TEXSAR: Texas Search and Rescue

Annual Report 2015

January 18, 2016

Table of Contents

Page 1 2015 in Review

Shawn Hohnstreiter, Chair | Justen R. Noakes, CEO | Board of Directors

Page 2 Mission Statement | Core Values

Page 4 Board of Directors

Page 5 Deployments | Statistics

Page 7 Training Highlights

Page 9 Administration

Page 12 Financial Position

Page 12 TEXSAR Donors

Page 16 Partner Agencies | Organizations

Page 17 Member Volunteers

Page 20 TEXSAR Canine Team Members

Page 22 Conclusion

2015 in Review

Shawn Hohnstreiter, Chair | Justen R. Noakes, CEO | Board of Directors

2015 has been a tremendous year of growth for Texas Search and Rescue. We are

grateful for an amazing team of dedicated member-volunteers who continue to grow in

number and capabilities.

TEXSAR’s team training meetings are overflowing with new member prospects eager to

learn about the organization and how they can give back to their communities. Our

training meetings and events often have waiting lists, and we are developing new

capabilities to meet the needs of our partner agencies and organizations. TEXSAR's

balance sheet is strong. We are working daily to ensure a strong financial future. We are

blessed with caring and capable team members who are the heart and soul of TEXSAR.

Their commitment to the team and our communities is what makes TEXSAR successful.

The Memorial Day 2015 Floods were life-changing and tragic events that remain fresh

in our minds. We continue to receive calls and email about the two lost children, Will

Charba and Leighton McComb. We continue to pray for their return home.

As survivor Jonathan McComb said, “Out of this horrible tragedy, good things have

happened." That could not be more true than for TEXSAR. During the floods and the

search efforts that followed, TEXSAR members provided in-kind services valued in excess

of one hundred thousand dollars searching for those who were lost and stranded. In fact,

37 people were rescued by boat during the Memorial Day flooding events alone. In total,

52 people were rescued by TEXSAR during 2015.

The increased need for TEXSAR's support during 2015 did not go unnoticed. We have

received an outpouring of support in monetary and equipment donations, as well as in

thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes. This has been a truly humbling year, one we will never

forget.

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A milestone donation to TEXSAR was made this year by entertainer Jimmy Buffett

following a last-minute benefit concert at Stubbs BBQ in May. As CultureMap Austin

recalled, "After opening with hit 'License To Chill,' Buffett discussed Monday's flooding and

mentioned that the band had decided to leave the night's ticket proceeds (likely around

$200,000) in the hands of Austin charities to help with flood recovery." TEXSAR was

honored to receive a hefty portion of the proceeds. That gift has changed TEXSAR in

important new ways that we have outlined in this report.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the entire TEXSAR team, we cannot thank our

supporters enough for their generous outpouring of support. Likewise, we cannot thank

our member-volunteers enough. They have responded bravely and quickly to calls for help.

TEXSAR and the communities we serve remain deeply grateful.

Mission Statement | Core Values

“Committing to service-above-self, perpetual training, and inter-agency cooperation to

maintain a constant state of readiness for search, rescue, incident response and above all

else, safety.”

Core values:

Integrity and Responsibility

TEXSAR is founded on ethical behavior and values by our members and partners and our

commitment extends throughout the organization as we interact with agencies, the public,

and one another.

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Fiscal Accountability

We emphasize fiscal accountability by ensuring that all expenditures directly or indirectly

reflect the trust placed in TEXSAR by its donors and grant providers.

Teamwork

We maintain an environment of mutual respect founded on open, honest communication.

We embrace the diversity of our team and individual perspectives in working together to

achieve our common goals.

Excellence

We achieve excellence through constant training and preparation as our members

continually exercise their skills using the materials and equipment required to deliver the

highest quality services possible in any environment.

Training

TEXSAR will train and prepare to provide professional level skills and support to requesting

agencies and communities. TEXSAR will act as a Volunteer Organization Active in Disasters

in both the response and recovery phases of disasters and incidents.

Operations

We will deliver service that meets or exceeds the requested assistance while ensuring the

safety and well-being of our members and partners.

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Board of Directors

TEXSAR wishes to thank the following Board members for their service during 2015.

Shawn Hohnstreiter, Hohnstreiter Construction and Remodeling – Chair

Justen R. Noakes, H-E-B Emergency Preparedness - CEO

Brandon Goering, REAL-COMP Data and Marketing – Vice Chair

Chief Sean Ford, Sunset Valley Policy Department

Dr. Tyler Jorgensen, Board Certified Emergency Physician

Jeffrey M. Turk, Formaspace

Ben Alexander, K9 Branch Director (Advisory Board)

Bryan Sky-Eagle, Attorney at Law (Advisory Board)

Joe Hillis, Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (Advisory Board)

TEXSAR also wishes to thank General Charlie Miller, Gene Jorgensen and Robert Spratt

who served on the Board for a short time during 2015.

In December, 2015, TEXSAR member volunteers elected the following individuals to the

Board of Directors for 2016 (one year terms).

Shawn Hohnstreiter, Hohnstreiter Construction and Remodeling – Chair

Chief Sean Ford, Sunset Valley Policy Department – Vice Chair

Justen R. Noakes, H-E-B Emergency Preparedness - CEO

Jennifer Failla, Strada Wealth Management – Treasurer

Michelle Nations, Community Volunteer – Secretary

Brandon Goering, REAL-COMP Data and Marketing

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Dr. Tyler Jorgensen, Board Certified Emergency Physician

Dawn Keller, Health, Slingshot Inc. and West Texas Team Leader

Ed Norman, Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management - Community

Preparedness Planning Coordinator

Bill Sleep, Commitment to Coaching Inc.

Ex-officio Board members include Greg Fair, North Texas Team Leader and Laura Norman,

Gulf Coast Team Leader.

Deployments | Statistics

TEXSAR: Texas Search and Rescue has been a significant leader in disaster response and

recovery for more than a decade. TEXSAR serves all citizens of Texas and may only be

deployed by the Governor; local, state and federal law enforcement; and relief agencies.

We are proud to share the following statistics regarding our work during 2015.

New members who joined in 2015: 99

Years of combined experience (active days with TEXSAR) in 2015: 361 years

People rescued: 52 (5 recoveries in which loved ones were returned to their families)

The value of one volunteer hour in the State of Texas is $24.66. We estimate TEXSAR

member volunteers gave approximately 20,850 hours of service to the citizens of the State

of Texas during 2015, for a total estimated value of $514,161.

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TEXSAR was successful in 2015 in part because member-volunteers loaned equipment for

TEXSAR’s use. We estimate the value of this loaned equipment to be: $100,000.

Missing Austin Man

January 14 | Austin

Gillespie County Search

January 18 | Harper Lake Travis Recovery Search

January 21 | Pace Bend La Grange Search

January 25 | La Grange

Missing Woman Search

January 31, February 2, 6, 7 | Spicewood Red Rock Search

February 27 | Red Rock Rockwall Search

March 9 | Rockwall Lake Medina Search

May 9, 15 | Bandera County Galveston County Memorial Day Weekend | Frog Fest

May 22-24 | Crystal Beach Memorial Day Flooding Rescues

May 24 | Martindale Memorial Day Flooding Search

May 26-31 | Blanco County Memorial Day Flooding Search

June 6-7, 13-14, 20-21 | Hays and Caldwell Counties

Galveston County 4th of July Weekend

July 3-5 | Crystal Beach Graham Search

August 5 | Graham

Lufkin Search

August 18 | Lufkin Central Texas Flood Blanco River Search

August 22 | Hays and Caldwell Counties

Galveston County Labor Day Weekend

September 5-7 | Crystal Beach

Merkel Search

September 24-26 | Merkel Wood County Search

October 17 | Wood County Central Texas Flooding Rescues

October 30 | Caldwell County Central Texas Flooding Support

October 30 | Sunset Valley Del Valle Flood Recovery

October 31 | Del Valle Onion Creek Flood Relief November 4-6 | Austin

Memorial Weekend Flood Search (continued) November 21 | Hays and Caldwell Counties -6-

Training Highlights

TEXSAR member-volunteers were offered ongoing training opportunities throughout the

year. Membership meetings are held in conjunction with basic training on subjects such as

field medical procedures and members must attend at minimum of 50% of these sessions

to be considered for deployments. In addition, TEXSAR offers certification workshops for

members in different disciplines such as Mantracking and Swiftwater Rescue. These

certification courses are paid for by the member-volunteers themselves.

Members live across the state from North Texas (Dallas based) to Central Texas (Austin

based), from West Texas (Odessa based) to the Gulf (Galveston based), and soon we will

have a South Texas team (Corpus Christi based). TEXSAR is the largest wildland search

and rescue organization in the State of Texas and it is growing fast.

TEXSAR Training

Major Training Certifications (2 days in duration or more)

Flood and Swiftwater Rescue

Ground Search and Rescue

Mantracking

Rescue Boat Operator

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Vertical Response

Wilderness First Aid

Wildland Fire

Medical Training

Anaphylactic shock

Blood Borne Pathogens

CPR

Hypothermia/Hyperthermia

Orthopedic Injuries

Patient Packaging

All Purpose Training

Child Advocacy Communications Evidence Collection Fitness and Fitness Pack Test Haz Mat Hydrology Incident Management Team and

Incident Command

Land Navigation and Maps Ropes and Knots Safety Snakes, Spiders and Critters Swiftwater Bank Support Witness Interviews

In addition, TEXSAR member volunteers participated in FEMA self-paced training

programs and more.

Training Venues

TEXSAR wishes to thank Sunset Valley City Hall, Camp Mabry, First United Church of

Coppell, and Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management for allowing TEXSAR to

hold meetings and training sessions in their facilities.

TEXSAR’s ultimate goal is to have its own training facility and equipment storage facility,

combined in one building. The search for a proper facility is in progress.

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Administration

TEXSAR received several generous financial and in-kind equipment donations that made

2015 a milestone for the organization. But standing above the rest was a grant from Mr.

Jimmy Buffett in May, 2015. We understand Mr. Buffett realized how instrumental

TEXSAR had been during the Central Texas flooding events that month, and he wanted

the organization to put down roots and expand its life saving work.

That gift, along with contributions from others, enabled TEXSAR to hire an experienced

nonprofit executive, Carolyn M. Appleton, CFRE, to help develop the organization's

infrastructure, and to hire its first paid employee, Karen H. Knox. Highlights are as follows.

After a lengthy employee search that revealed many outstanding candidates,

TEXSAR hired its first part-time, paid employee in November, Executive Director

Karen H. Knox. Until 2015, TEXSAR operated entirely voluntarily, both from the

standpoint of its daily administrative duties and its volunteer search and rescue

activities. We are honored to have Karen guiding us as TEXSAR moves into a new

phase of expansion and greater service to all Texans.

o Karen has more than three decades of development, fundraising, volunteer

and event management experience with nonprofit organizations,

associations and volunteer organizations. Karen has worked with A Legacy

of Giving, Texas Historical Commission, Special Olympics Texas, Texas

Chemical Council, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi, and the

Muscular Dystrophy Association. She is also a CMP (Certified Meeting

Professional). Karen is a member of Austin CERT Deployment Team Alpha:

Community Emergency Response Team (FEMA).

With more charitable donations and financial activity to monitor, accounting and

tax filing has assumed greater importance for TEXSAR. Montemayor Hill &

Company, PC of Austin was hired in fall, 2015. The firm will prepare TEXSAR’s first

full tax return in early 2016. To date, TEXSAR has filed only the most basic tax

returns because it has operated almost entirely voluntarily.

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To ensure the public knows TEXSAR is committed handling charitable donations

and running the organization as professionally as possible, we established our

presence on GuideStar, the nation’s largest repository of information about

nonprofit organizations. By sharing comprehensive information to ensure

TEXSAR’s commitment to public transparency, we attained the coveted gold seal

in September, 2015.

TEXSAR also established a profile on GreatNonprofits, a partner website of

GuideStar. There we have solicited organizational reviews by volunteers and the

public. It is hoped in the months and years ahead, more people will share their

testimonials. As Bill Gates of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Microsoft

notes, “GreatNonprofits focuses on helping people make great giving decisions

through socially sourced feedback and reviews.”

TEXSAR committed itself to communicating more regularly with the public and its

supporters via e-newsletters and informational emails. Using iContact, we

designed and distributed several e-newsletters and e-notification to an ever-

growing list of supporters. Links to each newsletter may be found on the TEXSAR

website. Our email list continued to grow during 2015.

The website continues to evolve. New pages focus on the biographies of the

TEXSAR Board of Directors; TEXSAR's mission statement and core values; and

media coverage stretching back since 2012, with links to media websites and the

original stories. We fine-tuned TEXSAR’s donation page to add more giving

options, including planned giving. A new page for TEXSAR publications was added

to the Media Room section of the website, with links to our suite of iContact e-

newsletters. Last but not least, the website was fine-tuned for mobile viewing.

Additional improvements will continue into 2016.

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With no staff prior to November, 2015 - but several important new donations - we

composed, mailed and emailed formal acknowledgement letters and notes to more

than 100 contributors. Donor stewardship is critically important, and TEXSAR

intends to maintain strong relationships with every donor for the long-term.

With an eye to future years and increased interest in online giving, TEXSAR

registered for two annual giving days, #GivingTuesday (national) and Amplify

Austin (Central Texas). Profiles were created for TEXSAR on both platforms,

making implementation of campaigns easier going forward. TEXSAR’s existing

online donation platform, GoFundMe, was fine-tuned and regular project updates

were posted during the fall.

TEXSAR was honored U.S. Congressman Michael T. McCaul, Chair of the House

Committee on Homeland Security, agreed to speak during a TEXSAR luncheon

event in November. Regrettably, the threat of flooding at this same time caused

TEXSAR to postpone the event. In anticipation of this and future public events, we

established an Eventbrite account for ease of registration, payment and event

management; and we also created two portable promotional banners for displaying

at events statewide.

In December, Google agreed to work with TEXSAR on a half-day search and rescue

"tech" event at Google Fiber Space in April, 2016. TEXSAR uses a variety of Google

apps in its work, and we hope to have Google engineers present to discuss current

and future applications to TEXSAR's work.

TEXSAR's future depends on identifying and securing financial support from

current and new individual, corporate, foundation and other contributors.

Extensive prospect research began in the fall. Grant proposals principally for

equipment valued at a combined, estimated total of $500,000 were prepared,

submitted and/or scheduled. We await responses in 2016. Meetings with potential

donors were also requested, and will continue to move forward with meetings and

new partnerships in 2016.

TEXSAR's social media platforms – principally Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn –

were updated. Twitter, formerly an adjunct of Facebook, became a freestanding

platform and more actively managed. TEXSAR's following on all platforms

continued to grow in 2015.

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Financial Position

TEXSAR ended 2015 in healthy financial standing. Due to unprecedented monetary

donations received from individuals, families, foundations and corporations, TEXSAR met

all financial obligations and maintained strong working capital.

TEXSAR maintains three bank accounts at Wells Fargo. Balances ending 2014 were as

follows: checking account ($7,679.95); savings account ($10,300.77); and deployment

account ($2,000.00). Balances ending 2015 were as follows: checking account ($15,753.99);

savings account ($92,930.25); and deployment account ($10,000.00). In summary, at year-

end 2014 our combined banking account balance was $19,980.72. At year-end 2015 our

combined banking account balance was $118,684.24. At year-end 2015, TEXSAR estimates

the value of its equipment inventory to be $204,000.

In fall, 2015, TEXSAR hired a professional accounting firm to prepare and file its first

substantive tax return, Montemayor Hill & Company, PC. The firm will provide a formal

financial statement (qualified opinion), which will also be made available to the public via

TEXSAR’s GuideStar profile in 2016.

TEXSAR Donors

TEXSAR wishes to thank the following generous contributors from 2013 through 2015.

Those marked with an asterisk (*) provided in-kind contributions. Texas Search and

Rescue also wishes to thank those donors who have asked to remain anonymous.

$10,000 and Larger

Jimmy Buffett

Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation

Mercury Marine*

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation

Cruising Kitchens*

Shawn Hohnstreiter*

Jeffrey M. Turk*

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$5,000 to $9,999

H-E-B

$1,000 to $4,999

IBM

Richard Belliveau

Charity League of Corpus Christi

eBay Foundation Corporate Advised Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Gilmass Jamuley LLC

Eugene Jorgensen

Reid Enterprises

Deberah Cain

Kathryn Harris

Patti and Randy Riggs

Bill Sleep*

Susan Turk in memory of Ralph and Sue McNeil Carey, Randy and Michelle Carey Charba, and Will Charba; Laura Schultz McComb, Jonathan Andrew McComb, and Leighton

Elizabeth McComb, and in honor Jeffrey Matthew Turk

The University of Texas McCombs School of Business

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$200 to $999

Troy Hawks

Kenny and Lisa Troutt

David Unger | Marathon Petroleum Volunteer Incentive Program

Encana Cares Foundation | Troy Nelson

Sean Jones

Michelle Covey Havard

Suzanne and David Johnson

Michelle Nations

Charles Coulter

Louisa and Joseph Harwood

Michael Mayeux

Martin Ritchey

Diana Seerey

Susie Turk

Adam Wagner

Salesforce.com Foundation

Barley Swine

Teri and Kevin Beckrickson

Tom Byer

Ann Chiburis

Neil and Sandra DeFeo Foundation

Penny Goering

Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)*

Janice Wingo

River Austin

Tom’s Dive Shop

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$100-$999

Retrovore, LLC

Bruce White

Shay Williams

AmazonSmile

Maudie's Too, L.P.

CGA Law Firm

CWS Apartment Homes LLC

Mike and Flo Adams

Carolyn M. Appleton

Diane Breidenstein

Charles Carrington

Dodie and Larry Cashell

Pilar Cobb

Jimmy Cowles

Angi English

Renee McCurdy Fensholt

The Graysons

Harold and Beth Hahn

Anne Hannafin

Angela Hunt

Patti and Randy Kotara

Mikela Lea

John A. Legge

Catherine McFarland

Dana Miller

Javier Miramontes

Karen Person

Lisa Pigg

Trisha Pollard

Steve Powell

Tim Powers

Gregory L. Pyles

Lisa Rosenberg

Michael Sabat

Jennifer and Scott Saltsman

Shannon Simar

Reynold F. Stelloh III

Gwen Throckmorton

Nina Tollett

Alan Trombley

Nancy and Jamie Weeks

Denise Whatley

Travis Williams

Aquarius Pools of Austin

Nancy and J.R. [sic]

Roland Ranches

Shefman Law Group

Toni Schmid Stevenson

Sarah Warner

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Partner Agencies and Organizations

TEXSAR wishes to thank the following organizations for their partnership during 2015.

Caldwell County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management

City of Austin Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) through City of

Austin Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM)

City of Austin Police Department

City of Sunset Valley

Galveston County Office of Emergency Management

Hays County Office of Emergency Management

Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)

Texas A&M Forest Service

Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM)

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Travis County Sheriff’s Office

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

TEXSAR also maintained memberships with the following during 2015.

Capital Area Council of Governments

State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association

Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

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TEXSAR Member Volunteers

To the following individuals we owe a debt of gratitude.

Aaron Franklin Bobby Macpherson Chance Berry Adam Crispin Brad Garman Charlie Grove

Al Benson Brad Gwatney Chris GarbeChris Scharff Alan Huddleston Bradley DeRoo Christi Adams

Alex Hutton Brandon Goering Christopher Minckler Alex Perotti Brian Kassa Christopher Thompson

Allen Robinson III Brian Morton Clay Cobb Amanda O'Malley Brian Sailors Clayton Aldrich

Amy Thomas Brianna Acevedo Connor Byer Andy Anthony Bryan Bible Courtney Brown

Anthony Scopel Bryan Blakely Courtney Crawford Arnold Steed Bryan Henson Craig Trimble

Ben Alexander Bryan Musolino Dalan Janysek Bill Sleep Bryan Poe Danny Harris

Blake Gouge Bryan Sky-Eagle David Unger Blake Guidry Cameron MacGregor Dawn Keller

Bo Wingo Carine Chalfoun Dawn Labosco Aaron Franklin Carol Wilson Dawn McGee Adam Crispin Cedric Verdier Deanna Worden

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Debbie Rich Jason Webb Ram Torres Derek Georg Jay Hoffman Randy Collins

Derek Moreland Jeb Kaffaga Rebekah Napieralski Diane Morrow Jeff Turk Renee Hollie-Thigpen Don Dougherty Jeffrey Stalder Richard Belliveau

Don Gentry Jennifer Blanton Richard Ryle Donis Rhoden Kiersten Legge Rick Van Hoozer

Doretta Jenison Kimberly Morgan Rob Naylor Doris Clark Kirk Stolzenburg Robert Harris

Doug Bradshaw Krystal Stalder Roberta Riley Doug Haggard Lance Singleton Rolan Rast Douglas Snyder Laura Norman Ryan Byrd

Dustan Jesko Leroy Brown Scott Brammer Easton Haslam Lin Avey Sean Jones

Ed Norman Lisa Reyes Shane Foster Edward Ingram Lucas Leishear Shannon Sharp

Eric Nagel Lynn May Shawn Hohnstreiter Fernando Moreira Lynn Stender Shawn Tracy

Floyd Davis Marcus Gellner Sheila Dolbow Frank Rich Mark Baumann Stela Moctezuma

Frankie Hefley Mark Huff Stephanie Dill Ginger Locke-Floyd Mark Mitchell Steve Eckart

Donis Rhoden Mark Richardson Steven Smith Doretta Jenison Meg Hinkley Stuart Viney

Doris Clark Megan Whitley Susan Rodenko Doug Bradshaw Melissa Frederick Suzanne Johnson

Grant Taylor Michael Bradley TC Crippen Greg Fair Michael Brown Thomas Hunt

Greg Robinson Michael Redditt Tiffanie Turner Greg Roseberry Michelle Acevedo Tim Powers

Heather Garman Michelle Nations Tim Stevens Hector Padilla Mike Pennington Timothy Loucks Jackie Dobson Misty Cobb Tom Bell Jackie Ogden Misty McClellan Tom Couch Jake Ragusa Neil Summer Tom Hanson

Jake Saunders Niki Bender Travis Williams James Dodson Noel Lee Tricia Davis Jamie Hatcher Pam Simek Troy Youngblood

Jamie Leigh-Powell Paul Hinkley Tyler Jorgensen Jamine Doty Penny Goering Tyler Pankonien Jan Stalder Phree-Ranier Phillips Vince Devine

Jason Kihlberg Quinn Meredith Warren Carin Jason Pierce Rachel Lindsay Wesley Howell Jason Samp Rachel Ralston Will Boettner Debbie Rich Ralph Munoz Wyatt Talbot Derek Georg

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Number of TEXSAR Member-Volunteers by Certification:

Ground SAR Technicians: 95

K9 Handlers: 15

K9's: 26 (12 active, 14 in training)

Flood and Swiftwater Technicians: 58

Rescue Boat Operators: 13

Vertical Rescue Technicians: 13

Medical Personnel (EMT-B or greater): 20

Incident Management Team Members: 19

Wildland Firefighters: 17

Structure Firefighters: 10

Mantrackers: 42

National SAR School Certified Search Planners: 5

In addition, TEXSAR has the following administrative committees. We thank our

committee chairs and co-chairs.

Fundraising: Justin McInnis

Logistics: Derek Moreland | Michael Bradley

Membership: Christi Adams | Penny Goering

Technology: Charlie Grove

Training: Bill Sleep

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TEXSAR Canine Team Members

TEXSAR has one of the finest canine teams in the state of Texas. They are indispensable to

TEXSAR, and are highly trained, year-round. Ben Alexander is TEXSAR’s K9 Branch

Director. Below, we list each of our canines and in parentheses, the names of their

handlers.

Caile (Ben Alexander) Cara (Tiffanie Turner) Cephira (Deputy Randy Thomas) Fetch-It (Tiffanie Turner) HotRod (Jamie Leigh-Powell) Kovu (Brianna Acevedo)

Orion (Joe Huston) Rowan (Tiffanie Turner) Seeker (TC Crippen) Tide (Amanda O’Malley) Twist (Jennifer Blanton) Wink (Jennifer Blanton)

Certified Wilderness Area dog teams:

Caile (Ben Alexander)

Kovu (Brianna Acevedo)

Wink and Twist (Jennifer Blanton)

In training:

Astro (Jason Kihlberg)

Chief (Courtney Brown)

Rip (Ben Alexander)

Rue (Connor Byer)

Certified Trailing dog team: Wink and Twist (Jennifer Blanton), and pending, Seeker (TC

Crippen).

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In training:

Crash (Jennifer Blanton)

Nadia (Bryan Musolino)

Reka (Adam Crispin)

Runner (TC Crippen)

Snitch (Brianna Acevedo)

Certified Canine Human Remains (HRD) Land teams:

Caile (Ben Alexander)

Cara, Rowan and Fetchit (Tiffanie Turner)

Hotrod (Jamie Powell)

Orion (Joe Huston)

Tide (Amanda O'Malley)

Wink, Twist and Crash (Jennifer Blanton)

Pending certification is Gabe (Diane Morrow). In training are candidates Iv and Rip (Ben

Alexander). Certified Water Recovery teams include Wink and Twist (Jennifer Blanton),

and Caile (Ben Alexander).

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Conclusion

2015 was a milestone year for TEXSAR: Texas Search and Rescue. We thank our member-

volunteers, donors, and agency partners.

TEXSAR looks forward to continuing its service to the citizens of Texas in 2016 and

beyond. For information, please contact Karen H. Knox, Executive Director

(karen.knox@texsar.org).

Texas Search and Rescue

P.O. Box 171258

Austin, Texas 78717

(512) 956-6727

IRS EIN for TEXSAR Inc.: 84-1644603

Photography credits:

Cover and Page 4: Christopher Vu | Pages 2, 5, 17 and 24: Andrea Booher Page 7: Carolyn M. Appleton

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