Lost Person Behavior

Instructor: Chris Young

2 hours

Lost person behavior is the cornerstone of search and rescue efforts. Based upon a landmark study, this course is based on the book Lost Person Behavior – A

Search and Rescue Guide on Where to Look - for Land, Air, and Water by Robert Koester (published 2008 by dbS Publications), and is the definitive guide

to solving the puzzle of where a lost person might be found. This course will cover the latest information and research found in the book regarding the lost

person behavioral profiles. Particular emphasis is placed on the latest research concerning Alzheimer's, despondents, mentally retarded, psychotic, abducted

children, cross-country skiers, mountain bikers as well as 41 separate categories of lost or missing persons. The participant will learn important background

information, its implications for search and rescue, how to establish a prevention program, search statistics, behavioral statistics, and how to plan a search for each

subject type. Additional discussion will cover behavioral profiles, urban verses wilderness statistics, suggested initial tasks, and specialized investigative

questions. The participants will have the opportunity to work several practical scenarios.

BIO

Christopher (Chris) S. Young has been active in Search and Rescue since 1981, managed searches since 1986, is the past reserve Captain for the Contra Costa County

Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team and serves as chairman of the Bay Area Search and Rescue Council, Inc. (BASARC). Chris is a retired Instructor for the POST “Direction

and Control of the Search Function Course” for the State of California Office of Emergency Service for 25 years, is currently an Instructor Trainer for the “Managing the

Lost Person Incident” and “Urban Search Management” (developed by Chris) for the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR), he is also an Instructor Trainer in

Emergency Medical Response and first aid for the American Red Cross since 1972, as well as specialized topics in Search Management, including Search Management in the

Urban Environment, and Investigation and Interviewing in SAR. Chris has also written, published and presented search management papers at the National Association for

Search and Rescue conferences, the Canadian National Search and Rescue Secretariat SARSCENE conferences, the William Syrotuck Symposiums on Search Theory and

Practice, the Canadian Coast Guard College, the Provincial Sûreté Du Québec Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the New Zealand National SAR Conference, the Icelandic

International Search and Rescue Conference, Norwegian Frivillige Organisasjoners Redningsfaglige Forum (FORF) Seminar and several State Search and Rescue

conferences. He is also co-author of the book “Urban Search – Managing Missing Person Searches in the Urban Environment”, published 2007 by dbS Publications as

well as a contributing author on several other books for search and rescue. Additionally, Chris is a Level 1 law enforcement reserve with the Sheriff’s Dept and the City of

Danville and is an EMT 1 Instructor. Chris holds a Master of Science Degree in Construction Management and works as a Senior Project Manager for a large general

contractor based in San Francisco and is responsible for overall management of multimillion dollar ground up commercial, high rise, hospital, educational and hotel projects.