Membership Information

Becoming part of a surface or underground search and rescue team is a very serious commitment and should not be entered into lightly. There is always an element of personal danger in any search and rescue situation - unexpected things happen - you may become a victim too. We strongly suggest you talk this possibility over with your wife/husband or parents before committing to the NJIRT.

Search and rescue is costly - both in monetary and time-spent terms. The NJIRT may be called to assist in a rescue operation in any state within the Eastern or Northeastern NCRC regions (NC, VA, MD, DE, PA, NJ, NY, MA, CT, Rl, NH, VT and ME). You will be expected to cover any expenses you might incur during such a rescue operation (gas, food, lodging, etc.). You also may be away from home and work for several days on a difficult rescue. The NJIRT in cooperation with local authorities will try to provide for your basic needs at a rescue site but there are no guarantees. At home, the NJIRT will expect you to attend and complete scheduled classes and practical exercises as part of ongoing Team training.

You are expected to be SELF-SUSTAINING for 48 hours on any rescue mission - which means you have to bring food, water, sleeping gear, personal toilet articles, etc., AND you must be able to work underground for a minimum of 12 hours with electric light.

If you are accepted, you become part of a specialized response where your presence (or absence) can be the difference between life and death for the trapped or lost victim(s). Depending on your level of involvement and because the team is small in number, becoming part of this effort may require you to be available for call-out ANYTIME - 24 hours-a-day.

Please carefully consider all the aspects of search and rescue before you make a choice to join us.

The following questionnaire is a more detailed version of the questionnaire you may have filled out for the National Cave Rescue Commission. We need the additional information to allow us to better evaluate your experience and place you in the correct Tier call-out group. The questionnaire is VERY important to us and should be filled out honestly and in detail. Please don't be reluctant to explain any attributes (skills or experience) that you may have which may help us.

Download Our Membership Form