Teen Membership
Frequently Asked Questions


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1. WHO SPONSORS IT?
Search and Rescue Crew 18 is sponsored by the Marion County Sheriff's office in Salem, Oregon.

2. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN IN EXISTENCE?
Search and Rescue Explorer Post 18 was formed in Salem in 1956. Our name was changed to "Crew 18" in 1998.

3. WHO CAN JOIN?
Membership is open to young men and women who are in the 9th grade and 14 years old or older. Most of our members live in the Salem area, but membership is open to anyone in Marion or Polk counties.

4. WHAT DO YOU DO?
We are a volunteer youth group that helps Sheriff's offices in the mid- Willamette valley and throughout the State with search and rescue and emergency services. Our "missions" usually involve one of three things: 1) searches for lost people; 2) searches for evidence of crimes; 3) "community service" work, such as providing a first aid station for an event.

5. WHAT KIND OF TRAINING DO I GET?
Our training program starts in September and runs through the following April. We meet at least two evenings each month, and we have one weekend a month where we do field trainings. During your seven months as a "recruit" in Crew 18 you'll receive over 200 hours of classroom and field training in things like....

  • search and rescue techniques
  • wilderness first aid
  • wilderness survival
  • radio communications
  • wilderness navigation (map reading, using a compass, GPS, etc)
......and more!

At the end of your training, you'll have to pass a 2-hour written test, prove that you can survive by yourself overnight in the woods, and successfully solve a simulated search problem in order to graduate and become a "senior" member.

6. CAN I DO IT?
That's a good question. Each year some teens that start the class drop out before it's finished. Ask yourself some questions....

 Do you really want to be in search and rescue (you'll probably think of plenty of reasons to quit . . . . what are your reasons to stay??)
 Do you mind hard work?
 Do you mind being outdoors - no matter what the weather is like?
 Can you get along with people - really get along: in tense situations, in lousy weather, in a cramped snow shelter?
 Can you take orders?
 Can you handle the time and studying (yes, studying) for search and rescue in addition to school, sports, and your other activities?

7. WHAT DOES IT COST TO BELONG?
There's a one-time membership fee of about $45 which covers the supplies and meals during your training. There are no other charges or fees. The major cost is for your personal equipment. We require you to have boots, a sleeping bag, and a backpack with survival gear. We'll help you keep the cost down by giving you some hints on how to get the most for your money, and by steering you to dealers that will give you discounts because you're in search and rescue. We also have some equipment we can loan to people who want to be in search and rescue but can't afford the equipment. We don't want anybody to stay away just because of the cost!

8. IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF WORK. WHAT DO I GET OUT OF IT??
Well, a couple of things. Besides just teaching skills, the training program is designed to do at least four other things: First, to challenge you and to help you develop confidence in yourself. Second, to teach you to work as a member (and even a leader) of a team. Third, to give you some exposure to possible careers in law enforcement, emergency medicine, recreation, and others that might help you plan your future. And finally, to give you a chance to serve the community.

9. WHAT ABOUT MY PARENTS? DO THEY HAVE TO DO ANYTHING?
Well, they don't have to hike around in the rain (unless they want to, of course!). But parents - and actually the whole family - are an important part of a teenagers' membership in Crew 18. They are the ones who support you while you're taking the classes and they're (usually) the ones who have to provide transportation to all the meetings and trainings. Your parents will want to come to the first orientation meeting, and we'll want a parent to come with you to the interview.

10. WHERE DO I SIGN UP?
Our orientation for new members has 3 parts:

  • In September, usually a few days after school starts, we have an orientation meeting for the teenagers that are interested, and their parents. At this meeting, we'll cover basically the same things that are on this page, only in more detail. You'll have a chance to meet some of the youth and adult leaders of Crew 18, and ask any questions you have.
  • Then, we'll spend a Saturday on a field orientation. We'll show off our equipment (and even let you use some of it!), let you do a couple of practice search patterns, and explain some more about what we do and how we do it. The purpose of these two orientations are to give you a better idea of what we do and help you decide whether Search and Rescue's for you.
  • After both orientations, if you're still interested in applying, we'll give you an application and ask you to bring it - and your parent(s) - to an interview with one of our youth and one adult leaders.

All applicants also have to pass a police background check and a reference check.

We'll be starting a new training class next September. If you want to get your name on the list to be invited to the orientation, or if you have more questions, you can...