Do you volunteer for local Search and Rescue?

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BBWolf

climber
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 3, 2009 - 11:47am PT
I'm thinking about volunteering for my local SAR group that performs high/low angle rescue. Other than Werner, do any of you contribute on your local SAR teams? Seems like a good idea what is your experience?

apogee

climber
Apr 3, 2009 - 11:58am PT
I spent 9 years with a Mountain Rescue Association accreditted team in So. Cal., in roles from Operations Leader to VP/Training Officer. It was a great experience- built a life-long social network, gained a lot of good skills, and even helped a few people out along the way.

Volunteer SAR teams are typically going to be looking for individuals who are quite comfortable living in the outdoors, and have some baseline technical skills (which skills, and how proficient depends on the team, and the area they respond to). Perhaps most importantly, though, is they need people who can participate regularly in meetings, trainings and incidents- this is crux of the biscuit (,) for most members.

The quality of teams can vary widely, too- some are definitely better than others. In considering a particular team, look for some kind of formal accreditation (MRA is a good indicator), and affiliation with local law enforcement (the Sheriff's Dept. often holds the formal responsibility for SAR in a given county). Things to watch out for: teams that call themselves SAR 'posse', Members who all arrive wearing camo or Marlborough-labelled gear, etc.

Overall, it can be a very good experience, and I recommend it.
HighGravity

Trad climber
Southern California
Apr 3, 2009 - 12:01pm PT
It is fun and rewarding. If you haven't already, contact the team and see about going to a meeting. Once you get a feel for a team, that should tell you if it's what you're looking for.
Richard

climber
Bend, OR.
Apr 3, 2009 - 12:24pm PT
I volunteer with

DCSSAR (Deschutes County Sheriff Search and Rescue)
MRU (Mountain Rescue Unit)

bhilden

Trad climber
Mountain View, CA
Apr 3, 2009 - 12:51pm PT
Each SAR differs in requirements, but BAMRU (Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit) was looking for a commitment of two weekends a month from it's volunteers. This time was to be used for training. That is a pretty tall order.

Bruce
tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
Apr 3, 2009 - 12:59pm PT
Do it. It can be lot of fun, sometimes sad, sometimes hard, sometimes frustrating, but rewarding.

I've been a volunteer on SAR teams since I was 14 and joined an explorer group in the Bay Area. Flying around on helicopters over Yosemite by the time I was fifteen. First body recovery soon after, but as a young buck, handled it all right.

I worked for YOSAR for three summers, and have been on Inyo SAR ever since.

Besides every one on the team being a good friend of mine now, I have to say the best part of being on a team is what I call SAR Tourism. You go places you would never go on your own, or places you would go, but in conditions in which you would never normally leave the house in.

Getting sand blasted by wind and snow on Mt. Whitney in December? Not easy, but I have to say I enjoyed it. Trails at night, strange ridges on searches, for us Death Valley in the summer? Wouldn't do it on my own, but it was kind of fun to be there.

spyork

Social climber
A prison of my own creation
Apr 3, 2009 - 01:24pm PT
Sounds like a great idea, but I can't even get two weekends a month for climbing outside. By the time I can get that much time, I will be too old for SAR to use, I suspect.
tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
Apr 3, 2009 - 01:32pm PT
The time commitment is real. It also helps to have a job that is sympathetic and lets you out of work from time to time when there is a rescue/search.

We do a Saturday once a month, and two thursdays.
tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
Apr 3, 2009 - 01:33pm PT
BBWolf where are you located? Or what type of SAR does your local team do?
Fish Finder

Social climber
THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART
Apr 3, 2009 - 02:02pm PT




HEY LANCE IS THAT YOU THIRD FROM THE LEFT?
Radish

Trad climber
Seki, California
Apr 3, 2009 - 02:08pm PT
I work in Fire Logistics during the fire season for Sequoia, Kings NP. We get involved with both search and rescues and its an adventure much like any adventures, though the outcomes aren't always good. I'm very lucky to get paid for these occasional forays and am always very impressed by the way things are handled.....
BBWolf

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 3, 2009 - 02:09pm PT
Thanks for all the info and comments. Tom: I'm in Reno and it appears as if the SAR is broken into teams - Hasty team Technical rescue seems like a fit.

I visited the SAR website and tried to find "interested in joining us" information but eventually sent an email to a link.

Russ Walling

Social climber
Upper Fupa, North Dakota
Apr 3, 2009 - 02:18pm PT

I've found that the more "into" SAR you are, the more chance you will probably need a SAR on your behalf (I mean if you ever went outside and did any climbing)

Some of the sketchiest (is that a word?) dudes going are SAR guys. And if they are in a Govt uniform, you'd be better off eating the cyanide pill stored in your Backcountry Decoder Ring.

Standard caveat: yeah yeah there are some good ones etc.... but I've seen the goobs, and it was not pretty. I'd take the one man rescue squad of Werner or the YOSAR guys over any team in the country.
tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
Apr 3, 2009 - 02:41pm PT
Awhh come on Russ. Inyo ain't like it was back in the day. We have a few really accomplished climbers in the bunch, some of whom you probably know.

If one or two people know what they are doing, they can direct the lesser trained people to solve a rescue situation.

Rescue isn't rocket science for the most part. Sometimes it does take some skill though. A lot can be taught, but not everything.

BBWolf. Reno sounds like a good place to be on rescue, you'll likely get some back country stuff which is the most fun.

Technical teams usually need climbers. You can't teach rock anchors to people who don't use them on their own time.

I've taken the swiftwater courses so technically I run a swiftwater rescue. But I'm not boater so lord help you if I'm in charge of your river rescue.

I did take the courses, so I could be useful however. The point I'm rambling through is that training is good, it's just not everything.




Russ Walling

Social climber
Upper Fupa, North Dakota
Apr 3, 2009 - 03:27pm PT
If one or two people know what they are doing, they can direct the lesser trained people to solve a rescue situation.

Now we are getting somewhere! The two guys that know what they are doing send the rest of the crew off to get sandwiches.... then the Two Guys go and complete the rescue in record time, sans "command post", and return with the victim just as the sandwiches arrive. Fast, efficient, and SAFE. That is the sort of rescues I'd like to see more of, instead of the bloated, slow, Chinese Fire Drill type stuff I've seen.
tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
Apr 3, 2009 - 03:37pm PT
Ahhh but the chinese fire drill brings the gear, the gear is heavy, more people = more better.

Carrying a guy with a broken leg five miles, more people = more better. Though we recently picked up a thing called a neet cart, it's for hauling deer carcasses, and it seems to work great with only one or two people running it.

Werner- have you seen this thing?
http://www.neetkart.com/

We shall find out this summer.

The cops in base camp, they can call a chopper. Choppers don't respond to my phone, as sweet as that would be.
Russ Walling

Social climber
Upper Fupa, North Dakota
Apr 3, 2009 - 03:40pm PT
Hey! That's a "neet" cart!

All we had was "the Big Wheel" which is fun in itself.
WBraun

climber
Apr 3, 2009 - 05:44pm PT
Tom


The NEET KART can easily take a person out of remote areas.

Don't believe this hype until you've actually used one. They are a pain in the ass to operate unless you're transporting your victim down the isle in the your local shopping mall. There's many subtle problems with this get up, too long for me to take the time to go thru all of them. I'll tell you about it next time we meet if you want.

I wanted to blow the damn thing up and chuck it over the cliff.
tom woods

Gym climber
Bishop, CA
Apr 3, 2009 - 05:50pm PT
good to know, we bought one and have only tried it in training, it seemed promising, but not that well built.
Russ Walling

Social climber
Upper Fupa, North Dakota
Apr 3, 2009 - 05:59pm PT
Another successful rescue:

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