Darke County Man Named to State Search and Rescue Committee

Search & Rescue Volunteers preparing to conduct a training search

The newly formed Ohio Search and Rescue Association was introduced at the recent Search and Rescue conference held at the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

The goal of the new Association is to coordinate units, establish training standards, and manage qualifications for volunteer search units from across the state.

Topics at the conference included, Role of the Attorney General’s Office, Amber Alert System, CART, (Child Abduction Response Team), CERT, (Community Emergency Response Team), Incident Management Team’s and Search Theory and Techniques.

The group identified three primary types of search units including; Foot, K-9, and Equine. Darke County resident Jeff Parks was chosen to head up the Equine division. “I’m looking forward to working with the other volunteer mounted search units in the state, said J. Parks. “We need to put our experience and idea’s together to come up with a set of training standards for equine search units”.


The National Incident Management System and National Association of Search and Rescue are also places the team will look at for guidance and ideas.

Attendee’s representing this area from Miami Valley Mounted Search and Rescue included: Pam Clark, Larry Miller, Courtney Arquilla, Jim Miller, Tammy Miller, Karyl Parks, and Jeff Parks.

The Darke County Emergency Management Agency was able to provide grant funds to assist with registration fees for the area attendees for the 2nd year. EMA Director Mindy Saylor added, “With continuing budget cuts affecting Law Enforcement and Emergency Service personnel, having qualified volunteer emergency response teams available is an invaluable asset to communities!”