3.1 Phase One - The First Six Hours

Start at the Beginning - The Site the Missing Child was Last Seen

• Verify that the missing child's family has called 911.
• Saturate the neighborhood and a five mile radius of the site last seen with flyers immediately. Flyers are always appropriate, no matter what the situation (Section on Flyers).
• Determine the type of situation you are faced with: lost, runaway, parental conflict, abduction, etc. Respond appropriately.
  • Contact friends, teachers, clergy, and law enforcement with the goal of establishing the child's character, emotional state, and, if necessary, vouching for the child.
• The family of the missing child should be encouraged to seek guidance from professional child-search organizations (Section on Missing Child Organizations).
• Ensure that the missing child's clothing is not disturbed or removed from the site last seen or the home. It is absolutely imperative that the scent be preserved for use by canine search teams (Section on Special Search Methods and Tasks).
• The missing child's room and belongings must be left undisturbed until the child is recovered or the investigation is concluded. This includes items that may have the child's fingerprints, and, for DNA evidence, their hair and tooth brushes, and unwashed undergarments.
• Preserve the site last seen for future investigation.
• Familiarize key personnel with the site last seen and surrounding areas.
  • Secure maps of the site last seen and immediate area as soon as possible (Section on Mapping).
  • Take photographs of the site last seen and surrounding area. This will help with briefings later on.
  • Fly the area with a helicopter and take aerial photos. This view will help in organizing the search, and will give you a feel for the overall dynamics of the area.
• Mobilize the community. Contact the leadership of organizations such as local Scout groups, PTO, Churches, Chamber of Commerce, fraternal and professional groups, especially those that the missing child's family may be associated with. These groups will be a source for Recovery Center volunteers. All volunteers should be at least 18 years old.
• Arrange for any specialized search teams and equipment as soon as possible. These tools are most valuable in the first hours of the search: dogs, helicopters, horses, etc.
• Commence search operations as soon as possible. Begin at the beginning - the site last seen. Never assume that any area searched prior to Recovery Center involvement has been properly and thoroughly searched.
  • Start a concentric search from site last seen. Divide the area within a radius of 1.5 miles of the site last seen into sectors that can be covered by 20 person teams in periods of 3-6 hours.
  • Simultaneously, search major roads and highways leading to and from the site last seen, with emphasis on those leading to remote locations.
  • Search all secondary thoroughfares such as waterways, railroad tracks, jogging paths, etc.
• Consider establishing roadchecks on roads entering and leaving the area. Coordinate with law enforcement.
• Identify any unusual traffic flow or dynamics in the area of the site last seen that might yield clues. (Example: construction sites, high traffic, migrant workers, etc.)
• Identify and document unusual individuals who become involved early in the search effort. This monitoring will continue throughout the recovery operation.
• Document all search activities for future reference. Keep all records, no matter how insignificant they may appear to be, to give to the Historian (Section on Historian).