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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Russ- if that's all our neet cart gets used for, then all is not a total loss.
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whatmeworry2
Mountain climber
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Volunteering with your local SAR team can be very rewarding or frustrating. For climber/mountaineer types the teams that are closely tied to the traditional sheriff's posse concept may not be a good fit. A more mountain rescue oriented team might be a very good fit.
I've been part of a MRA SAR team for almost 15 years. It has been a great experience and has provided me with a cadre of like-minded people. Someone is always up for a climb, ski, or mountaineering trip. It is a big commitment since training and calls definitely reduce free time. An understanding family and employer helps a LOT.
For the most part, SAR functions under the local sheriff's legal authority unless it is in the NPS or similar exclusive authority. Some teams operate under the official authority of the sheriff without much bureaucratic interference. This is usually ideal. Some teams have to deal with much more bureaucracy including having a non-climber deputy being "in charge". This is not as ideal from a climber/rescuer standpoint.
Teams with good response structures can get operations underway in minutes and don't suffer through some of the "approval" craziness. Remember, SAR is a legal duty for the sheriff or similar official and they may be held criminally or civilly liable if something goes wrong.
Re: the Neet Kart.... IMHO a good old fashioned SMC/Anderson litter wheel still seems to work the best and can be attached to most litters. Carries the weight of the litter/patient and with a rescuer on either end (plus personnel to haul on a rope at the front or brake via a rope on the back) you can balance and steer the whole package easily. Simple and easy (at least as easy as a long wheel-out can be).
[Edited to fix poor writing.....]
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tom woods
Gym climber
Bishop, CA
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Here in Inyo, we are a sheriff team. When it comes to rescues, the official types provide support and let us do our thing.
Searches are different,that brings in more law enforcement involvement it seems. There's investigation, and outside resources that are brought in, logistics that sort of thing.
As for the neat cart. We have an anderson wheel, we've also bought one of those mountain bike type wheels and used it the past few years. They both work fine.
Rox- a self rescue is far quicker then calling SAR. When I hear a call from the whitney trail, (an hour by car from Bishop, so an hour an fifteen response time to the trailhead,) I always hope the patient is moving.
The farther they come down, the less we gotta go up.
Sometimes a self rescue isn't going to cut it. Both ankles with a double open dislocation? WTF? bones sticking out but not broken on the side of whitney. Self Rescue could be done, but a helicopter is best.
Head injuries, speed is of the essence. Often time our job is to get the victim off where they are and to an LZ,
I'm rambling, Rox- you know this stuff.
Anyway, self rescue is best if possible, but not always possible.
I like to think we respond to only the people who really need it, though on Whitney we tend to get a lot people who think we are some sort of service workers.
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WBraun
climber
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Yeah Tom
Typical trail emergency 911 call.
"Er uh, we got an emergency up here, the person is having chest pains, eyeballs are rolling around in circles, OMG this person must be going into cardiac arrest .... please hurry".
Team arrives and victim is just thirsty and wants attention and water.
We got a call once and the caller said the person is a few feet off the trail and unconscious, "er must be dead???"
The said person was just sleeping ......
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
In the mountains... somewhere...
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I hear it isn't bad work if you can get it, just don't get caught taking your picture with the victims....
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Wink
Mountain climber
Bishop, CA
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I've spent 8 years on Inyo SAR and have done a lot of missions with Tom. For sure most missions are repetative and few are andrenaline charged but at the end of every one you feel you have done some good.
Monterii Semper Liberii
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Apr 27, 2017 - 02:16am PT
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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.
Couldn't agree more - the whole keystone cop, flash-mob deal where 95% of the people on the scene have no business being there at all is ridiculous. It's a rescue, not entertainment. 2-6 people who know what the f*#k they are doing is more than sufficient and the rest are just a hazard to themselves and others.
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