I'm afraid I must second AKSAR's extremely cogent comments. That doesn't mean that walk ons can't be beneficial, but expect to serve in a supporting role.

SAR is definitely a team activity and it takes a while to develop teamwork, especially among strangers.

My introduction to SAR was an extensive search in extremely severe winter conditions. The operation was a hideous boondoggle from beginning to end, primarily because no one, from the sheriff on down, really knew what to do, or how to do it. About the best that could be said is that the repercussions from that event lead to steadily more competent SAR in the Tucson area. And that required a lot of team building, a prerequisite for operating in critical situations.