On November 22nd, 1984 a search and rescue team set out to find a young girl who had gone missing. At the time volunteers participating in the search were untrained. After discovering that the missing girl had passed away, two members of the group decided they wanted to create a team of trained volunteers within the community. Ten years later their wish saw fruition and the organization became a registered 501-3C non-profit.
Middle Creek Search & Rescue (MIDSAR) now consists of a 365-day-a-year team of extensively trained community volunteers, a K-9, and a horse unit.
Members of the organization are trained in grid searching techniques, managing search operations, map and compass skills, Skywarn (Severe Weather Spotters for the National Weather Service), crime scene awareness, and interviewing methods. Their K9 teams train 2-3 days a week and 1 day over the weekend.
Those who actively participate in the organization have shown a devotion to aiding agencies in looking for those missing or lost. This is further proven by Jill Robinson, a Handler on the K-9 Team, as she states, “This is a job for us. A very serious one.”
The organization holds monthly meetings out of Durlach Mt. Airy Fire Company in Clay Township as well as monthly team training, both of which are open to the public. As a non-profit and volunteer-driven team, they are always looking for more community individuals to get involved. Even those who do not wish to participate in the search and rescue can help by posing as missing individuals for the team’s training.
MIDSAR also strives to educate the community, hoping to minimize the number of individuals who are lost or missing and teach those who do best practices. Among the educational programs taught is the Hug a Tree Program which teaches that if ever in a situation where lost, it is best to stay put and wait to be found.
For more information on Middle Creek Search & Rescue and how you can get involved, be sure to visit them at www.midsar.org.
For more pictures of Middle Creek Search & Rescue visit https://lancasterhealthnews.org/middle-creek-search-rescue/.
