|
toaster_rancher
Jan 9, 2005, 3:35 AM
Post #1 of 5
(1302 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 10, 2004
Posts: 25
|
Hey folks, this isn't exactly an accident or injury, but its safety related, and I've had no luck in the community forum. I have to do service hours to graduate high school, and right now i'm wheighing becoming a Volunteer EMT or joining one of these units. While I realize that in all likelyhood i'd be working in the logistcal support section of one of these groups I was curious if anybody here could give me an idea of what a day in the life of a Wilderness SAR member on site is like. I just think it would be a nice way to put the skills i've gotten from climbing to use. If any Pro or Volunteer EMTs want to add their two cents that'd be nice too. Thanks folks!
|
|
|
|
|
jimdavis
Jan 9, 2005, 4:26 AM
Post #2 of 5
(1302 views)
Shortcut
Registered: May 1, 2003
Posts: 1935
|
W-SAR...you don't get that many calls, unless your at some big tourist area.
I volunteered for High Angle Rescue for a while...didn't get any calls, did that same stupid trainings over and over again, learning nothing new after the first 3...glad I quit.
If you work in an area that sees a lot of tourists, or an area that see's a s***load of climbers/ backpackers ect...then you might get some calls.
Expect to find a lot of recreationalists or beginners, with improper equipment use and insufficient knowledge at whatever, being the #1 reason you get called out.
Sooner or later you'll get burtout, sick of stupic people you have to rescue, sick of the wanna-be-hero's that you'll enivetably find yourself working with, and a sore back from hauling all the extra rescue shit you don't need that you "have" to bring.
Give it a try though. You'll probably learn some new skills, take a new perspective on the outdoors, and you may make a diference.
Cheers,
Jim
|
|
|
|
|
vballlady3
Jan 9, 2005, 6:39 AM
Post #3 of 5
(1302 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 9, 2005
Posts: 12
|
ive been in wilderness sar for the past 4 years and it's awesome and sucks all at the same time... it's great to be able to go out and search and help people yet there's always the searches with bad outcomes...
sometimes you get free food and get to work with cool people and find the person alive, then there's times when you have to walk through briars for hours and lead teams of untrained searchers (cough hunters cough) into the woods and find the subject dead. it all differs, but it definitely is awesome in terms of volunteering
it puts you through a whole spectrum of emotions though, be prepared for that... there's the adrenaline rush when going to the search; the being completely exhausted after having searched for 48 hours; the elation at finding and helping the subject; guilt at finding a dead subject.... but all in all is an awesome thing to consider. oh and about mr. negative in the first reply... high angle sar doesnt get called out as much as a general ground pounder team simply because high angle is limited to climbers and the occasional "oops i fell off a cliff" people... otherwise you can get called out for kids, hunters, backpackers, alzheimers patients... :righton:
|
|
|
|
|
socalclimber
Jan 11, 2005, 1:31 PM
Post #4 of 5
(1302 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 27, 2001
Posts: 2437
|
Jim only offers one negative perspective. It really depends on where you are planning on participating. I'm the Team Captain for Joshua Tree Search And Rescue (JOSAR). We get all sorts of stuff out here. I will definately agree we get more search then technical. JOSAR works very close with the Rangers in the park so we have a more active role regarding running incidents than most SAR teams might have. Because we are a NPS team, we aren't required to be NASAR certified. We do have a minimum equipment list, but we ask people to have the gear in their vehicle rather than their packs. When we deploy people into the field, we prep them for what they need to bring depending on their assignment.
Jim is right, some of the teams have members who suffer from a pathetic, overly developed sense of importantance. I have witnessed this myself on a number of occasions by members from other SAR teams. JOSAR is very fortunate to have an awesome group of people. Everyone gets along, everyone works very well together.
The trainings that Jim spoke so dimly about could be just his team. I constantly ask my team members how they liked the trainings each month. Our team is fairly new (about 4 years). In the beginning we were not well organised so the trainings were a little bit of good and bad (boring). Now I pretty much get the thumbs up.
SAR isn't for everyone. SAR Teams are just that, teams. Attitude is everything. I don't know Jim, but his attitude doesn't strike me as the type that would do well on SAR. Who knows. You have to really want to do this for it to work. It's not easy to pull 20 to 30 people together, train them to some consistent level, then have everyone behave and work together well.
As far as SAR sites go, I think you are refering to places like Yosemite where the site members get a canvas tent and a patch of dirt to call their home. Most SAR teams here on the west coast don't have that. They will have a cache for the gear, but that's about it.
Best of luck, I hope I have at least given you a small taste of what SAR is like. The person above me also made some good points.
EDIT: BTW, Jim wasn't totaly negative, and did make some valid points as well. Sorry Jim, I wasn't trying to be a jerk!
Robert
|
|
|
|
|
mtnrsq
Jan 15, 2005, 6:32 AM
Post #5 of 5
(1302 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 30, 2003
Posts: 70
|
Toaster -
SAR work is pretty varied and as others have noted - varies according to where you are. Most SAR work is done by volunteer groups operating under the official jurisdiction of the local Sheriff or similar authority. Requirements may vary quite a bit so you'll need to check around (many groups may not take someone under the age of 18).
Nearly all groups don't hang out waiting for calls, but are called via various callout mechanisms (pager, phone tree, etc.). You need to be prepared to drop everything if you get a call. Your school or parents might not be too keen on you heading out the door when the pager goes off during English class or at 2 a.m. on some call of undetermined length in a blizzard.
If you are an adrenaline junkie waiting for the next big rescue off your local cliff face or looking to be a "hero" - don't bother. If it is a short term thing - don't bother.
If you want to help people in need in wilderness settings - go for it. It is incredibly rewarding and frustrating depending on what you encounter. You will likely work with a great group of people who will become like family. You might even find yourself on "pleasure" climbs in all kinds of places. If you get in with a good team you will learn more than you can imagine and it won't be the same old sh!t. It may also make you a better climber.
There will be ups and downs, but the ups make it all worthwhile. You'll find out pretty quickly if it is a "fit" for you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
