HELICOPTER SEARCH AND RESCUE TECHNICIAN (HSART)

Summary of position expectations

  • Performing Search & Rescue operations onboard Texas Military Department (TMD) UH60 Blackhawk and LUH-72 Lakota aircraft or other response partner aircraft as a single individual or part of a two-person team during both day and night operations
    • Performing helicopter hoist rescue operations
    • Conducting reconnaissance & assessment
    • Assisting in air evacuation
    • Facilitating air transport of task force equipment & personnel
    • Performing other duties as assigned by Joint Air-Ground Coordination Team (JAGCT) or Air Operations Center (AOC)
  • Emergency medical care may be performed by the HSART in accordance with the HSART’s medical certification and HSART’s sponsoring agency’s emergency medicine protocols

Requirements

  • Demonstrate proficiency with knots
  • Pass TX-TF1 HSART Fitness Test
    • 300 yards freestyle swim
    • 400 yards mask/snorkel & fins swim (no arms)
    • Helicopter Underwater Egress dunker
    • 1-mile run

Required General Training 

Paperwork Requirements

  • After acceptance onto the Task Force, you will need to have the following documents on file:
    • Memorandum of Understanding (renew every 3 years)
    • Signed Code of Conduct

Required Position-Specific Training 

  • Swiftwater Rescue Technician
  • Rope Rescue Level I & II
  • Emergency Medical Technician – Basic (EMT-B) or Paramedic (EMT-P or EMT-LP)

Training Recommendations

  • NASAR Fundamental of Search and Rescue (FUNSAR) Course
  • ICS-300 and ICS-400
  • Wide Area Search

Recurrent Requirements 

  • Quarterly Recurrent Requirements
    • Direct deployment & recovery, both airframes
    • Survivor recovery into cabin (each airframe) with strop & Hotseat
  • Semiannual Recurrent Requirements
    • Academic and live-flight training with all rescue devices
  • Annual Recurrent Requirements
    • Hoist academics, per current US Army Aviation rescue hoist SOP
    • Direct deployment & recovery – trees (each airframe)
    • Helicopter Emergency Egress Device (HEED) Review
    • Helicopter Underwater Egress Review
  • Triannual Recurrent Requirements
    • HEED Training
    • Helicopter Underwater Egress Training