The BTL editor put some questions to Duncan Brookes, Field Organiser with Bush Search and Rescue.

Bush Search and Rescue Victoria
Volunteer search and rescue in Victorian bush and alpine regions
The BTL editor put some questions to Duncan Brookes, Field Organiser with Bush Search and Rescue.
Bill Brand was a foundation member of the Police Search and Rescue Squad, which was set up in the late 1950s as the specialist group to provide both searching expertise and search management.
Monica Chapman is currently a Field Organiser with Bush Search and Rescue, and is also managing the Bushwalking Victoria individual members who are active with BSAR.
Monica was Convenor for 11 years from 1998 to 2009. During this period she played a key role in increasing the standards of how BSAR operates on many important searches. Monica has had an active involvement in producing the new BSAR manual, changing the organisation’s name, logo and website, organising important events, arranging funding and allocating expenditure on the many items of new equipment, including all our stocks of radios and GPS units.
Continue reading “Monica Chapman”
A body of skier has been located on Mount Feathertop in the vicinity of Avalanche Gully on Wednesday 24 August 2011.
The BSAR Alert for a possible Steep Snow and Ice call-out has now been cancelled.
A police helicopter recovered the man’s body around 6.00pm.
Continue reading “Skier’s body found on Mount Feathertop, 24 August 2011 BSAR alert CANCELLED”
Peter Campbell joined BSAR over 30 years ago, as a member of the Latrobe Mountaineering Club and he has participated in numerous searches and training weekends since. He served on the BSAR committee as LMC club delegate for 15 years and more recently as a Field Organiser since 1993. With the demise of LMC, he was one of our first individual members through Bushwalking Victoria.
The missing girl has been found alive. The second callout has been cancelled. Thanks to all who have been involved or who had volunteered for the second callout.
Merv Trease, Police Liaison
Bush Search and Rescue teams with Police Search and Rescue located the missing girl on Sunday afternoon north west of Mt Erica, about 3 kilometers from Mushroom Rocks, after tracking her footprints though the snow for some time. She was immediately evacuated by the Police Air Wing helicopter and is now recovering from her ordeal.
Peter Campbell, Field Organiser.
Above photos: Peter Campbell
View Mt Erica Search – August 2011 in a larger map
Sunday 7/8/11, 4.30 pm. The second callout is proceeding with departure scheduled for early Monday morning. If you can attend please respond to the sms or email messages.
Sunday 7/8/11, 3.00 pm. The search is continuing. BSAR searchers were in the field from the time of their arrival last night until about 7.00 am this morning. They then returned to search headquarters for food and a few hours rest prior to continuing the search.
Police have advised that a second callout is possible later today, Sunday, for early am departure on Monday morning.
Sunday, 7/8/11, 12.30 am. Searchers arrived at Rawson and headed out at 01:30 to search around Mushroom Rocks and Mount Erica during the night.
Sat, 06/08/2011— PLO. Bush Search and Rescue Victoria has been called to assist the Police Search and Rescue Squad with the search for a missing 13 year old girl in the Mushroom Rocks area near Mt Erica in the Baw Baw National Park. The girl, from Morwell, was part of a Scout group camping in the area. She is believed to have wandered off on her own this morning. The inclement weather and the age of the missing person necessitated a degree of urgency in the search call out. The group of 12 Bush Search and Rescue searchers departed Northcote at 9.00 pm tonight. There is every likelihood that they will begin searching upon their arrival later tonight.
Merv Trease, PLO
We are undertaking a review of our Peer Support Program. Following the review, a new training program for our BSAR Peer Supporters will be conducted.
An email has been sent to all members requesting their input and feedback on Peer Support.
Members are requested to complete this survey by Wednesday 10 August 2011.
Please also note that the email has been sent using a new email list facility that we are trialling for communication to members.