Programs | NILSAR

→ NILSAR ACADEMY CLASSES

SPECIALIZED SAR CURRICULUM

Lifestyle photography of a man in an orange jacket hiking through a lush forest, holding a map. The scene conveys a sense of adventure and careful navigation.

Northern Illinois Search and Rescue, LLC delivers rigorous field-tested instruction aligned with NASAR standards, federal NIMS guidelines, and state emergency management protocols. Our foundational courses equip ground searchers with competencies in navigation, evidence, urban, and wilderness search techniques, and multi-agency operational command.

Our specialized courses feature further education in Lost Person Behavior, Search Planning, Search Management, and Search Support Positions

[01] FIELD NAVIGATION & TACTICAL DEPLOYMENT IN DENSE WOODLAND TERRAIN

→ COURSE CATALOG & CERTIFICATION TRACKS

SPECIALIZED SEARCH & RESCUE TRAINING MODULES ACROSS ILLINOIS.

Rigorous, NASAR-aligned operational courses designed for emergency volunteers, handlers, and professional public safety personnel.

Field photography of a search and rescue worker in bright orange gear navigating a storm-damaged street. The atmosphere is serious and professional, highlighting the after-math of a natural disaster.

DURATION: 6 HOURS • CORE

NAV-100

DURATION: 24 HOURS • LEVEL I

SAR-101

DURATION: 6 HOURS • LEVEL I

SAR-102

WILDERNESS NAVIGATION & GPS

GROUND SEARCH SPECIALIST

urban SEARCH SPECIALIST

UTM and USNG coordinate systems, terrain association, declination calculation, and field GPS integration. Prerequisites: Open to all active trainees.

Covers grid search methodologies, clue awareness, night sweeps, and wilderness survival. Prerequisites: IS-100, IS-700, CPR/First Aid certification and physical readiness test.

Covers search methodologies used for Urban Area searches. Prerequisites: Ground Search Specialist.

Outdoor photography of a team of search and rescue personnel in uniform walking systematically through a grassy field. The scene captures a serious, focused atmosphere during a search mission.

DURATION: 6 HOURS • LEVEL I

SAR-103

DURATION: 8 HOURS • LEADERSHIP

ICS-100

DURATION: 36 HOURS • CERTIFIED

ICS-200

evidence SEARCH SPECIALIST

INCIDENT COMMAND support FOR SAR

INCIDENT COMMAND FOR SAR

Covers search methodologies, clue preservation, and chain of custody procedures used for Evidence searches. Prerequisites: Ground Search Specialist.

Covers positions used to support Search Command.

Typical roles include Communications, Safety, Site Security, and Staging. Prerequisites: NIMS ICS-100 & ICS-200.

Multi-agency coordination, lost person behavior modeling, search area segmentation, and operational dispatch logging. Prerequisites: NIMS ICS-100 & ICS-200.

FIELD EXERCISES AND CERTIFICATION EVALUATIONS ARE HELD QUARTERLY ACROSS ILLINOIS PARKS & REGIONAL FOREST PRESERVES.

→ ENROLLMENT & REGISTRATION

REGISTER FOR TRAINING

Northern Illinois Search and Rescue, LLC provides navigation, ground search techniques, lost person behavior analysis, and field search management courses. Submit this enrollment application for individual certification or agency-wide department deployment.