CALENDAR

6 Board Meeting, PCC, 21st & Cushman, 1900 hours
23 Picnic, To Be Announced
27 Training Meeting, PCC, 21st & Cushman, 1900 hours

MISSIONS:

As you are all aware, the missions for 2009 have been a little slow. In review for the past years, here is what has taken place up to July 31st of each year. Given is the number of calls for missions and the responses are the number we were able to respond to. You will note that we are 2 missions ahead of 2008 and 5 calls ahead of 2008.

2004 17 calls, 13 responses, total for the year, 30 calls, 21 responses.
2005 22 calls, 16 responses, total for the year, 39 calls, 22 responses.
2006 25 calls, 19 responses, total for the year, 34 calls, 22 responses.
2007 13 calls, 10 responses, total for the year, 30 calls, 17 responses.
2008 7 calls, 2 responses, total for the year, 28 calls, 15 responses.
2009 12 calls, 4 response.

We had a call Sunday morning, 8/2, for 40 people to go to Mount Philchuck Campground to search for a hiker that was missing. No information was given as the background why or who was lost. There was a new DEM Duty Officer calling and had to educate him on the proper procedure for ESAR mission calls. The Duty OL for ESAR was not able to respond as he had recent surgery for the 4th time. No other OL was available to respond; therefore we did not put out a call for the mission. Snohomish County has their own helicopter and because the weather has been so good, I am sure they use it to search for this person. Subject was located alive and well at about 1130 on Sunday. He was located by a person on horseback.

REVERSE 911:

Out of 150 people in ESAR, there are still 16 who have not sent the information requested so you can be on the list for the call outs for missions. This information that is needed is as follows: Name of member, home phone number, name of the person that phone number is listed to, cell phone number and the cell phone service. Please send it to me ASAP, sarsmith3@comcast.net or 253.565.8980 or fax 253.565.8995. It is important for you to send that to me.

This is for every member of ESAR, not just the Brushmonkeys or Leadership, it is of every person in ESAR. Do it today, do not wait for me to call. This will be in addition to the ESAR paging system In that system, if you have a pager and texting on a cell phone, the information will be given in written form The Reverse 911 will be in verbal form. We fill that at 0300 in morning you might not remember all the information, so we will continue to use the ESAR paging system. Be sure and tell you family that you might get calls at home from the Reverse 911 system. It will be a message to you about the mission and asking you to call someone to verify if you can respond to that mission.

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

ESAR will be represented at the MILTON DAYS, August 14th and 15th at the Triangle Park in Milton. It will be held at 1700 hours on the 14th until 2000 hours and from 1130 to 1500 hours on the 15th. If you wish to help, please show up with identification that you belong to ESAR, i.e., shirt, hat, coat or something with ESAR insignia on the apparel. If you wish to be more involved in the Public Relations or Recruiting, contact Curt Read, 253.227.6995. We have a booth and will have the Operations RV on site for that event. We need people to assist for both places.

FUEL REMEBURSEMENT:

A reminder for everyone that wants to drive their own vehicle on SAR missions. Please be sure you have a full tank of gas. Be sure you get a form to complete so you can get your cost of gas back from the State. Some times you think you might not have a reason to get reimbursed, but remember in SAR you never know what is going to happen. Could be on a second search leaving the first one and that could be a problem to fill up your gas tank. Here are the reasons you can get reimbursed for gas; the mission lasts for 24 hours; you had to travel 100 miles, it is in another County. You only need one of the reasons to get your gas reimbursed. State budgets for this expense, but if you do not request reimbursement, they will reduce the budget for that account. So in the future, fill your gas tank before leaving and get a gas form to send into the State. If you have a claims form that has not been sent in, please send it ASAP. I usually hold those for each mission until I get all of them. I have to send a copy of the sign in sheet with the claims to prove you were on the mission. Your mother would be proud of you!!!!