STARR1 Flight Rescue Technician
Some SAR members cross-train with the Sheriff Department’s Helicopter Patrol Unit, STARR (shorthand for Sheriff’s Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance & Rescue), to provide additional search and rescue options. We often coordinate with various agencies’ helicopter and fixed-wing units in search operations. In certain situations, a helicopter can also be used to extract an injured subject from a hard to reach wilderness site and provide faster access to medical treatment.
A number of CoCoSAR team members are trained as Flight Rescue Technicians so they can fly on patrols and work with the STARR helicopter flight crew for long-line lift and short-haul operations, moving injured subjects to a location where they can be safely transferred to other ground or air ambulance services.
