Many training and certification demands are placed on the fire service. In addition to fighting fires, most departments are involved in EMS (at one level or another), hazardous materials, weapons of mass destruction, and technical rescue. Some of these demands are required by law; others are self-imposed. The Blue Lake (MI) Township Fire Department (BLTFD) decided to take on another responsibilitythe formation of a ground search and rescue (SAR) team.
Blue Lake Township is located in west Michigan in the northeastern portion of Muskegon County and covers 36 square miles (23,040 acres); more than 50 percent is wilderness and is owned by the U. S. National Forest, the State of Michigan, Muskegon County, the Boy Scouts of America, and the Blue Lake fine arts camp. There are also many single-family homes built on five or more acres. Blue Lake Township’s population is about 2,500. Camping activities during the summer months cause the population to soar to more than 10,000.
Although the above may read like a travel brochure, it is meant to convey the region’s vast amount of wilderness and its large population increase during the summer. Many of these people are unfamiliar with the area, which means there are many places for them to get lost. Realizing this, the BLTFD decided to organize, train, and equip a SAR team. The team was activated on January 1, 2007.
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