What to do when someone you know has gone missing...
If you are missing someone and are worried about their health (mental problems, self-harming intentions, seniors, children):
1. Call friends, relatives, search places where they usually linger
2. Call medical facilities to see if they have been hospitalized
3. When a child is missing, contact school, parents of friends and find out as much information as possible
4. Inform the Municipal Office, which can announce missing person on the local radio, attentive people quickly "solved" the case many times
5. Report the missing person without delay to the Police of the Czech Republic, to line 158 and to the RESDOGS hotline +420 720 968 747. Do not wait, for example, for return of the missing, until dusk, etc. Try to avoid the situation, when everyone goes serching for the missing peron – you, the whole family, the whole village, ... and then we call the police and RESDOGS hotline
6. Inform the Police of the Czech Republic in person at the nearest station or by telephone on line 158, RESDOGS +420 720 968 747
You might need: I. An update photo of the missing person, their date of birth, address and description II. List of drugs, acute problems (diabetes, mental disorder, injury...)
III. Try to find out, what the missing person is wearing IV. Try to find out, whether the missing has mobile phone, identification, money, spare clothes, food, car, etc.
V. A list of places the missing person likes to go to, where they went when last seen, the last time you were in touch VI. If self-harm is suspected, look for a essage or letter, search through e-mail or Internet browser history
Ask the Police: I. To give you a contact on the ofiicer in hcarge – name, phone number, e-mail II. Ask for details of the search procedure III. If possible and appropriate, demand our mantrailing team to be called. As a "close person" you have the right to do so
Do not expect: I. Immediate initiation of a major search, unless it is a child or a potentially life-threatening condition II. Searching in the natural terrain in the dark unless it is a child or a potentially life-threatening condition
III. Deployment of all forces of the Police of the Czech Republic at the very beginning of the search. The Police has its methodological procedures and standards for how to conduct such a search IV. Do not rely on a helicopter with thermovision, this technology has its advantages, but also disadvantages
7. Call the RESDOGS hotline. The Mantrailing (MT) team can be used before or during the police search operation. MT team works both independently and in cooperation with the Czech Police and IRS. The sooner, the better, under the motto: "Better safe than sorry".
8. Even an old, sick person can survive for days, a small child can walk many kilometers. Do not underestimate the capabilities of the missing
9. Search the house and the surrounding area carefully. There have been plenty of hidden children, and many missing were found in or near their house
10. If the field searches also take place, ask the police what they will do:
I. Whether they want to use only their own forces, policemen on duty, handlers II. Whether they use the forces of other IRS components (firefighters, handlers, if not, why?) III. Whether they want and allow volunteer assistance (they should not refuse, but may by law prohibit volunteers from entering certain areas)
After notifying the Police, you may: 1. Reach volunteer handlers from the region and its surroundings, call the contact persons best by region and agree on further steps 2. Reach out to other volunteer organizations and associations in your area (eg hunters ...) 3. Organize an event on Facebook and ask for help 4. If the police do not do so, inform the regional media, radio, television 5. Post leaflets with photo and description of missing, incl. contact details