Invitation to Canterbury District Land SAREX

The district land SAREX will be held this year on March 28th-29th March 2015.

The location will be in the Arthur's Pass area, Canterbury 
The two day exercise will consist of a rogaine that will run for a 24 hour period. Most of the stations in the rogaine will be based on the LandSAR field competencies, both operational and probationary (attached).

It is expected that all LandSAR groups in Canterbury will enter at least one team.
You should read all the instructions supplied before the event.

Arrival
Teams must arrive by 0900 hrs on Saturday 28th March 2015.

Registration will take place at the Arthur's Pass Outdoor Education Centre, on State Highway 73, Arthur's Pass Village. The ICP and registration will be located in this complexRegistration.

Will be open between 0900 and 1000 hrs. From 1000-1030 hrs teams will receive a briefing on the event and a safety briefing. The event is not suitable for people with injuries that restrict their mobility or endurance.

The event will start between 1030 and 1100hrs.

If teams want to arrive on the Friday then accommodation/area will be made available, however teams will have to provide their own food for Friday night/Saturday morning.

Teams
All teams must consist of 3 or 4 people with a nominated team leader. Four people are preferred because if someone has to pull out from a team, the remainder can still continue and complete the exercise. It would be helpful to arrive in your teams with the equipment you need already packed. All teams must fully complete the sign in and registration process.
The exercise will finish 24 hours after it starts on Sunday and will be followed by a BBQ lunch (supplied) and a quick debriefing. Participants should be free to leave by 1400 hrs. Free showers will be available for participants.

Equipment
Teams must bring all equipment they need and must carry it with them for the duration of the exercise, including radios. HF radios will be available for teams. 24 hour ration packs will be supplied (Back Country) 1 per participant. Participants can bring their own food if they prefer. The LandSAR field guide provides a good indication of personal and team equipment that should be carried. A BBQ will be provided at the finish on Sunday.

Rules
A detailed list of rules will be included in the competition pack supplied at registration on the Saturday morning. Teams will also be briefed on these rules. Non-compliance with the rules will lead to points deductions. A breach of safety rules could lead to disqualification.

A change from last years exercise is the rest period will now be for 6 hours, this can be taken at any location/time and must be continuous, and there is no requirement for a non completing driver. If any driver feels incapable of driving their vehicle home due to fatigue, arrangements will be made to assist with this process.

Assessment
All tasks within the exercise will be assessed and teams will finish with a gold, silver or bronze level of competency. Teams won't be told their scores or given any feedback during the exercise. Scores will be advised at the debriefing and team leaders will be sent a detailed feedback sheet from each station in the week following the exercise.

Management
Management personnel will be required to coordinate the exercise and assist with the running of some stations. Anyone available to assist with the coordination and management of the exercise should notify the Police SAR Coordinator well before the exercise.

Numbers attending
There is no need to advise of the names of personnel attending, however can groups please advise of the number of teams they plan to enter by Friday 6th March 2015.

Training prior to event
The field competencies provide a good guide on the nature of the tasks in the exercise. In the lead up to the event it would be a good idea to focus training on those competencies. No further information on the nature of the tasks in the exercise will be provided prior to the briefing on Saturday 28th March. Not all the stations will be totally SAR related. It will be similar to last year, with a number of changes that came from last years debrief and the Tasman District SAREX, that followed the same format.
The event should prove challenging, both mentally and physically, but will be a lot of fun for those teams participating. It will be achievable and there is nothing in the exercise that is any harder than the competencies (that were drafted by Canterbury members) describe.
We hope to see you there.

Phil Simmonds
SAR Coordinator