Search and Rescue Council of New Jersey

09/04/2026

Modified Lost Person Behavior Sunday 9/20
10:00am-12:00pm (Upper Classroom Lodge on Lake)
Camp Tecumseh
NJSAREX 2026

One General Admission ticket is required for all participants. This is a modified Lost Person Behavior class. Whether you are in search and rescue or a related public safety role, it will guide you to look in the right place to find the lost subject faster. We will discuss the various behavior profiles and how to interact with them in the field.

Registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sarcnj-sarex--2026

Sunday is the day of Lost Person Behavior and Subject Profiles! We have an entire line up planned to better equip our first responders to locate and interact with various subject profiles we may encounter. Jen and Avigayl kick start us with their Modified Lost Person Behavior class. This course will take us right to lunch at 12:00pm.

Immediately after lunch is our Autism Awareness for First Responders class from 1pm-4pm with Gerald Turning Jr.

Closing us out for the day is ARC of Hunterdon with their Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness for First Responders class taught by Heather Clawson and Denise Snyder from 4:30pm-5:30pm.

09/04/2026

ARC of Hunterdon presents:

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness for First Responders
with Heather Clawson and Denise Snyder
4:30pm-5:30pm 9/20 at Camp Tecumseh
NJ SAREX 2026

Registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sarcnj-sarex--2026

09/04/2026

Anthropology Saturday 9/19 10:00am-12:00pm (Upper Classroom Lodge on Lake)

Registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sarcnj-sarex--2026

Anna W. Delaney, DFS., M.A.
Forensic Anthropologist
New Jersey State Police/Office of Forensic Sciences

Anna Delaney began her career with the New Jersey State Police Office of Forensic Sciences in 2004. Over the years; Anna has worked in the Mitochondrial DNA Lab, CODIS DNA Lab and has supervised the Forensic Anthropology Unit since 2017. Anna specializes in human osteology, odontology, non-human comparisons, skeletal trauma analysis, excavations and exhumations. She provides training to Law Enforcement Agencies throughout New Jersey and is a guest lecturer at several Universities. She is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida’s Distance Learning Program. Anna also populates the NamUs database with information on New Jersey’s Unidentified and Missing Persons cases, modifies NCIC records for missing and unidentified and assists the New Jersey State Police Missing Persons Unit with retrieval of medical and dental information. Anna works closely with Forensic Odontologists, Medical Examiner’s Offices and local, state and federal agencies. In addition to her casework, she has been working on the remains found at the Red Bank Battlefield, Fort Mercer, Gloucester County, New Jersey since June 2022.

09/04/2026

A introduction to cave rescue by NJ Initial Response Team and meet their members.
Cave rescue is one of the most demanding and specialized disciplines in search and rescue. It requires rescuers to operate safely in confined, dark, and often hazardous environments while managing complex technical challenges and limited access. Successful cave rescue operations depend on teamwork, sound decision-making, technical proficiency, and a thorough understanding of cave environments.
This introductory course provides students with a foundation in cave rescue principles, including cave hazards, personal protective equipment, patient packaging, communications, movement techniques, and rescue system considerations. Emphasis is placed on safety, risk management, and the unique operational challenges encountered during underground rescue incidents.

Cave Rescue Saturday 2:00 pm-3:30 pm (Scout House)
Cave Rescue Sunday 9:00am-10:00am (Scout House)

John Gumbs has been involved in rescue and first aid communities for over 35 years. He was a founding member of NJIRT about 35 years ago, was a NJ EMT for over 30 years, EMR instructor, NCRC Cave Rescue Instructor for over 15 years (13 as a National Instructor). John has taught area first aid squads and fire departments low angle rope rescue techniques and wilderness evacuation. He has provided hundreds of YMCA campers opportunities to rappell and climb and coordinated and ran YMCA caving trips in NJ and WV. He was a NASAR SAR TECH 2 provider when the NJIRT was doing wilderness response.

Will Test was born and raised in Central PA as an outdoorsman and caver, Will now spends most of his time teaching others, introducing new cavers to the sport and working on exploration projects. He has been active in the rescue community for the last decade. Will is passionate about teaching vertical caving and has organized and led multiple National Speleological Society Vertical Training Commision Level 1 courses and is the current Northeast Regional Coordinator. He is an National Cave Rescue Commission Instructor, and is deeply committed to the rescue and caving communities. Will currently serves as Deputy Chief of his local municipal SAR team, West Milford Search and Rescue, and as Assistant Chief of New Jersey Initial Response Team, specializing in cave and abandoned mine rescue. He also uses his vertical skills to help NJ Fish and Wildlife with banding of Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons.

Registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sarcnj-sarex--2026

09/03/2026

Autism: A Guide for First Responders

Instructor Gerald Turning Jr.

Captain Gerald Turning Jr. served 25 years as a police officer in New Jersey, recently retiring from the rank of Captain. He served most of his police career as a decorated K9 Handler, Trainer, and Unit Supervisor.

Captain Turning also served as Internal Affairs Commander, Patrol Division Commander, and policy writer for his police department.
In 2012, Jerry began writing about his experiences as an autistic dad and established a successful blog, Bacon and Juiceboxes. He earned a following of over 45,000 fans worldwide who share his family’s challenges and triumphs.

As a member of two beloved communities: Law Enforcement and Special Needs Families, Jerry has shown unwavering commitment. He found his calling in bridging the gap between these communities, improving communication, and establishing solid relationships between First Responders and the families they serve and protect.

Jerry has lectured nationally, authored articles, and received awards for his efforts in Autism Awareness for First Responders. He recently published his first novel, Desperate Pursuits, centered around a police officer processing the fresh diagnosis of his autistic son.

Registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sarcnj-sarex--2026

09/03/2026

Drop into the tent to learn in an informal one-on-one or small group format with instructors.

We will cover:

The basics of topographic maps-
•Reading and interpreting key symbols including contour lines, grid lines, terrain, road and building symbols etc
•Differences between true north, grid north and magnetic north
•Orienting the map - when you need to and when you don’t
•Using USNG and UTM coordinates to report and find a location
•Using a protractor to find a bearing from A to B
•Basics of Compass Use
•The compass as a multi-tool
•Declination - what is it and why do I care? •Setting declination on your compass
•Taking a bearing from map and transferring to the field, and vice versa.
•Optimizing the accuracy of using a compass
•Using a compass to find a point through dead-reckoning
•Practical exercises to complement the above - dead reckoning (SarTech 2 type), line flagging, staying on bearing, etc.
•Route preparing strategies - staying found. •Using catching features, handrails, aiming off, using slope aspects
•Getting lost and what to do about it. •Triangulation
•Demonstration stations/please touch: make a compass; clay contour lines miniatures - make different shapes

Registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sarcnj-sarex--2026

09/03/2026

Trailing also only has 3 spots available!

Don’t wait, get your registrations in so you don’t miss out!

•Want help setting a strong foundation for you and your puppy?
•Have gaps in your training you want to address?
•Getting ready to certify and you’re looking to gain skills to take you and your dog to the next level with real world scenarios?

Come join Alex Tkacenko at the NJ SAREX taking place at Camp Tecumseh in Pittstown, NJ. Alex has an incredible amount of knowledge and experience. He truly pours his heart into his students and wants them to get the most out of every trail they run. From puppy runs and building beginners to experienced dog teams, he’ll push you to think outside the box while maximizing your dogs ability to work through complex scenarios.

We still have some spots available! Don’t miss this opportunity as his seminars fill fast!
See you there!

Registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sarcnj-sarex--2026

09/03/2026

We only have 3 spots left!

Get your registrations in as time is ticking and we’re closing in on the event.

Our two Area Search instructors are another dynamic duo with decades of experience. This is open to ALL LEVELS- how to set up proper puppy runaways to near operational or operational K9 teams. Vicki and Howie are prepared to set strong foundations, help you develop a solid training plan, assist you with closing the gaps in your training, or pushing you and your dog to apply scent theory on complex scenarios.

We still have some spots available so don’t miss out on your chance to get in some solid training while still having a ton of fun. Audit spots are also open if you’d like to take the opportunity to soak up the knowledge without working your dog.

Registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sarcnj-sarex--2026

09/03/2026

Any first responder who is working with law enforcement (L.E.) on a missing people search becomes an extension of the law enforcement agency in charge of the incident. Everyone involved has a duty to preserve all evidence and the crime scene for any search that may become criminal investigation.

This course gives guidelines to help SAR personnel understand what L.E. is looking for in preserving a crime scene. L.E. only has one chance of processing that scene, once the subject, clues or scene is handled / moved the scene has been changed and can never be reconstructed again.

This class will give an overview of the steps those responders would need to take, so that the crime scene would not be compromised.

1. Proper SAR techniques to enter and preserve the scene until it can be released to Law Enforcement
2. Protecting the evidence/clues
3. Documentation
4. Field Exercise
5. Court testimony.

Registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sarcnj-sarex--2026

General Admission ticket required but this course is offered at no additional cost! Keep your skills sharp and don’t wait to sign up!

09/03/2026

**UPDATE: WORKING SPOTS SOLD OUT!**

Unlimited audit spots available!

ADVANCED HRD- we only have 2 spots left! Don’t miss out, get your registration in!

Unlimited audit spots available

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/sarcnj-sarex--2026

Garrett Dyer is a dog trainer and instructor with over 38 years of experience with field and search-and-rescue dogs. Garrett has trained and handled numerous upland game dogs. His passion for search and rescue began in 1991, when he was a member of the Search and Rescue Dogs of Maryland and the American Rescue Dog Association. He later became a member of Virginia Task Force 1, USAR team, where he held positions as a search team manager, canine search specialist, and task force leader. He has instructed a diverse group of trainers and handlers in search and rescue, law enforcement, field, and companion dog owners. He taught and presented at numerous national seminars and conferences.

Come and enjoy two full days of hands on learning with a working spot or observing with an audit spot! Training scenarios will include land-based exercises in wooded areas, around outdoor structures, and along the lakeshore. Handlers will work search scenarios with known information to hone observation skills when their dog is working target odor, as well as blind problems to build team confidence.