Articles

Research summary

Human Factors in Search and Rescue

This chapter in the second edition of Mountain Medicine and Technical Rescue applies established human-factors concepts to SAR and introduces non-technical skills affecting team performance. Its central proposition is that human factors must be embedded into normal operational activity.

• Responder welfare
• Leadership

8 Oct 2026 · 1 min read

Research summary

Terrain, Terminology, and Insights: A Thematic Review of Conceptual and Spatial Reasoning in Land Search and Rescue New Zealand

A timed exercise with 70 SAR practitioners found broad agreement on basic concepts but inconsistencies in subject profiling, location terms and map annotation. Most favoured reassessing assumptions and high-probability areas before expanding the search.

• Search planning
• Probability & search theory
• Search management

5 Oct 2026 · 1 min read