Volunteers from the Sussex Search and Rescue Unit (SusSAR) have been congratulated by Sussex Police for completing a NCFE Level 2 qualification in Dementia Awareness to help with vulnerable missing person searches.

  A total of 23 volunteers were congratulated at the certificate presentation on Sunday 30 May. At the same time, certificates were awarded to 4 members of SusSAR who have recently qualified as Sussex Police First Aid Trainers.

Chief Superintendent Paul Morrison, head of Sussex Police’s operations department, said: "'The passion these people show to do a professional job and find those at risk is awe inspiring. I was struck by their team spirit and dedication to continually improve their skill levels in terms of training and exercising all of which is done in their own time. This commitment has certainly paid off with recent successful searches for very vulnerable people who have gone missing in Sussex. Working together we make a very strong team”

The simple, practical techniques used by the volunteers when searching for a person suffering from a dementia include placing a hand on the person's shoulder so they know they are being spoken to, and approaching them from the side rather than from the front.

Steve Dennis, for Sussex Search and Rescue said: "SusSAR participate in a number of courses to help them better understand and search for vulnerable missing people, including mental health first-aid, suicide intervention, tracking, and lost person behaviour.  This training has enabled our volunteers to better plan searches for missing people, as well as ensuring that a missing person suffering with a dementia always receives the most appropriate care when they are found."

SusSAR volunteers are on call 24/7 supportingSussex Police in the search and rescue of vulnerable missing people. The volunteers undertake a great deal of training and exercises, around live searches and their full-time jobs.

SusSAR is a charity and relies on the generosity of the people and businesses of Sussexto continue their life saving work. It is staffed purely by volunteers, who as well as covering the whole of East and West Sussex, can also be called out to assist other search and rescue groups throughout the UK. More information can be found at www.sussar.org