BACKGROUND Alpine Search and Rescue Victoria (alpineSAR) is an experienced group of back-country skiers, mountaineers and bushwalkers skilled in search and rescue who are called out to look for lost persons in alpine and bush areas by Victoria Police as part of Bush Search and Rescue Victoria. Alpine Search and Rescue Victoria is a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (www.acnc.gov.au). SEARCH CALL OUTS AlpineSAR members are called out for search and rescue as part Bush Search and Rescue (BSAR) by Victoria Police Search and Rescue Squad. We work in small teams, with other BSAR and emergency services personnel. While we may come back into base by the end of the day, we are just as likely to stay out overnight, depending on the search area we have been allocated. The number of searches varies but may be from one to five a year. The most rewarding aspect of membership is when a search is successful – finding the lost person or group, helping them with any first aid, and organising to get them out of the bush and back to their families is a great outcome. Sometimes though the search is wound up without the person being found. Searchers responding to a call out are expected to be able to spend three days in the field. TRAINING Members attend training with a couple of single days and a multi-day winter training event each year. The training builds on members’ existing camping and bush/alpine skills by adding search, leadership, remote patient management, radio, GPS, steep snow and ice, avalanche rescue and other skills required in a search or rescue situation. A key part of the training is learning to operate as a well-functioning team with the other members. We also join BSAR training events; usually one weekend a year. We have formal competencies in fitness, GPS, radio, navigation, first aid, knots and lashings, search techniques, steep snow and ice and avalanche rescue.