How does one help search for a lost hiker most efficiently once an official search has begun?

Assuming they want volunteers, is falling in with everyone else the best (and possibly only) way to go? Could I just show up at the hiker's point last seen on the trail and try to track the missing person, or would I likely be denied access or interfere with more skilled "official" trackers?

Being a warm body in a line search just doesn't sound rewarding enough to take off work for.

Do search volunteers generally stay in a designated camp area, or are they allowed to overnight in the search area?