The volunteer team is primarily a Search and Rescue (SAR) team that started 30 years ago when the Shiloh Saddle Club joined forces with the Tyler County Office of Emergency Services (now OEM) to become the first equestrian SAR team in the state. These volunteers have respond to many types of natural and man-made emergencies including floods, derechos, transportation and industrial disasters. It is a very large volunteer team with members coming from several counties and states. The group includes medical professionals, meteorologists, college professors, information technologists, and hardworking folks from all walks of life. These fine people have one thing in common; they all want to help others!

Training

Search And Rescue (SAR) volunteers are offered training on a regular basis. Topics include search management, map reading, land navigation, lost person behavior, survival, clue detection, crime scene preservation, communications, drone operations, man tracking, digital mapping, low angle rope rescue and basic medical skills just to name a few. The SAR team has many canine and handlers that train in canine behavior, tracking, trailing, air scent and finding human remains on land and under water. The handlers are also trained in the topics mentioned above.

This training prepares volunteers not only for search and rescue but most of these skills are used for disaster and emergency response and recovery.

Equipment

These volunteers are not sent into emergency situations without proper equipment, supplies and technology. OEM is constantly building and updating resources that can be quickly deployed to anywhere in WV and surrounding states. Some of this equipment includes:

  • Fully Equipped Mobile Command Center
  • Mobile Field Office
  • satellite communications
  • inflatable jet boat
  • flat bottom rescue boat
  • river rescue boat with state of the art electronics
  • variety of UVF and VHF radios
  • ham/amateur radio equipment
  • special weather equipment
  • mobile cascade air supply trailer
  • mass casualty trailer
  • GPS resource tracking system
  • drones with FLIR (heat sensing)
  • handheld FLIR (heat sensing) units
  • portable shelters
  • shelter supplies
  • fork trucks
  • emergency medical supplies for responders
  • canine and equine
  • large animal rescue equipment
  • canine training equipment
  • snowmobile
  • spill response trailer