When a hiker loses his way in a heavily wooded forest preserve, or a child wanders from home, local police departments may turn to Will County Search and Rescue for help.
The 28-member search-and-rescue team was started in 1997 and is funded by seven local law enforcement agencies, including the police departments in Romeoville, Lemont and Bolingbrook. Each agency sends four people to be members of the team, which is led by Dave Kristofek, assistant director of Bolingbrook’s Emergency Service and Disaster Agency.
Q. What kinds of searches does Will County Search and Rescue do?
A. Basically, we’d do a search for a missing person or for evidence (in a crime). We did a search recently for items related to a dead body that was found near Bolingbrook. We were looking for bones, clothing, weapons or evidence. There were 80 acres we had to search.
Q. Why was Will County Search and Rescue founded?
A. The nearest search and rescue agency is in Sangamon County. There was no other ground-pounding search-and-rescue team in northern Illinois. I was involved (as a member of Bolingbrook’s Emergency Service and Disaster Agency) in a search for a boy in Braidwood a few years ago. There was no organized team to help at that time.
Q. If you have only 28 members, how can you conduct a search of a very large area?
A. If we had to do a large search, we’d call all the mutual aid agencies in Will County (for help) and we’d take people from the public. We’d team volunteers with trained people. That way we could effectively manage 100 to 250 searchers.
Q. Why is it important to be trained?
A. Every situation is different. If we have a child lost in a neighborhood, that’s going to be different than searching a heavily wooded forest preserve. In (the case of the forest preserve), we’d be wearing helmets, long sleeves, clothing with reflective strips. We’d be carrying medical equipment so if we found anyone three miles into a wooded area we could treat them. In a residential area, you’re just going to be canvassing the neighborhood.
Q. What training do team members undergo?
A. We have once-a-month drills. These are five- or six-hour drills based on (a scenario for) a search.
Q. What is the most important part of conducting a successful search?
A. The earlier we’re called, the better. You start running against the clock, as far as daylight and (sometimes) weather conditions. If you can find a subject within 24 hours, that’s the best chance. After that, your chances of finding the subject (alive) drop dramatically.
