VICSES has a number of volunteer search and rescue roles, including flood and swift water rescue, search and rescue in remote and harsh environments, and road, air, industrial or rail (RAIR) incidents. 

A volunteer Crew Member responds as part of a small team of two or more people and needs to be able to apply correct procedures to ensure a safe approach in all situations. They also need to use a range of equipment and rescue techniques, and work under the direction of a Crew Leader.   

The Crew Member role builds on the skills and training of the Crew Member Level 1 role, and is a pre-requisite to further skills development in these more specialist areas.

Key tasks:

• Responding to emergency events and incidents.
• Planning before an emergency and undertaking safe work practices. 
• Knowledge and application of emergency management principles and structures.
• Equipment and vehicle maintenance.

What you will love about this role:

• Working in small teams to save lives and keep the community safe. 
• Being one of the first on scene during a severe weather event or rescue in a difficult or complex situation.
• The challenge of search and rescue in remote and often harsh terrain.

Advised Fitness Level: 3-5 out of 5

VICSES members participate in a range of search and rescue activities, some of which can be very physically demanding. To be active in a search and rescue role, each and every qualified member needs to possess the physical capability to: 

• Lift and carry various items, between a vehicle and where they will be used.
• Participate in a stretcher carry.
• Be physically capable to: 
  • Lift, carry and drag various items to and from an incident and around the worksite. 
  • Clear debris at an incident. 
  • Carry, hold and use ropes and tools. 
  • Depending on the role, walk, carrying an appropriate backpack in urban 
  • Environments, moderate bushland, or alpine and arduous search environments.

Specialist rescue roles, including Land Based Swift Water Rescue and Steep and High Angle Rescue have increased physical fitness requirements.

Read more about our Minimum Physical Fitness for Role Program here.

Units requiring this capability

All units require this capability to support our communities and it is a gateway for further specialist search and rescue training. Specialist search and rescue roles are limited to units where the specialist capability is required.

For more information about becoming a volunteer, exploring a wide range of opportunities available to you in developing new skills, forming new friendships, accepting high levels of responsibility and enjoying the team spirit of VICSES:

Explore the wide range of opportunities available to you in developing new skills, forming new friendships, accepting high levels of responsibility and enjoying the team spirit of VICSES.