Reply to “In Response to Wilderness Search Strategy and Tactics”

To the Editor:

We would like to thank Dr Cooper and Mr Frost for their comments ¹ regarding our recent article “Wilderness Search Strategy and Tactics.” ² Their experience and points provide an excellent complementary perspective. We would like to point out that the intent of our article was to summarize current search strategies in a manner that would illustrate the basics of search strategy to medical providers and readers with no background in search management. It was not intended to be a treatise on land search techniques. Thus, we purposefully limited content and focused on the topics that would be most valuable to the Wilderness & Environmental Medicine readership.

Although the 2011 Land Search and Rescue Addendum to the National Search and Rescue Supplement to the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual (LSA) ³ is a wonderful reference for search strategy and tactics, to suggest that it is the “standard of care” or the accepted “best practice” is misleading as there is still considerable incongruity by experts regarding some of the strategies suggested. The LSA attempts to reconcile maritime and military search tactics to land search and rescue (SAR) operations. There are several problems with this approach. The most prominent issue is that maritime search is considered a closed system (a vessel will remain in a body of water), whereas land search is an open system (the subject may not be within the search area or could travel outside the original search area, or criminal intent could be involved). These variables introduce uncertainty and complexity into the management of land search.

The authors of the WEM article referenced are all considered subject matter experts in their field, each with countless hours of practical application of the techniques described in the article. Despite some differences in opinion, we would suggest that WEM readers interested in this topic and engaged in its application pursue further education in search management topics.

Finally, we would like to end this discussion with an excerpt from the Introduction to the LSA:

The guidance within this Addendum is intended to assist SAR personnel without preempting their experience and sound judgment. SAR planning in particular is both an art and a science, relying greatly on the creativity and experience of the personnel involved. Because of the many variables encountered during SAR operations and the uniqueness of each individual SAR case, any guidance must be tempered with sound judgment, having regard for the individual situation. Nothing in this Addendum should be construed as relieving SAR personnel of the need for initiative and sound judgment. Therefore, few actions or procedures discussed in this Addendum are mandatory.