The NW ELT TEAM
Member Classes and Qualifications
Our
team has 2 member classifications: Associate and Regular
Associate Member:
Associate membership is routinely for
individuals aged 14 - 18 years old, and are interested in radio
direction finding. They serve in a support role. On protracted searches they
assist in base camp with the varying tasks necessary to maintain the teams in
the field.
Regular
Member:
Regular members generally include persons over the age of
18. They have full voting issues on all items placed before the General
Membership.
Member Qualifications
Nearly every Regular Member of The NW ELT Team is a licensed Amateur Radio Operator of at least No Code Technician Class or above. This is necessary based on the type of searches we do, as well as the HUGE areas we sometimes cover.
Our Map Person stays at home and helps the teams in the field when necessary. Additionally, the Map Person may serve as a liaison with agencies and/or support personnel. This role is vital to our team, although this person is not routinely "in the field", they fill a critical role in each mission.
Solo Mobile DF'ers MUST have a Ham Ticket. Further, they must have reliable transportation and the equipment necessary for receiving and "df-ing". Our team prefers the L-Per which we modify to permit the easy "interpretation" of the signal received, plus it enables our members to quantify signal strength. These figures are understood by team members and it increases our proficiency. Other skills necessary are: the ability to be a TEAM member, the willingness to follow the policies and guidelines of NW ELT, and a dedication to Search and Rescue - placing the welfare of the subject in it's proper priority.
Support Personnel are probably the unsung heroes of our team. Not only do they assist with base camp duties, but in many instances serve as "ride alongs" with the Solo Mobile DF'ers. They must be Map & Compass proficient, have the ability to assist with communication tasks, plus know how to operate the L-Per. Finally, they must be familiar with the interferometer as well as the integration techniques we use. Typically, spouses and/or children accompany Solo Mobile DF'ers, we pride ourselves on being family oriented (circumstances permitting).
Finally, each member of our team will have a current Department of Emergency Services Volunteer Worker's card. Although we do NOT believe that one must be a "Rambo-clone" to be a good radio direction finder, we are convinced they must be comfortably familiar with the fundamentals of Search and Rescue. To that end, the NW ELT Team trains it's personnel and encourages them to look outside our team for further, more comprehensive training in subjects such as: First Aid, CPR, Blood Borne Pathogens, SAR Techniques, Crime Scene Preservation, etc.
The NW ELT Team are members of the Clark County (WA) Emergency Volunteers Council. We support the efforts of the other groups involved in it and we hope that through this council, a more unified and cohesive approach to SAR will be produced. Also, we appreciate the efforts of: The Clark County Sheriff's Office (particularly Fred Nieman & Bob Dunnick) and The Clark County Deparment of Emergency Services (most notably Tom Griffith & John Wheeler) for their involvement in the council. Their support and guidance have been critical to establishing and maintaining the council's focus.
The NW ELT Team
9710 NE 92nd Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98662-1944
(360) 699-2630 Alphanumeric Pager
To Serve, That Others May Live
Send your email to: nwelt@pacifier.com
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