P.O. Box 506
Ames, IA 50010-0506
www.STAR1.org
New Member Information
STAR 1 is a multi-discipline volunteer Search and Rescue Association which is
based in Story County, Iowa. We have members throughout the State of Iowa
and will respond to any location within the state.
What we provide to the communities of Iowa
We provide lost or missing person search management, resources, such as
ground searchers and K9 teams, and continuing education to requesting
agencies throughout the state of Iowa.
Volunteers with STAR 1 can train and deploy in the following manner:

Search Specialist; trains in the areas of lost person search management
and search technician skills. The Search Specialists focus solely on lost
person search management and ultimately certify at the NASAR SAR Tech
II level (Advanced Search and Rescue Technician).

Canine Search Specialist; Canine Search Specialists first become
proficient at wilderness search techniques and certify at the NASAR SAR
Tech II level. They may do this while training their dogs, and must
achieve the SAR Tech II before they can certify as Canine Search
Specialists. Canine handlers may select those canine search specialties
that they feel they and their dogs are best suited for. They may train in
the areas of air scenting, wilderness and urban trailing, water-cadaver
search, land cadaver search, collapsed structure cadaver search, collapsed
structure live search, and evidence search. STAR 1 Canine Search
Specialists may then certify their dogs at any of the NASAR canine levels
(III, II, and I).
Canine handlers are expected to fund the care and feeding of their dogs out their
own pockets. Subsidies for canine training seminars are occasionally available.
STAR 1 Search Specialists and Canine Search Specialists are also introduced to
rope rescue, water and ice rescue, and collapsed structure rescue. This training
is a required awareness level for the purpose of keeping our members safe. Our
Search Specialists and Canine Search Specialists learn to rappel, crawl through
rubble, and swim while wearing PFDs.
What do we expect from our members?
STAR 1 is frequently deployed at night and we may travel 1-2 hours or more to
get to the scene of a missing person or rescue situation. We face humid temps,
poison ivy and mosquitoes in the summer and extreme cold temperatures in the
winter. The risks and hardships are many but the rewards that come from
helping victims and their families are tremendous.
If you already have a busy lifestyle with little free time on your hands, you
should probably reconsider joining. While the time commitment varies, you
generally can count on spending one to two days per month training. You will be
on call 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Your time commitment at a search
may be up to 12 hours or more depending on the location. While we recognize
that you will not always be available, your lifestyle, work and other commitments
should be somewhat flexible to allow you to participate in search and rescue
missions.
We are looking for those special people who have a strong desire to help others
in emergency situations. We look for calm and thoughtful members. We look for
people who can work well as a part of a team and who can confidently assume
responsibility for the well-being and safety themselves and of other team
members. There’s NO room for thrill-seekers in STAR 1, in-fact our motto is,
“we’re so safe, we’re boring”.
Prospective members are welcome to train with the team for up to three
sessions before being invited to complete an application for membership. New
applicants then will go through an interview process, which is followed by a
three-month probationary period. You don’t have to have a background in the
emergency services but it helps.
Members are expected to attend no less then 50 % of the team training sessions
and meetings offered each quarter to maintain proficiency in the wide variety of
skills needed to be an effective team member. Additionally, members are asked
to notify the team leaders if they are unable to attend a particular training
session. This is important because it allows the team leaders to modify the
training topic based upon the number of participants expected.
If you would like to participate in STAR 1 but do not have the time to become a
fully trained and deployable member, we would also appreciate assistance with
administrative matters. This might include assistance with public relations,
marketing or even the website. Please fill out a Prospect Member Questionnaire
and talk to our membership coordinator.
Minimum Physical Requirements
Applicants must be able to pass our aerobic-endurance test, which consists of a
1.5-mile hike within 20-25 minutes over moderately flat terrain (while wearing
the team-issue fanny pack).
Additionally: weight must be proportionate to height, candidate should be able to
swim while wearing a PFD, should have vision corrected to 20/20 and have
suitable night and color vision, should have no medical conditions that may
appear suddenly and be debilitating such as, hypoglycemia, epilepsy or other
seizure disorders, cardiac or respiratory conditions. Candidate should be able to
communicate verbally and should be able to transmit and receive using a
portable radio.
Search and rescue work can be extremely strenuous. Search and rescue training
and missions may require team members to;
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
carry weights in excess of 50 pounds
walk 5 or more miles in extremes of temperature and precipitation
walk or climb unstable terrain and debris or climb ladders or ropes
swim in flat water or in moving water while wearing a PFD
swim in ice covered water while wearing an exposure suit
Cost to become a member
$25 application fee, nonrefundable after 3 months
Members are expected to have or acquire outerwear and foot wear suitable for
Iowa’s extreme weather. This includes boots, parka and pants that are weather
resistant, preferably waterproof and breathable such as Gore-Tex or a similar
product (yellow is the preferred color). Members may be prohibited from
participating in practices or missions if a team leader deems their clothing
unsatisfactory for the conditions. We are happy to help new members select
equipment that they may not be familiar with. STAR 1 may make many pieces
of equipment available at costs significantly below the suggested retail cost, see
the membership coordinator for more details.
STAR 1 has extra harnesses and helmets available for new members to use.
Personal equipment that is essential to team members includes a climbing or
rescue helmet, a headlamp, and a climbing or rescue harness (for those pursuing
the rescue track). Additionally STAR 1 requires the purchase of the team-issue
fanny pack (or comparable style, subject to approval). This particular fanny pack
comes with shoulder straps and will carry enough personal survival equipment
for a 24-hour stay in almost any setting during moderate weather. This fanny
pack is also used as a tool belt for urban search and rescue work. It is not
necessary to purchase all of the equipment immediately.
Before purchasing any equipment we strongly encourage you to apply and
become an official prospect member. We are more than willing to help you with
equipment selection.
If this sounds like a way you would want to give back to you community, please
fill out the STAR 1 Prospect Application and send it in!