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The Squad has been very busy this past month with YES programs, Training, Fundraising and Missions.

This month one event really stands out in my mind, the mission on Fossil Creek Road just west of Insurance Curve. A couple drove their vehicle off the edge and plunged over 300 feet down the side. The male subject was able to climb out and sustained cuts that probably required stitches. The Female subject was in more serious trouble.

Our Rope Team was called to help with the rescue. The first rope team members on the scene began setting up the High Directional Vortex. When the rest of the team arrived Bill Pitterle was assigned Technical Service Officer. A plan was formulated for setting up a lowering system for the litter and attendants. Due to the location of the incident natural anchors were non existent. Bill Pitterle had to improvise and utilize vehicles at the scene for this purpose. Roger Miotto, one of our more experienced rope team members, was sent over the edge with a member of the Pine/Strawberry Fire Department and the litter. There were a lot of hazards with falling rocks, brush and trees that affected the descent and assent.

The Rope Team worked very well together. Everyone realized the urgency of the mission and was thinking, making suggestions and in general, communicating very well. Roger Miotto was able to communicate the various situations he was experiencing on the descent and assent to enable the Topside team to accommodate his needs. The Topside team had to adapt to various circumstances like, a change of direction to allow a haul field, a longer haul field to reduce the need to reset frequently, continually adjusting the number of bars on the brake, passing a knot that was needed on Belay, etc.

This mission showed what training and working together can do. I’m so impressed with the communication between team members on this mission. No one got upset. The Rope Team worked extremely well together and got the job done with a minimal amount of time. Everyone involved with this mission should feel proud of the job that was done this day. WHAT A TEAM!!!!

Stay active and stay healthy, Dave Pirtle 507

A Senior Moment By Jane Boyles

The passing of our beloved President Reagan has brought to the forefront the seriousness of a disease unheard of just a few years ago. Having personally seen what it can do to strong powerful people with three of our family having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, we both feel we must help in our own little way to educate Searchers about this disease. Search and Rescue does not have a great record when it comes to finding the Alzheimer’s diagnosed subject.

While they may look healthy, be physically fit and sometimes seem to carry on a normal conversation, at other times they will regress back to childhood days. It is very hard to realize and accept that this person can walk out into the elements and disappear, yet we have seen this happen. In the taking of many seminars and classes involving the Alzheimer’s subject and Search and Rescue, we have come to one conclusion—a searcher must think outside the normal box when it comes to finding this person. Start this search by being observant from the time you leave your driveway. The Alzheimer patient wants to be normal and will try to do as he always has, but such things as simple as zipping a zipper or buttoning a button become impossible to do. There are several new and experimental drugs on the market, which, in time, will slow the progression of this disease. Until these are proven drugs, they will not be available to everyone in need. The Search and Rescue person needs to educate himself so that he is one step ahead in his thinking about searching for someone who is full grown and could have the mind of a three year old. The longer the subject has had the disease, the further back in his life he thinks he is.

This brings back memories of a search several years ago in Maricopa County. James Langston had set up his command under the sundial in downtown Carefree. The search had begun in late afternoon for an elderly gentleman who had walked away from his daughter’s home. Dumpsters, alleys and buildings were searched all night in the ever-widening circle around the home. Doing some excellent tracking, the guys had tracked this man to the intersection of Carefree and Pima Road where the tracks disappeared. At first light, the search escalated as weather was playing a larger role, with wind and rain coming down. Now we know how the statistics are configured in command work. A healthy man X height and weight, at X age could walk X miles in X hours. This was a healthy man obviously quite capable of walking long distances. Whether he walked all the way or was picked up by someone, we never knew. The day shift lieutenant checking in on the radio as he left his home out on the far west side of the Valley was given an update on the search progress. With a skid of the brakes, he asked dispatch again for the description of the subject. Well, he had our man, briskly walking across the bridge at 101 Ave and Indian School way over twenty-five miles from the Point Last Seen. Would you have included that area in your search plan?

The new Personal Locator Transmitter might have prevented this man from being out all night in inclement weather and could have saved many man-hours of searching. Support and assistance with the new program called "Project Lifesaver" brought forth by our own Sheriff Armer, just could be the thing needed to save a life. These little wristband devices could assist in locating the lost subject quickly. The device would also be great for non-verbal children such as the Autistic. Let’s do what we can to promote this project;

THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE.

FUNDRAISING

The following events are planned and we will need assistance from all possible to staff the booth at each;

July 3-4  Pine/Strawberry Arts and Craft Show {ticket sales)

Sept 4-5  Pine/Strawberry Arts and Craft Show

Sept 5  Drawing for Prizes. Please bring in your sold tickets next meeting.

www.trsar.org

Most of the Archives of past Newsletters have been posted on the website for your perusal. Please look them over. Due to the various methods of printing and storing them in the past, some are a little distorted. And there are a few issues missing. If you have any saved that don’t appear on the site, please share them with Mike at oldfogey502.

Tonto Rim SAR Members can now have your very own email address through our site. Just contact our Webmaster at webmaster to arrange for it, no cost to you or us.

And we are promoted here, the Rim Country Volunteer site; http://www.inpayson.com/

10,11 July Rope Certification (2nd Half)– Time: 0800 – Place: Squad Bldg. Strawberry – instructor Roger Miotto assisted by rope instructors.