Download or read book Land Search and Rescue in New Zealand, 19342020 written by Roger Bates and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Search and Rescue started off unofficially as a bunch of trampers or climbers going out to look for a lost party. Searchers were weighed down by heavy radios and equipment with cumbersome packs. There were no smartphones or GPSs, and helicopters rarely deployed. If found injured or dead, the missing party was carried out on a stretcher. Fast forward to 2020 and Search and Rescue is now a highly organized system of volunteers who work as a support agency to the New Zealand Police. Communications, technology and rescue equipment have changed dramatically, helicopters are readily engaged and lost parties are rescued much faster. But the one thing that hasn't changed is the commitment of the staff and volunteers, who drop everything to go and assist, often in uncomfortable and dangerous conditions - the very conditions that sparked the search - and the families who remain behind in full support. A chronological summary of the progression of Land Search and Rescue in New Zealand is presented highlighting key people, challenges and improvements to the organization. Various case histories re explained, ranging from an underground cave rescue to extracting trapped climbers off New Zealand's highest mountain, giving the reader an idea of the type of categories of search that arise and how they are dealt with. Also outlined is what happens when 111 is called and how search and rescue operation works in the field and behind the scenes. This is a worthwhile book not only for those outside pf the organisation but as a reference for past SAR practitioners, current volunteers and those interested in becoming involved in search and rescue."--Publisher description.