I've been a member of my local ground search and rescue team for just over three years now.
If you decide to join your local ground team, most of your real training will be on the job. The Searcher I and II qualifications require some practical demonstration of skills (land nav, etc) but it's pretty straight forward. You're already an outdoorsman so you'll be walking into it with a lot of knowledge and experience that many of the other new recruits don't yet posses. On my team there is a really broad range of both age and experience, but one thing everyone has in common is a desire to help. There are those that apply solely for the purpose of having SAR team membership on their resume... these people get weeded out pretty quick!
As far as kit goes... you probably have everything you need already. Your team may have specific requirements, but everything in this list should have you more than covered:
http://www.nasar.org/files/education/NASAR_SARTECHTM_II_MINIMUM_PERSONAL_EQUIPMENT_LIST_11_2004.pdf
One thing that I'd suggest, if you're anything like me, you'll be out in the woods for work or play more often than you will be on a search, so when you are called out you may have the items that you need scattered about in various packs, etc. I'd suggest assembling a completely separate kit just for SAR that you only use when called out, this probably means you'll need to buy duplicates of some items. I keep my SAR pack ready to go, plus a separate duffle bag for my truck, in this I keep clothes and spares, and the clothes I keep in it changes with the seasons. When we get called out we generally meet at our mobile command post at the search site, which means my truck is always close by should I need to grab dry clothes, etc.
Here are topics covered in the Canadian Searcher I and II training:
"Searcher I
This classification shall apply to all new members of a search team with no previous training in GSAR.
Certification will be based on the successful completion of following:
Typical Search Protocols
Explain why a search is an emergency.
Outline how time, age and weather affect lost person survivability.
Differentiate between traditional and modern search techniques.
Explain the importance of clues in modern search situations.
Identify who is responsible for GSAR in Canada.
Outline the chain of command.
List searcher responsibilities and those of the overhead team.
Outline call-out procedures.
Outline sign-in and sign-out procedures.
Demonstrate how to prepare correctly for a rapid response.
Explain the importance of complete victim information.
Demonstrate the proper use of the Relative Urgency Rating.
Recognize how probabilities are used in planning searches.
Outline a typical search procedure.
Demonstrate the proper procedure for dealing with media and relatives.
Identify the two types of debriefings that can occur during search operations.
Identify the importance of stabilizing a search subject before evacuation.
Outline the process of search demobilization.
Outline the process of search suspension.
Identify the proper procedures for dealing with a deceased subject.
Utilize Critical Incident Stress Debriefings when needed.
Demonstrate appropriate human rights sensitivity and ethical conduct.
Outline legal rights and obligations for searchers.
State of the degree of protection and limitations under the Workers Compensation Act.
Searcher II
This classification shall apply to all members of a search team who have successfully completed Searcher I and who desire to upgrade their skill level to that of a regular searcher. Successful candidates will be trained to work under a search manager or a senior searcher and will be capable of carrying out the duties and responsibilities of a regular searcher with a high degree of accuracy and confidence. The candidate will perform these duties without endangering themselves or other members of their team.
Certification will be based on the successful completion of following training modules:
Topographic Maps and Map Reading
Compass and Navigation
Safety in the Field
Basic Survival and First Aid
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Radio Communications
Lost Person Behaviour
Search Techniques"
