OSRT Search and Rescue Team Member Gains Top International Certification

Newberg is a Lieutenant of OSRT Unit 6 and a resident of Dublin, Ohio. He is pictured here receiving his award from OSRT Commander Elvin Burnell (photo right) and Operations Chief Brian Baizley (photo left).

Mansfield, Ohio – Travis Newberg of the Ohio Special Response Search and Rescue Team has qualified for the internationally recognized ASTM 2209 Land Search Team Member credential. The rigorous 2209 search and rescue (SAR) certification has been achieved by fewer than 5% of Ohio's various volunteer search team members.

Training completed to gain the 2209 certification includes over 60 courses covering such topics as the National Incident Command System, Techniques for Wide Area and Land Search, Land Navigation, Rope Rescue Techniques, Lost Person Behavior, Disaster Damage Assessment, Man Tracking, K-9 Search Techniques, and more.

The Ohio Special Response Search and Rescue Team, a 501(c)3 headquartered in Mansfield with 7 units around the state, is the single non-profit volunteer Ohio SAR team credentialed in the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) Emergency Support Function 9, Job Type 35, Wilderness Search and Rescue.

The Ohio Special Response Team (OSRT) is always on the lookout for dedicated volunteers to fulfill roles in units throughout the state. If interested in becoming a qualified search responder, contact OSRT via our web site (ohiospecialresponseteam.org) or through our Mansfield Headquarters (419-528-0041 OSRTINC@YAHOO.COM).