State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers assist the Western Australia Police to conduct thousands of searches over all types of terrain across the state in both rural and urban areas.
Volunteers are trained in a number of search techniques and required to have specific skills including map reading and navigation, first aid, field craft, observation (both day and night), and tracking.
Teams work under leadership of a field search controller who directs volunteers to conduct searches on foot supported by tracker dog units, in motor vehicles and on horseback.
SES volunteers can also assist search and rescue operations from the air as observers for both land and sea searches. Searching can be an extremely traumatic task especially when young children are involved and the outcome is not successful
SES volunteers have peer support counselling services available to help deal with stressful incidents.
