The short-staffed Cayuga County Highland Search & Rescue team will be looking for something different this Saturday: new members.

With several experienced members retiring, moving out of the area or facing new personal obligations, Christine Buff, lead K-9 trainer and liaison for the team, said the group will conduct a membership drive to replenish its ranks.

“We are looking for anyone who has a love for the outdoors and that enjoys volunteering,” Buff said. “All of us think volunteering is very important to our community.”

While many people may find the idea of rescuing a lost hiker appealing, Buff said they also need to be aware that a successful recovery operation can be just as important for a victim's family as they begin to mourn their loss.

“When one of our subjects is found, everybody wins,” Buff said. “Whether they are found alive, or we are at the point where they have been missing for so long that it becomes a recovery operation and we are just able to give the family closure, it's a good feeling to put an end to a family's suffering.”

During her 15 years as a search and rescue volunteer, Buff said one of the hardest calls she has responded to was the recovery operation in New York City in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

During that operation, local K-9 teams helped to search the wreckage for the remains of any victims that could be identified and returned to their families.

“It hit home in a real way the importance of closure,” Buff said. “People need a chance to say good-bye to their loved ones.”

Due to the stress that a search can place on the team while out in the field, Buff said new members will learn to lean on other members for support.

“There is a lot of camaraderie,” Buff said. “There is such a potential horror, you need to rely on each other and trust each other when searching. We don't want to get lost or hurt in the field and it is a huge responsibility that you're shouldering looking for someone.”

While the K-9 units are often the most popular members of the team, SandraDee Dana, team treasurer, said most new members will work as a part of the search grid, looking for evidence that will help narrow the search area.

“They may find the person, but they are often looking for clues for where the people have been or what direction they were heading in,” Dana said. “Clues such as cigarette butts if the person is a smoker, or pieces of ribbon on a tree or anything that is not supposed to be out there ... can help us tell if someone has been in the area.”

In order to learn the necessary skills before entering the field, members are asked to set aside one Sunday a month for training, Buff said.

“Every operation is always a team effort,” Buff said. “I encourage people to at least give it a try and volunteer. We understand people have jobs and families and other things going on in their lives, and we don't expect them to make every meeting. But we do expect them to meet certain requirements before entering the field.”

If you go

What: Cayuga County Highland Search and Rescue membership drive

When: 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28

Where: Sennett Fire Station No. 2, 3526 Franklin St. Road

Contact: 685-6531

Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net