mountain Rescue
  • K9 teams may sign up for a time slot at Check-In.

High Line Course Description:  K9 and Handler transport via Rope system. 

This course presents a wonderful opportunity for handlers and their canine partners to be transported via a twin tension high line system. Each team will be instructed on the use of basic rope rescue equipment and safety techniques, hoisted into the air, and transported between two points. These skills have been critical during many real life disasters such as the response to Ground Zero in the days post 9/11. 

All participants are encouraged to bring any of their own gear that they wish to utilize. Necessary items for this station will include a bump helmet, work gloves, eye protection, K9 lifting harness and a ANSI/UIAA rated harness for the handler. All personal gear is subject to inspection prior to use and gear will be provided for those without. 

Pennsylvania Mountain Rescue is a wilderness SAR team based out of Monroe county. PAMR specializes in search logistics and mapping, patient care and evacuation, and technical rope skills. The team was founded in 2018 by members of two other SAR teams after the need for a rescue specific organization was realized. PAMRs membership is comprised of individuals with professional experience and personal passions for the outdoors and community service. The team is based out of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and listed as Monroe county station 75.

AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and AKC Community K9 (CGCA)

  • Evaluator: Kristi Teklinksi

CGC – Description

The Canine Good Citizen Program is a certification program that is designed to reward dogs who have good manners at home and in the community. The Canine Good Citizen Program is a two-part program that stresses responsible pet ownership for and basic good manners for dogs. Who can participate? There is no age limit for the CGC® test. Any dog, regardless of being purebred or not, can participate in this program. Information about the Canine Good Citizen Program can be found on the 
American Kennel Club website.

CGCA – Description

Community Canine (CGCA) is all about having a well-behaved dog in the community. Whereas Canine Good Citizen tests are most often tested in a simulated environment at a training facility or in a ring. ​The 10-step AKC Community Canine test is conducted in real life situations, which can include walking through a crowd on a busy sidewalk or in a local park.
You must have passed the CGC evaluation in order to receive the CGCA. 

K9 Field Work (Air Scent, Trailing & HRD)

  • Friday & Saturday offered as separate sessions

All levels of experience are welcome. Instructors MAY send out questionnaires to registrants to gain more information in advance of the SAREX about where you are in your training, and what you hope to gain from this training workshop. Maximum of 1:5 instructor to student ratio (maximum of 1 instructor to 5 participants). Training locations may vary from day to day depending on class needs.

  • Air Scent
    • Christine Ronsisvalle and Melissa Parker
    • Howie Mousley

  • Trailing
    • Alex Tkacenko
    • Jason Berthelette
    • Rusty Jones

  • Human Remains Detection
    • Athena Haus and Jennifer Woolever
    • Jack Thorpe and Annissia Justice
    • Lisa Rice

All SAREX Registrants are welcome to audit & observe K9 field classes for no additional fee!

Tracking Fundamentals & Track Aware

  • Instructor: John Norris

Course Time: Roughly 1200 min. (two days) 1.5Hr night element on day one. Helpers should bring multiple pairs of shoes.

Expected Learner Outcome: Develop skill sets to perform specific land SAR tracking tasks. To demonstrate a need to increase the use of tracking skills during land search incident. Emphasize the need for continued interaction with other trackers, expanding the use of this skill set within your unit and recognize the need for weekly [if not daily] practice.

Instructor Intent: Lecture with PPT presentation to define NASAR Tracking concepts and then set up field exercises to practice these concepts. Practice must contain the common tasks that a tracker would be expected to perform during a land search incident.

Conditions: Under controlled pre-defined environments provide step-by-step modules in lecture and field exercise format. Typical: During each module student involvement will be observed and participation will be expected. Those who attend 80% or greater of the course and pass the practical examination will be awarded a Track Aware certificate from NASAR.

Honing your Survival Skills

  • Instructor: Rudy Ritter

The basis of this course is to explain and introduce different methods for shelter building with tarps that are carried in SAR packs, and small fire making/understanding, with basic tool usage and equipment safety and use. 

Water Rescue Awareness

  • Instructor: Dan Bacaloglu, PFBC Instructor

The first in a series of Water Rescue courses designed and regulated by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC). The PFBC initiated the Pennsylvania Water Rescue Program in 1983 to provide water and ice rescue training for fire and rescue department personnel. Since that time, over 75,000 students have been trained in the most current techniques. It is now the largest non-profit, public water and ice rescue training program known to exist in the United States.

Classroom Course Content: Scene assessment, activation of the Emergency Response System, evaluation of potential and existing water hazards, scene management, rescue vs. recovery, and personal safety measures. This course meets or exceeds NFPA 1670 Awareness-level guidelines.

Crime Scene Preservation

  • Instructor: Lindsey Taylor

During this presentation you will be advised of the varying aspects of the Crime Scene
Awareness from identification of a possible scene, to the preservation and security thereof.
Additionally, how law enforcement processes the scene to maximize the information found at
the scene. The importance of Physical Evidence. We will discuss evidentiary issues – the
importance of a clean scene, and the various possibilities on witness testimony about those
crime scenes, and the different types of testimony.

Deciphering Pet Food and Pet Supplements

  • Instructor: Dr. Dan Bacaloglu, DVM

Objectives: Understanding the rules of a pet food label, what the different portions mean, who regulates pet food, what in the name and the ingredient represent, adequacy statements, what are supplements and who regulates supplements, quality concerns

Fitness for the Search and Rescue Canine

  • Instructors: Dr. Kristina Opalecky & Julianna King

This class is designed specifically for wilderness search and rescue dog handlers, focusing on foundational skills for canine strength and conditioning. This is designed for those who are new or have limited experience with canine strength and conditioning. Participants will gain practical knowledge through lecture and hands-on learning to optimize their search and rescue dogs’ strength, endurance, and overall fitness, ensuring they are well-prepared for operational searches. Dogs of any age are able to participate

Canine First Aid

  • Instructors: Dr. Kristina Opalecky & Julianna King

A workshop designed to teach dog owners essential first aid skills, including how to recognize emergencies, provide immediate care, and respond confidently until veterinary help is available. This session will include both lecture portions and hands on skills to cover wounds and bleeding, respiratory distress, CPR basics, and other common emergencies you might encounter in the field. Canine First Aid certificates will be awarded upon completion of the workshop

Strength & Conditioning for the Wilderness SAR K9

  • Instructors: Kristina Opalecky & Julianna King

This class is designed specifically for wilderness search and rescue dog handlers, focusing on foundational skills for canine strength and conditioning. This is designed for those who are new or have limited experience with canine strength and conditioning. Participants will gain practical knowledge through lecture and hands-on learning to optimize their search and rescue dogs’ strength, endurance, and overall fitness, ensuring they are well-prepared for operational searches. Dogs of any age are able to participate. 

By the end of the seminar, handlers should be able to: 

  • Recognize signs of fatigue or injury in search and rescue dogs. 
  • Describe the importance of physical fitness for the wilderness SAR K9’s performance, injury prevention, and longevity of their career.
  • Create and implement a warm up and cool down routine. 
  • Apply principles of canine-specific exercise, including strength, endurance, body awareness, and flexibility training to their training routine. 

Course Structure and Content Outline 

  • Importance of Strength and Conditioning for K9s 
  • Body condition score and relationship with performance and injury 
  • Building endurance for Wilderness SAR 

Hands-On Sessions: 

  • Demo: Benefits of strength and conditioning 
  • Warm up & Cool Down 
  • Core strength exercises 
  • Balance and coordination drills 
  • Flexibility and mobility exercises 
  • Tailored conditioning protocols for SAR requirements

Wilderness Search and Rescue canines are elite athletes needing endurance, strength, agility, and body awareness to navigate their environment with confidence despite less than ideal environmental factors. Having a proper warm up and strength and conditioning plan ensures that our athletes are prepared to work their tasks efficiently while minimizing risk of injury. Properly conditioned canines are able to work longer, range further, navigate more difficult terrain, and are less prone to heat injury and physical injury than their unconditioned counterparts. Working through fitness programs builds teamwork and communication between the handler and their dog, further strengthening their bond and trust in one another. Handlers who have a conditioning program for their dog often recognize subtle signs of pain and discomfort earlier- allowing for prompt diagnosis and treatment which can reduce rest needed from work and more severe injury.

Hybrid FUNSAR/SARTECH II

  • Instructor: Ken Chiacchia

This hybrid Fundamentals of Search and Rescue class and SARTECH II test will cover the classroom sessions remotely in the weeks before SAREX and the field portions of the class plus the testing for the SARTECH II certification at the two days of the SAREX. SARTECH II certifies successful candidates as operational wilderness SAR responders, a national cert with lots of cross-recognition in the U.S. and beyond. Students will attend 16 hours of classroom instruction via Zoom, following that up with ~8 hours of field instruction on the Friday of SAREX, ~4 hours of testing on Friday night, and ~8 hours on Saturday during the day. Students MUST download PTBs for the class on NASAR’s SAR Academy site to attend (https://saracademy.thinkific.com; note that you’ll have problems if you try to do it in the NASAR Bookstore), AND register ahead of time with the SAREX leadership to ensure a place in the class/test. Basic cost is $190, or $60 for members of PSARC teams — note you’ll need to register with the Summit to get the PSARC code to get that discount.   Zoom April 18, 2026 and April 19, 2026  Both days April 24, 2025 & April 25, 2025

Wilderness First Aid

  • Instructors: Kathy Otruba , Jill Oblack and  Dr. Michele Belak

The ECSI Wilderness First Aid Course is  written by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Wilderness Medical Society.  The 16 hour course provides information on how to handle common injuries and illnesses when medical. care is an hour or more away. No previous first aid training is required

Documentation and Accountability

  • Instructor: Jason Berthelette

Coming Soon

Child Development and Anticipated Behavior

  • Instructor: Michaela Hruskova

Child development is a multifaceted journey that involves growth in physical, emotional, and cognitive areas. Understanding how the concept of “being lost” manifests can vary greatly depending on a child’s age and developmental stage. In this one-hour session, we will explore the expected behaviors at each developmental stage, providing valuable insights to help support children’s growth and understanding during these critical phases

Bone ID

  • Instructor: Dr. Heather Billings

This presentation will include updated information on visual searching for human skeletal remains, including impact of season and/or weather conditions on detection. Guidance on searcher spacing for cold case searches for human remains will be discussed. A hands-on exercise applying lessons will be conducted.

K9 GPS Track Analysis for Handlers and Search Managers

  • Instructor: Marnie Powell

Designed for Airscent Handlers (Live and HRD), Search Managers, and Search Debrief personnel. Participants should have knowledge of GPS equipment (GPS Collars, GPS handheld, and mapping programs such as Sartopo), GPS track formats (GPX, KMZ, KML, JSON), map reading and terrain identification, scent theory, and basic K9 behavior in order to analyze GPX tracks both in the field and in post-search debriefing. Participants will learn to analyze K9 tracklogs, both in the field and post search, in order to locate and analyze K9 Behavior Indicators. K9 Behavior Indicators will then be combined with Scent Theory and Terrain Effects to formulate new Search Theories, assign more accurate POD’s, and determine if an area should be more thoroughly searched and/or searched again.

Field Use of CalTopo (Lunch and Learn – both days)

  • Instructor: Justin Kukuruda

Maximizing Efficiency: From Digital Map to Tactical Advantage ​In Search and Rescue, time is the only resource we can’t recover. This course moves beyond basic waypoint marking to show you how to leverage CalTopo’s full suite of power tools to make your search more efficient, your data more accurate, and your team more lethal in the field. ​Key Learning Objectives: ​Maximizing Efficiency with Overlays: Using Slope Angle Shading, Terrain Shadows, and Custom Layers to identify high-probability travel corridors before you even step off the pavement. ​Real-Time Data Syncing: Utilizing live tracking and team folders to ensure Command sees what you see, reducing radio chatter and redundant searching. ​Buffer & Sector Analysis: Learning to use the “Buffer” and “Measure” tools to ensure 100% coverage of your assigned search sector without wasting energy on “over-searching” cleared ground. ​Advanced Mobile Tools: Fast-tagging clues with photos and GPS coordinates to create a digital breadcrumb trail for follow-up teams. ​The Goal: To transform CalTopo from a simple map into a force multiplier, allowing you to cover more ground with higher confidence and less wasted effort.