Off the streets.
Shetlander that's not quite the case,
The handful of civil trained winchmen from old BHL i.e when they had S-61's where already employed in ground roles and where selected to be trained up internally as they where known as Public Transport winchmen and eventually got the experience and opportunity to go full SAR but it took a number of years.
When CHC took over some off them struggled to pass at the time modular IHCD paramedics course.
There is no short cut to SAR and good quality medical skills rear crew wise.