Benton County’s Search and Rescue Academy is in full swing this spring, giving local volunteers hands-on training with help from the Oregon National Guard. During a recent session in Corvallis, Guard crews brought in a Black Hawk helicopter to show how air support helps find missing people and evacuate the injured.
The nine-week academy, run by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, teaches everything from map reading and GPS use to shelter building and teamwork. Classes meet on Thursday evenings and Saturdays from early March through late April. Graduates who pass the final test become state-certified search and rescue volunteers…