[Level - 2] Death Valley Search & Rescue

search & rescue op
DEATH VALLEY
Level [2] Advanced Operators Only
November 22 , 2014  1000 hours

Primary Freq is 2m simplex 145.525 MHz
Secondary is 145.555 MHz.

The repeater is being setup to be transparent. Simply talk on the designated frequency 145.525 and net control will receive on 440 band. This will be a cross band repeater like the Big Bear op. 

Box Car Cabin / Primary Camping and Staging Area One  36.433405° -117.630874°

This cabin is a first come, first serve open cabin with plenty of parking and camping space for about 8 vehicles. Land Ops will attempt to hold this cabin starting on Thursday. If site is taken and/or if vehicle capacity is full please camp in dispersed mine area below;

More Dispersed Camping Near Mines caution; open pit mines in this area
36.438850° -117.608797°

Mobil station in Olancha (Nearest Fuel) on hwy 395
be sure to fill up your tank completely.  
36.273782°  -118.002589°

The scenario:One day before the op advanced operators will hide themselves in a very remote area of 

The objective is to find both vehicles and their passengers within 24 hours. Net control will run in shifts.
Search teams will return for food, rest and new search instruction as the search progresses.

Searchers will meet at search command (Land Ops tent) at the beginning of the exercise and will be given;

1. Number of vehicles missing
2. Vehicle makes, models and capabilities
3. Number of persons missing and their descriptions
4. Last known position (LKP)
5. Search parameters

 This will be similar to the SAR exercise Land Ops conducted in 2012 for the missing FJ Cruiser with 4 occupants only this time we have a much larger search grid.

 Image above is NOT the map  of this event, but a sample of the previous SAR event by Land Ops.

Drones
We will also consider launching aerial drones with WIFI video downlinks for those who wish to test this technology. The use of aerial equipment will allow searchers to look over and around obstacles as well as to check areas from a higher perspective.

Search teams will include;

1. Off road teams to search roads
2. Hikers to search areas inaccessible by vehicle
3. Aerial search by drone (weather permitting)

 This one will be quite the adventure.