COEUR d'ALENE - When disaster strikes, area residents can take comfort in knowing that local heroes are on standby.

The Kootenai County Volunteer Search and Rescue Unit trained for several hours Saturday in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest near Fernan Saddle in Coeur d'Alene. More than 20 new and returning volunteers braved unpredictable spring weather as they built shelters out of natural materials, started fires with minimal tools and sharpened their clue awareness (evidence observation) skills along the trails.

"If you've ever been out in the woods and ever been turned around, it's not a real good feeling," said John Davis of Post Falls, a rescue dog trainer and SAR volunteer for 32 years. "Thankfully, in the last three or four years our search numbers have gone down, which is good, but still, people need to do it."

The SAR volunteers work in conjunction with the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office when reinforcements are needed. The volunteers assist in finding lost or missing persons and aircraft in urban and rural settings. They provide support for major community events and they aid in community preparedness and preventative SAR education. They train one night a week and every other Saturday from January through March each year, learning everything from first aid to how to be a "ground pounder," or active on-foot search party.

"It's important to get everyone together," said Andi Lindemann of Rathdrum, who has been a SAR volunteer for two years. She explained that the volunteers work in pairs and teams, so it helps if they know one another before crises occur so they may work together more efficiently. She also said the training sessions are useful for acquainting rescue canines with other means of rescue options.

"We all need to learn to work together with the dogs, horses and ATVs," she said.

Brenda Symons of Post Falls stayed at the command post toward the end of the training. She has been a volunteer for seven years, following in her dad Skip's footsteps.

"I kind of grew up with it," she said. "Dad was always out on the searches and I went on some of the stuff with him."

Symons said her dad worked at the sheriff's office and was the SAR liaison officer years ago, so she accompanied him while working the "lost child" booth at the fair. She and her sister are active volunteers.

"I enjoy doing it," she said. "I enjoy the outdoors. It's nice to be able to give back to the community to help. It does cost you a little money because of the equipment you have to get but it's worth it. When you're out there and you find somebody, it makes it even more worth it."

Symons said it's important to have civilian rescue units because many people who wander into the woods or even children in the city are not prepared and can easily get lost.

"The more volunteers we have, the quicker we find them," she said.

The KCSO VSAR will have a final training of the season April 26 to complete this year's SAR Academy, but the volunteers will definitely not be idle.

"You make one phone call, you've got 56 of us," Symons said.

Once a call goes in to the KCSO, authorities evaluate the situation and determine whether to send out the volunteers. If their help is needed, they stop what they're doing and move into action.

"Any time, day or night," Symons said. "Any weather."

Info: www.kcsheriff.com