It does not matter if you are paid or a volunteer. You provide a professional service as a SAR responder. Therefore, you are expected to act professionally and be prepared as a professional. There is much you can do to be ready to be the first to contact a subject in the field. However, this section will focus on the gear and resources you will need to appropriately manage various situations when first encountering a subject. 

Be sure to have the DPS SAR Guidelines and the EMS Consortium number saved on in your phone. The number is 505-449-5710.

The following is the minimum recommended medical gear that should be carried by all SAR EMS responders to adequately address medical emergencies and provide basic patient care during a SAR Mission. This list does not include personal supplies or other higher level team medical equipment:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Medical gloves, eye protection, and face mask

• Manual blood pressure cuff with stethoscope (digital and/or bluetooth cuffs may be appropriate for stable patients, default to manual BP for critical patients)

• Pulse Oximeter (preferably with bluetooth capabilities to monitor patient in litter basket from a distance. Consider an oversized mitten during cold weather.)

• Splinting Materials (could be a cardboard splint, wire splint, or foam/SAM splint)

• Ace Bandages x2

• gauze roll x2

• Trauma dressing x2 

• Trauma shears

• Triangle bandage

• Foil Thermal Blanket x2

• Tongue depressor

• Medical Tape 

• NM SAR Patient Care Report (download and print) 

• Pen

• Sharpie

Additional considerations depending on the emergency:

• BVM

• airway adjuncts

• glucose tablets or gel 

• Blood glucometer

• Isopropyl Alcohol Prep

• Tarp (large enough to fully wrap around a patient)

• Foam or inflatable sleeping pad (full length) 

• Sleeping bag (cold rating for current season)

• Warm hat, socks, and gloves for the subject during the winter

• NM SAR Patient Care Report (download and print) 

• Pen

• Sharpie

You can further prepare to deliver the highest quality patient care by reviewing the DPS SAR guidelines.