About TARS
The Organization & History
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Updates, Meetings, & Newsletters
Rescue College
Classes & Information
Thank you for visiting our site. This site is designed for visitors and Rescue personnel to learn about the Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads, Inc.
The Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads is an Association of Life Saving, Rescue, and First Aid Units with members organized, trained, and equipped for various types of rescue and first aid work. These members voluntarily give of their time and effort without compensation to the development of accident prevention and first aid procedures, the widespread education of the public in such procedures, and to the necessary rescue and first aid work for the relief of their fellow men.
The T.A.R.S. was organized on January 14, 1955, and is incorporated under the statutes of Tennessee as a voluntary non-profit organization. Learn more about TARS.
TARS State Office
2906 Tazewell Pike Suite 'B'
Knoxville, TN 37918
PH:865-689-3256
FAX:865-688-7015
"And a certain Samaritan... going up to him bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine; and setting him upon his own beast, brought him to an inn and took care of him." Luke 10:33-34
What's New as of
9/24/2018
MOTORSPORTS RESCUE CLASS
There will be a Motorsports Rescue Class held on October 27-28, 2018 in Kingsport, TN. The class has been added to the website and registration is now open.
SWIFTWATER AWARENESS AND RESCUE CLASS ADDED
There will be an additional Swiftwater Awareness Swiftwater Rescue 1 class on September 7th-9th, 2018 in Ocoee, TN. This class has been added to the website
LOW ANGLE / BASIC ROPES IN SEVIERVILLE LOCATION CHANGE TO MORRISTOWN RESCUE SQUAD IN M
More>>>
February Regional Meetings
Region 1
Region 2
Region 3
Region 4
Instructors: A tutorial on how to upload and enter classes online. (*.PDF, 3MB)
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You may now register and pay online through ![]() |
Steve Carden mentioned early in 2011 that he would like to see a scholarship fund started to help departments that could not afford to send members to training. Learn more about how you can help be a part of the Steve Carden Foundation!!
New Instructor's register here
Important Information for TARS Instructors
Please note that the fees for EVOC/VKF are $12 for the initial certification and $5.00 for the recertification class effective April 1, 2009. See all class pricing >>>
Special Services consists of four teams with knowledge and specialized skills in a particular technical field. Some types of emergency response may require a combined effort of two or more teams. Some teams have been recognized nationally, featured in public trade magazines, have assisted with television documentaries, and developed training manuals used nationally.
Members respond to drowning and boating accidents, reports of vehicle or plane crashes in the water, swift water rescue for flooding, assist law enforcement with evidence recovery and underwater investigation of crime scenes, assist citizens with items lost underwater, and rescue stand-by for large community events. Members consist of divers, boat operators, medical responders, sonar operators, dive tenders, swift water technicians, under water robot and camera operators.
Members treat, package and remove injured persons from caves, cliffs, trees, towers, vertical shafts, large animal rescue, and assist with constructing raising and lowering devices using ropes for confined space and swift moving water rescue. Members consist of cavers, rope rescue technicians, and medical responders.
Members respond to structural building collapse, trench collapse, farm accidents, persons trapped in confined spaces, machinery accidents, large highway transportation accidents, aircraft accidents, and natural disasters. Members consist of tractor-trailer drivers, heavy equipment operators, trench and confined space technicians, physicians and medical responders, structural engineers, K-9 capability for live scent and deceased. Team consists of off road vehicle operators, search technicians, and K-9 teams.