ABOUT US: OUR POLICIES
Article I - Incorporation
Once a year a committee comprised of unit members will review unit
documents including bylaws, policies and all documents necessary for the
day-to-day coordination of the unit's business. Any member of the unit may
access all unit public records.
Article II - Mission
Summit to Sound Search and Rescue is a not-for-profit organization whose
goal is to provide professional level search and rescue services through the
Whatcom County Sheriff's Office to the northwest Washington region.
Article III - Membership
Section 3.01 Eligibility and Application
Any member of the unit may give application forms to interested volunteers.
The application form and accompanying letter must be submitted in person to
a Board of Directors member. Received applications shall not be returned and
become the property of the unit. Application form is attached. (Appendix a)
A Board of Directors member shall record on the application form that the
application has received preliminary acceptance or has been denied at the
first level of approval. If the application is denied, the Board of
Directors shall record the reason on the application. After the Whatcom
County Sheriff's Office has completed a background investigation, the Board
of Directors reviews the application, conducts an oral interview with the
applicant, and accepts or denies membership.
If the application has preliminary acceptance, a new personnel record shall
be started and include the application. This record will include the
original application once it has been returned to Summit to Sound Search and
Rescue. If the applicant is denied, the application and a copy of the denial
letter sent to the applicant shall be filed with other denied applications.
Section 3.02 Dues and Roster
Dues will be reviewed annually by the Board of Directors and recorded in the
minutes of the meeting.
The treasurer or designee shall collect any established dues from new
members and from current unit members at the first regular meeting of the
year, provide receipts, deposit monies in the unit account and record
payments.
The treasurer shall report to the Board of Directors any member failing to
pay the dues within one month of the collection meeting. Any member who is
three months in arrears shall be removed from the roster. The Board of
Directors will meet with any member in arrears, if requested by the member,
to resolve any discrepancies.
The secretary or designee shall maintain a current list of members and
personal information including contact information and state emergency
worker card numbers. The secretary or designee shall provide copies of the
roster to all members and local emergency managers. Information deemed
private including Social Security Number, medical information and other
personal information will not be a part of the roster. The roster will be
available to all members through the www.summittosound.org website,
members-only section.
Section 3.03 Maintaining Membership
This unit defines training as part of its mission: members must train to be
the best and must meet training standards and expectations. Members may be
assigned to positions within the unit for business and training purposes.
Members are expected to meet the WAC 118.04.120 and the basic member
qualifications defined in the “Qualification Level” section of these
policies. Auxiliary
members must meet basic safety standards and certifications approved by the
majority of the Board of Directors.
All members, except auxiliary members, are expected to participate in
meetings, training, and organizational activities at a minimum of 75%
aggregate participation. Auxiliary members are expected to participate in
75% of general and Board of Directors meetings. Members are expected to
participate in as many missions as available for.
A member failing to meet
the required level of participation or training will meet with the Board of Directors to
assess the sub-standard performance level. If sub-standard performance is
ongoing without just cause, the member will be removed from the callout
roster and membership will be terminated.
All members must be actively involved in acquiring required skills and any
additional skills, which further the unit's mission. These may include unit
skills, qualifications in another group, unit positions or external
certification.
Qualification Levels
o A novice level member with First Aid, CPR and Blood Borne Pathogens may
respond to the operations base for all callouts.
o Support-qualified members must meet minimum qualifications specified in
WAC 118.04.120 and must have unit instruction in radio communications and
base management functions and completed Incident Command System 100 and NIMS
700.
o Field qualified members must meet field qualifications specified in WAC
118.04.120
Volunteer Hours
Each member is required to turn in his or her volunteer hours to the
designated officer by every monthly meeting.
External Certifications
It is the responsibility of the member to file with the training officer
copies of current certification of skills, licenses, or permits obtained
outside the training purview of search and rescue.
Field Debriefing Forms
Each member is required to submit his or her field debriefing form to
the secretary within 72 hours of the conclusion of each mission.
All members must be actively involved in acquiring skills, which further the
unit's mission. These may include unit skills, qualifications in another
group, unit positions or external certification.
Section 3.04 Leaves of Absence
Members who intend to be unavailable for missions, trainings or meetings for
an extended duration must submit a letter requesting a leave of absence
stating when the member will resume participation. The letter will be
submitted to the secretary or designee and filed in the personnel file. As
training is a primary part of our mission, no member shall take an extended
leave of absence from trainings or meetings without a leave of absence from
missions.
A leave of absence will not be extended to members for more than one year.
Section 3.05 Membership Meetings
The general membership shall meet at least 10 months of the year to conduct
unit business including debriefings and training. Additional training
opportunities will be provided outside the general membership meetings.
Section 3.06 Equipment
Members are expected to outfit themselves with personally owned equipment
and consumables. This equipment shall be the sole responsibility of the
member and must include these 10 essentials as appropriate for your
specialty group.
o Water
o Fire starter
o Light source
o Food
o Whistle
o Map & Compass
o Knife
o Clothing
o Shelter
o First Aid
Members are expected to respond to callouts and training with equipment
appropriate for the mission, climate, terrain, and skill level.
Section 3.07 Member Behavior and Responsibilities
Members are expected to foster an atmosphere of positive cooperation and
support and maintain professional behavior. It is in the best interest of
the unit to have members who are courteous, thoughtful, alert to danger and
respectful of other persons and property. Search and Rescue is a team
activity and members are expected to be able to work with others in a
positive team environment.
o Bring before the membership any condition
affecting the safety of a member or of any activity
o Take the pledge on safety: "Any time any thing is wrong
any where, all will know about it"
o Members must conduct themselves so their actions are a positive reflection
on Summit to Sound
Members must comply with WAC 118.04.200 which
outlines the state expectations and requirements of emergency workers.
Members not acting in the best interest of the unit shall be subject to the
Quality Consistency Plan. (Appendix b)
Section 3.08 Logos
If financially feasible, the unit may buy items with unit logos from members
leaving the organization, for resale to current or new members. The Board of
Directors will determine the amount offered based on condition.
Article IV - Governing Body
Section 4.01 Governance
This unit shall be directed by a Board of Directors comprised of the elected
officers and a representative from each specialty group.
Section 4.02 Elections
The positions of president, treasurer, and training officer are elected on
even numbered years to begin their term in the following January. The
president must have served on the Board of Directors for at least one year.
The positions of vice-president and secretary are elected on odd numbered
years to begin their term in the following January.
Section 4.03 Duties
The Board of Directors shall have the following duties:
o establish yearly dues
o review and act on all submitted applications for membership
o facilitate and support any member needing help to execute duties and
fulfill responsibilities
o Propose an annual budget in October. The budget will be reviewed and
approved by a majority of member at November general meeting, to go into
effect January 1 of the following year.
o establish any policy necessary to carry out these duties
Each officer of the Board of Directors shall have the following individual
duties:
PRESIDENT:
The president manages the unit identity and public perception of the unit.
The president interacts with agencies outside the unit and outside the
search and rescue community to represent the interests of Summit to Sound
Search and Rescue (STS)
Position Duties:
o Attends STS general and Board of Directors meetings
o Attends SAR Council meetings
o Maintains a vigil on Homeland Security issues as they relate to STS
activity
o Helps to steer the unit to meeting the local and state demands for
terrorist threat response
o Works with the web-site or its maintenance personnel, the media, the
sheriff's department, their personnel and the community
o Informs the Board of Directors of trends and upcoming events of interest
to STS Board of Directors
o Informs the Membership of trends and upcoming events of interest to the
STS Membership
o Votes in Board of Directors meetings
o Confers with vice-president frequently so each is able to do the work of
the other with minimal disruption of the leadership process
o Fills-in for the vice-president when the vice-president is unable to
attend key meetings
o Runs meetings with the vice-president
o Reports to and is accountable to the membership
o Make an officer on call list and prioritize call order
o Send officer on call list to the DEM and SAR Coordinators
o Must work collaboratively with others
Skills and Qualifications:
The president must have at least a Support level of training.
VICE PRESIDENT:
The vice-president manages the internal workings of the unit personnel and
related issues. The vice-president works with the president to attend
meetings of other units and organizations to keep in touch with trends and
events of interest to Summit to Sound Search and Rescue (STS)
Position Duties:
o Attends STS general and Board of Directors meetings
o Attends SAR Council meetings
o Integrates Homeland Security threat training with the training officer
o Integrates Terrorist Threat activity awareness and training with the
training officer so members of the unit are prepared to respond to Domestic
threat
o Informs membership of SAR trends, upcoming training possibilities, changes
in Policy and By-law
o Creates, in conjunction with secretary, needed forms and
records to document the actions of STS
o Runs meetings in the absence of the president
o Performs the duties of the president as required in president’s absence
o Must work collaboratively with others
Skills and Qualifications:
The vice-president must have at least a Support level of training.
SECRETARY:
Position Summary: The secretary documents all activities of Summit to Sound
by maintaining records of equipment, personnel, searches, and trainings.
Position Duties:
o Attend STS general and Board of Directors meetings to document pertinent
decisions and issues and takes meeting minutes
o Compile reports for the Board of Directors as requested
o Collect and compile reports and records as directed
o Work closely with the group leaders to make sure new members are fully
integrated and certified to meet Summit to Sound requirements
o Get minutes out in a timely manner
Skills and Qualifications:
The secretary should have good computer skills, be proficient in Word and
Excel. A good working knowledge of Access is recommended. The secretary must
have the ability to organize data and coordinate all the various records.
TREASURER:
Position Summary: The treasurer is responsible for handling the day-to-day
finances for the unit and keeping the unit in compliance with Federal and
Washington State reporting requirements.
Position Duties:
o Attends STS general and Board of Directors meetings
o Does banking, including making deposits and writing checks to pay approved
bills/invoices submitted
o Reconciles the Checking and Savings Accounts monthly
o Maintains the monthly bookkeeping for the unit on QuickBooks Pro
accounting system
o Maintains bookkeeping filing system for original financial documents
o Keeps the Unified Business License current by filing the “Nonprofit
Corporation Annual Report” annually with the Secretary of State,
Corporations Division in Olympia, WA. Deadline is September 30th of each
year
o Keeps the unit in compliance with any Federal Tax reporting requirements
o Reports to and is accountable to the membership
o Provides an activity report at each general meeting
o Votes in Board of Directors meetings
TRAINING COORDINATOR:
Position Summary: The training officer arranges training sessions and
applies for training mission numbers from DEM as requested. The training
officer oversees members' training status and apprizes members of
certifications about to lapse. The training officer interacts with the group
leaders and the DEM staff.
Position Duties:
o Attends STS general and Board of Directors meetings
o Record training activities for each member who submits records of training
o Posts trainings that meet requirements of the WAC monthly for the unit at
local and state levels
o Informs the Board of Directors of trends and upcoming trainings of
interest to STS Membership
o Reports to and is accountable to the Board of Directors and the membership
o Must work collaboratively with others
Skills and Qualifications:
Text-processing, database and spreadsheet manipulation are the minimum
computer skills recommended.
GROUP LEADER:
Position Summary: The Group Leader is responsible for coordinating the
training of the specialty group through the training officer. Keeping
members in compliance with both group and unit requirements.
Position Duties:
o Attend STS general and Board of Directors meetings
o Coordinate with the training officer on DEM training mission numbers
o Align training sessions with the training officer to assure all safety and
tactical aspects of all group operations meet Washington Administrative
Codes and Summit to Sound Search & Rescue safety guidelines
o Keep sign in sheets and turn them over to the secretary
o Assist group members to set training goals and attain them
o Report to and is accountable to the training officer
o Vote in the Board of Directors meetings
o Establish equipment and skill level requirements for specialty group
o Schedule training for specialty group
o Find qualified instructors for special training
o Assist new members with all documentation and policies and forms
Skills and Qualifications:
The Group Leader must have Field level of training. Familiarity with various
search techniques and search management adds to the officer's effectiveness.
The Group Leader should have a strong background in the group's specialty.
The Group Leader must be capable of working in a collaborative manner with
the members of the group as well as other members of STS.
Section 4.04 Officer on Call
This unit shall have an officer on call readily available 24 hours a day and
is responsible for responding to requests for assistance from local and
state agencies. The list of Officers on Call and the call priority will be
decided by the president. The list will be submitted to the SAR Coordinators
and DEM each and updated as needed.
Upon receiving a request for assistance, the officer on call shall determine
if the unit should respond and initiate the callout procedure if warranted.
Section 4.05 Specialty Groups
Specialty groups consists of DOGS, Mounted (Equine), Swiftwater, ATV,
and Ground
Article V - Amendments
Section 5.01 Proposed Amendments
Amendments to these policies can be suggested by any member of the unit.
Proposed amendments to the policies shall be drafted by the Board of
Directors and presented to the general membership at a regularly scheduled
meeting at least 1 month prior the scheduled
vote. They require a majority vote of the unit's members present at a
regularly scheduled meeting to become effective.
Section 5.02 Recording Amendments
Successive generations of all unit documents will have a creation date in
the document footer along with the title. References to "versions" of
documents will be made by this creation date.
Last updated 8 April 2008 |
