What is it about a particular Search & Rescue mission that makes the national news take notice, while others warrant just a paragraph, tucked away in the local paper? Sometimes, there is no story. At least, nothing printed in a public forum. But those stories are happening all the time, lives are being saved in the backcountry, all over the country on a daily basis, and those stories are a big deal to the people involved--on both ends of the rescue. I've never been searched for (that I know of) or rescued, but in October, 2007, after fifty-three hours of mandatory, basic training, I became a Search & Rescue (SAR) volunteer with the Coconino County, Arizona Sheriff's Search & Rescue Team.

Search & Rescue, on the other hand, means acquiring a whole new skill set. It means learning to look for and take care of others while, at the same time, watching out for my own well-being and, as a member of a team, that of other SAR volunteers. It means becoming proficient at map and compass--something I should have known as a backpacker. It means learning to use a GPS and how to communicate on a radio. I have to learn how to track and spot clues, and what to do with those tracks and clues once I find them. I'll need to learn how to use ropes and straps, and ride ATVs and snowmobiles. Low-angle rescue, high-angle rescue, snow and ice skills. And the list goes on.
So why do I want to be a SAR volunteer? I suppose that "to help others" would be the politically correct answer. And, once I'm out there on a mission, I sure do want to find who we're looking for, and to find them alive and well and bring them home to hike--or climb, or ski, or camp, etc.--another day.
To be honest, though, I've always wanted to be "in on it." I've wanted to be part of what was going on out there on those missions I'd hear about on TV or read about in the papers. And I love the adventure of it all. Being in the woods or up on a mountain in the middle of the night, with my headlamp lighting the ground in front of me, and gear and gadgets on my back, dangling from my pack, and stuffed in my pockets, with the DPS helicopter flying overhead, while most of the world is asleep and someone is somewhere "out there," waiting to be found, is such a thrill. I love the confidence that comes with learning new skills, even if it's just figuring out how to hook the trailer to the SAR truck all by myself. Basically, I like to be useful.
So this is my journal as a member of SAR. I'm starting out pretty green, somewhat afraid to jump in and make a mistake. I hesitate to press the button on that radio I'm carrying and actually speak, for fear of not saying something "just right." I watch other volunteers secure the ATVs to the trailer, but when I put my own hands on those uncooperative straps, I can't seem to figure out what to do with them. And I'm really afraid of those big, bad, four-wheeled machines that can do such bodily harm. I don't know how to maneuver a trailer without backing it into something. Or someone. I've never done any bonafide rock-climbing and have no clue what to do with a rope. I've passed the Wilderness First Responder medical course twice but have never used it for real; the blood and broken bones have always been fake. And I'm sure not the bravest person, to say the least, when it comes to the great outdoors. (Falling, bears, rattlesnakes, lightning ... yikes!) But I hope Search & Rescue will change all that--will help me improve me--and, in turn, I'll be able to help others. So I guess maybe my heart is, at least in part, in the right place.
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2 comments:
I appreciate you blogging about your experiences and like the "voice" you're using. This is interesting stuff. I guess the big question I have is whether a geezer like me, at 48 years old, but lots of backcountry experience and in good shape can join SAR too, or is it too physically strenuous?
Hi, Philip...
"Geezer"! Pshhhh, if you're a geezer, many (perhaps a majority) of our team members are ... uh ... what's older than a geezer? Our two most senior members are 74 y/o and are extremely active on the team, responding to call-outs involving rugged litter-carries and other tough hikes. So most definitely, someone like yourself (and I've looked at your blog, not to mention added it to my bloglist, so I have some idea of your experience) would be a great asset to any SAR team. Nice to hear from another A.T. hiker, by the way! Thanks for stopping by.
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