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Focused Interest Groups (FIGs) Clarified?
From January 1999 Lost & Found Newsletter
Focused Interest Groups (or FIGs) is a new phrase for most of us. It is a portion of the newly re-organized SAR Council, now known as ESARC (El Dorado Search & Rescue Council). I have had a difficult time understanding the meaning and purpose of this unit of ESARC. I discovered I wasn't the only one as I observed countless emails pass back and forth between several participants discussing that very subject. I printed the correspondence and narrowed down the comments to those of Karen Meschi and John Zandovskis (the experts on the subject). Here is what I got out of it:
- To become a member of a FIG, one must be in good standing with their SOSAR Team and be a member of ESARC, paying $1/month dues.
- A FIG is a group formed because of a desire to do research in a specific area and then make recommendations to ESARC.
- FIGs do not form with the primary goal to solve a problem, but with a proactive vision to improve SAR.
- FIGs do not necessarily correspond to a SAR Team.
- FIGs, as a unit, do not vote although individual members may if they are the ESARC representatives for their SOSAR Team.
When the concept of FIGs was created, it was envisioned that SAR people with specific interests could get together and form groups with goals that help ESARC meet its Mission Statement (to assist the EDSO SAR Teams in performing their duties). Part of the vision was that ESARC would eventually have enough volunteers to form FIGs that would give the EDSO SAR Teams information as to what equipment to buy and then help obtain the approval from ESARC for funds. (Sierra West is an example. As a non-profit it no longer exists, but it continues to exist with the best interest of the Foot Team as its mission. When the Foot Team needs to replace their vehicle, SW will provide the volunteer power to investigate and advise ESARC via a FIG.)
FIGs do not replace committees. A committee generally is a gathering of people to solve a problem. A FIG would form with a positive mission statement and a specific goal in mind. FIGs were designed to enhance ESARC.
Another important clarification: EDSO SAR members are NOT automatically ESARC members, but all ESARC members must be EDSO SAR members.
Submitted by Lisa Golub
SAR #84
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