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Change in search and rescue over time

By on 20 May, 2019 in Bushwalking history, Bushwalking safety

The history of Bush Search and Rescue NSW (BSAR) shows how remote area search and rescue in NSW has changed since 1936 when it was established as the “Search and Rescue Section of the NSW Federation of Bushwalking Clubs” (S&R).  In 1936 a team of bushwalkers informally assisted NSW Police in the search for four young men missing in the Grose Valley.  After this search Paddy Pallin, among others, approached NSW Police to formalise arrangements to assist NSW Police in the future.

The model of BSAR has always been to use bushwalkers skilled in remote area navigation to travel independently in National Park type country to aid NSW Police as required.  Mostly, BSAR has been involved in searching for missing persons.

The first “Director” of S&R was Paddy Pallin (founder of the well-known bushwalking shop).

In these early days a telephone tree was used to contact bushwalkers as required.  The S&R Committee would contact a particular “Club Phone Contact” to ‘callout’ club members.  In the very early days search teams would travel by train to an incident.

Sgt Ray Tyson of NSW Police Rescue Squad would often rely on S&R Secretary, Heather White (1959 – 1975) who he thought had an uncanny knowledge of the Blue Mountains.

The “Field Officer” is in control of S&R field operations.  Ninian Melville was appointed as S&R Field Officer in 1961 and replaced Paddy as Director in 1970.  Also, in May 1970 S&R joined the  Volunteer Rescue Association of NSW (VRA) at their first Mid-Year Conference.

HF radio was introduced to S&R by Bob Mead during the 1960’s.  Dick Smith, then a member of Sydney Bush Walkers, assisted in the purchase of the first generation of AM field radios.  In 1979 the second generation of field radios moved to FM SSB.  The ‘QMac’ fourth generation of field radio has given outstanding service for many years as smaller, lighter and more powerful than all previous radios.  BSAR now uses a mix of VHF / UHF radios with these HF radios.

Robert Pallin, son of Paddy took over as Director in October 1971 when Ninian stood down.  Vertical rescue for S&R at this time was done by members of the Sydney Rock Climbing Club (SRC) with Fergus Bell was the “Rock Rescue Officer”.

Fergus Bell worked closely with Robert until he became Director in September 1980. Later, in July 1984 the author moved from Field Officer to Director.

NavShield was set up in 1989 by Secretary, John Tonitto (1987 – 2012) so 2018 was the 30th NavShield.

A major change occurred in 2001 when S&R became a fixed membership squad since it was no longer acceptable to ‘just’ callout club bushwalkers.  S&R incorporated as “Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad” (BWRS – later to become BSAR) to formalise its training and member skills through CBT (Competency Based Training).  BWRS separated from “Federation” with the author its first President.

Overtime, remote area search and rescue has changed further.  In 2018, after much consideration, BSAR reluctantly left the VRA and moved to NSW SES (from 1 May) as a better place to fulfil this role.

Within SES the most senior person in SES BSAR now is its Controller, currently Paul Campbell-Allen.

Since 1936 BSAR has been involved in many incidents occasionally multiday.  Some high profile searches have included an injured person below Narrow Neck, near Katoomba (1949), schoolgirls Monica Schofield (1963) & Vicki Barton (1969), Scout Leader lost in the flooded Shoalhaven River (1977), Trudie Adams (1978 – see 2018 ABC TV investigation), three young men lost in Kangaroo Valley (1987), lost plane and pilots at Kanangra Walls (1993), lost plane in Barrington Tops (1981; an ongoing mystery), David Iredale, near Mt Solitary of the Blue Mtns (2006), deceased person on Mt Cloudmaker (2007 – see VRA Journal Volume 2.3) and Sevak Simonian at Kanangra Walls (2014)

Technology has improved outdoors safety.  The latest field radios can give continuous GPS location of BSAR search teams.  Mobile phones now have better coverage and distress beacons (PLB and EPIRB) can send an emergency signal far more quickly for a person in distress.  However, many people don’t have access to these devices which are yet to be 100% effective.   Experienced ground searchers like SES BSAR are still essential.

Further history of BSAR can be found in a Google drive folder at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cSOMp9zsdYCFG7qbtHrrSQ2-i36U64Pz

Keith Maxwell

President BSAR

Bushwalkers help in cold case

By on 1 November, 2018 in Bushwalking history, Bushwalking safety

Teenager, Trudie Adams went missing in 1978 while hitch hiking home in the Northern Beaches area.  Bush Search and Rescue NSW (BSAR) took part in the subsequent NSW Police investigation of this disappearance.

On Tuesday evening 30 October ABC TV aired a program on missing person, Trudie Adams.  At that time none of our members wore any style of uniform, even the Committee.  So Bushwalkers Search and Rescue (full name then was the ‘Search and Rescue Section of the NSW Federation of Bushwalking Clubs’ now BSAR) was often just mentioned as among the ‘volunteers’.  The TV program aired a lot of archival news footage but nothing of BSAR members.  The NSW Police uniform was very different to now.

BSAR rescheduled a training weekend for the search.  Walkers went home each night.  Sunday morning had a particularly fierce frost.  The area was very different to now.  An oval (now gone) at the junction of Mona Vale Road and the Forest Way was the search command base.  Mona Vale Road was just one lane each way except for a long slip lane from the Forest Way towards Mona Vale.

Long stretches either side of Mona Vale were searched.  Among the ‘finds’ was a pile of Playboy magazines.  We could only guess why they were dumped; upcoming marriage?  A dank pool of water was bubbling.  This was from something dead but a pig not a person.  Equally, the Police were interested in a mound from a small grave but it was that of a dog.  Other tracks in the immediate area were also searched.  On Sunday, one searcher noticed a garbage bag under a tree.  The Police got very excited when it turned out to be a sawn off shot gun!  It was promptly collected by the relevant Police Squad.

Later, the family of Trudie Adams sent a hand written thank you note to BSAR.

The past is always another country, especially 1978.  BSAR still had their basic first generation field radio – AM HF.  There are two more TV programs to come about this unsolved disappearance.  Pre program promotion suggests that a murky time of Police corruption may be investigated in the next two weeks.

BSAR Update

By on 18 August, 2018 in Bushwalking safety

BUSH SEARCH AND RESCUE NSW Inc.

Keith Maxwell – President BSAR

Bush Search and Rescue NSW (BSAR) was founded as the self-help and self-contained “Search and Rescue Section” of the NSW Federation of Bushwalking Clubs in 1936 by Paddy Pallin plus a number of prominent bushwalkers of that time.  BSAR is held in high regard with NSW Police.  This report can only provide an overview of a very active volunteer rescue group.

 

THE BIG PICTURE.  In April of 2017 Bushwalkers Wilderness Rescue Squad (BWRS) changed its name to BSAR.  BSAR is a specialist remote area bush search and rescue squad affiliated with the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association (VRA). Some other specialist squads of the VRA includes NSW Cave Rescue, Australian Civil Air Patrol (AusCAP) and radio squads WICEN & CREST.  For more information see the VRA website at www.rescue.org.au

 

A YEAR of CHANGE.  After a long period of consultation plus a member vote BSAR has decided to change from affiliation with the VRA to become part of the NSW State Emergency Service (SES).  It is not just that BSAR is now in a stronger financial position.  An equal (major) consideration was the ability to better continue its role as a valuable community resource as a volunteer remote area search and rescue squad.  The volunteer s & r space is changing with changes in volunteering within SES.

 

A full changeover will take time with rebranding of our Rooty Hill building, new vehicles (& sale of VRA branded Toyota and trailer), new equipment, membership induction plus supply of uniforms etc.  Completion of the four stage process will continue into 2018 / 2019.

 

TRAINING.  BSAR has a strong membership and an active training program to assist completion of nationally recognised Competency Based Training (CBT).  CBT will now be progressively aligned to SES requirements.  Like all emergency services BSAR members must quantify their skills through CBT. Operational members are experienced bushwalkers with a mix of additional skills in radio communication, vertical rescue, observation, emergency management, First Aid and other bush search and rescue skills.

 

EQUIPMENT.  This change has given BSAR access to far greater resources and equipment.  A major change for BSAR will be access to “GRN” (Government Radio Network).  In various forms GRN attempts to link communications throughout all NSW government agencies from NP&WS to Police, RFS, NSW Ambulance etc.  Over time BSAR will receive new radios and appropriate training.     BSAR still has its existing, outstanding HF radio network.

 

CALLOUTS.  During the past year BSAR was placed on STANDBY numerous times for incidents (with missing persons) that were quickly resolved.  However, in November 2017 assisted NSW Police at Katoomba to locate and retrieve the body of a visitor from France.  He had fallen over one of the big cliffs in the area.  In May, BSAR assisted in a forensic search near Ingar Picnic Ground, Wentworth Falls then in June BSAR was part of a large search at Mt Ku-ring-gai for a visiting Chinese student to Australia.  More recently the body was located some distance from the search area.

 

NAVSHIELD.  Warm days (but cold nights) made for an enjoyable NavShield 2018 on the last weekend of June.  NavShield is a major bush navigation (map and compass) training event for the Emergency Services and bushwalking club teams.  Renewed publicity within SES refreshed participant numbers to almost 500.  The location was dry woodland of the Macdonald River off the Putty Road.  Bushwalking club teams performed well.  Full details and results are available at the BSAR website – www.bsar.org.au

 

OXFAM TRAILWALKER.  TrailWalker in August each year has grown to become a 100km / 48 hour OR 50km / 24 hour track & fire road walkathon that uses bushland on the northern fringe of Sydney.  BSAR provides first and second safety response teams, over shifts, for this event of around 3,000 participants!!   TrailWalker provides both excellent member training and practice in co-ordination of BSAR teams whilst being involved in community outreach.  See the OXFAM website for route details of this special event – https://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/sydney/trail/

 

BARRINGTON TOPS.  In September of recent years BSAR has also held a multi-agency training event to continue searching for a Cessna plane lost at night in bad weather of August 1981.  While many planes have failed to successfully fly over Barrington Tops, “VH-MDX” is the only plane whose location remains a mystery.

 

SAFETY ASSISTANCE.  During the year BSAR also provided safety assistance at several outdoors events including the Paddy Pallin Rogaine in June.

 

FIRST AID.  The current version of First Aid training offered by BSAR is very popular.  In 2018 THREE cycles of training will occur instead of the usual two.  Courses in the ONE Day St John Ambulance “Provide First Aid” (formerly known as “Senior First Aid”) OR three day “Remote Area First Aid (RAFA)” fill up quickly.  BSAR offers this training to spread First Aid knowledge generally among bushwalkers.  Training is bushwalker friendly with a volunteer bushwalker instructor plus a discount fee.  Register at the BSAR website.

 

In 2019 Bushwalking NSW will take over access to this First Aid training since BSAR cannot continue this model of instruction within SES.

 

OUTREACH.  BSAR is active through the digital world on its website with detailed information on bush safety, distress beacons, recent callouts and links to other sites such as the NSW Police TREK program of free PLB hire and BNSW (Bushwalking NSW).  BSAR is also active on FaceBook and Twitter.  Eventually, BSAR as part of SES will have to close its website – www.bsar.org.au  All options are being explored to continue digital dissemination of the above information.

 

MEMBERSHIP.  Membership of BSAR remains a valuable ‘fit’ for BNSW bushwalkers keen to volunteer their time in community service. We have tasks big and small to suit all levels of commitment.  Contact the BSAR Secretary at secretary@bsar.org.au

 

CONCLUSION.  BSAR with its great people and diverse events is held in high regard by NSW Police and now the SES for remote area search and rescue.  While it is a very different organisation to that founded in 1936 it is still committed to assisting persons in distress in remote areas.  2018 / 2019 will be a year of change as BSAR fully integrates into SES and explores the opportunities to better serve the community.  Access to GRN will enhance our remote area communications.  NavShield 2018 was a great event.  Other training was very successful. St John Ambulance “Provide First Aid” and “RAFA” courses offered via BSAR are very popular. BSAR is digitally active in encouraging bush safety.

 

 

 

BUSH SEARCH AND RESCUE NSW TO JOIN NSW STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE

By on 5 May, 2018 in Bushwalking safety

Bush Search and Rescue NSW​ have today announced that they have joined the NSW State

Emergency Service as the NSW SES Bush Search and Rescue Unit​ (NSW SES BSAR).

The move is an exciting development in the history of BSAR NSW, the oldest volunteer land

search unit in Australia, and will build on the existing land search capability within the SES.

 

With a focus on remote area searches, conducted in rough and challenging terrain, over 100

members of Bush Search and Rescue NSW will bring their knowledge and experience of working

in wilderness areas to the NSW SES. With expertise in bush navigation, search techniques,

canyon and vertical searching, BSAR will form an integral part of the SES’ response to land search

operations across the state.

 

President of Bush Search and Rescue NSW, Keith Maxwell says,

“Since 1936, BSAR has brought together experienced and skilled bushwalkers, many with valuable

local knowledge of wilderness areas, to assist the NSW Police and other agencies in searching for

missing people and aircraft. Our move to work as a unit within the NSW SES, will only go to

strengthen the existing relationships we have with the SES and help provide the best possible land

search and rescue capability to the people of NSW.”

 

The move comes at a time when the NSW SES is undergoing significant change to its structures

and organisation. These changes, spearheaded by their ‘Volunteering Reimagined’ initiative,

opens up new ways of building capability and capacity, within a new and flexible model of

volunteering.

 

“I am proud and honoured to welcome the Bush Search and Rescue into the NSW SES. The

BSAR volunteers will greatly enhance our Service’s remote search capability, bringing a wealth of

specialised experience with an excellent reputation. They are now very much a part of our NSW

SES family, and I look forward to them supporting search operations across the state.” Mark

Smethurst, NSW SES Commissioner.

 

NSW SES BSAR will operate as a unit within the SES and continue to be available to respond to

remote area land searches 24/7, as they have done under the umbrella of the Volunteer Rescue

Association (VRA), since 1970.

 

As hosts of the annual NavShield​ event (Australian Emergency Services Wilderness Navigation

Shield), BSAR are looking forward to the event sitting within the SES and continuing to grow the

training, development and team building opportunities that this premier navigation event offers.

For media enquiries, please contact: publicity@bsar.org.au | 0412 304 071 or

secretary@bsar.org.au

Photo courtesy of Caro Ryan

 

Bushwalking: Get There and Back Safely – NavShield 2017

By on 28 July, 2017 in Awards & Recognition, Bushwalking safety, Events

NavShield – Teams from clubs of BNSW achieved good results in the 29th NavShield held at Marramarra National Park on the edge of Sydney.  Over 400 persons participated in this annual remote area map and compass navigation training event for emergency services.  Bush Search and Rescue NSW (BSAR) would love to accept more BNSW Club teams into their great navigation event that is designed for all levels of navigator fro m beginner to very competent.

NavShield 2018-  Personnel from SES, RFS, VRA, NSW Police, NSW Ambulance plus bushwalking clubs all participate in a friendly atmosphere at NavShield in either the ONE day or TWO  day event.

June 25th & 26th 2018 will be our 30th NavShield.  Mark your diary now but be aware that NavShield is addictive.  This year BSAR handed out 25 year Attendance Awards!

First Aid – As well as encouraging navigation skills, BSAR would like to encourage First Aid skills in bushwalking clubs.

Shortly, registration will open for November courses in St John Ambulance “Provide First Aid” (one day course) or “Remote Area First Aid” (RAFA a three day course).  All enrolment and FA course details will eventually be at the BSAR website – www.bsar.org.au  Be quick; don’t wait to enrol in these popular courses.

Take time at this website to explore information on bush safety, distress beacons (Personal Locator Beacons – PLB), GPS receivers, outdoors communication, NavShield results plus how you can be part of that great community service of Bushwalking NSW, Bush Search and Rescue NSW.

Guest Author: Keith Maxwell