As another SAR guy, I'll second this. It's challenging, and not just physically. The cool toys and technical training you mentioned require a degree of analysis

As another SAR guy, I'll second this. It's challenging, and not just physically. The cool toys and technical training you mentioned require a degree of analysis and problem solving, as well as getting into the nitty gritty details that many programmers love. There is also a lot of need of technical software types, as GIS becomes ever more prevalent and if you like the challenge of maintaining a network in an office building, try taking it to eleven by doing it in the out of doors.