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Commander’s Corner I would like to thank Bill Pitterle for holding down the fort while I was in Virginia visiting my son. Sounds like I missed a few good missions. One of which was in Box Canyon. The end of the year is coming quick. A few positions on the Board are up for election. The positions up for election are Commander, Secretary and Board Member. An election committee will be established this month. Election committee members will be announced at the next general meeting. Active members are encouraged to run for these positions. Contact one of election committee members to have your name placed on the ballot. Thanks to Margaret Bullard and Jim Martin for an excellent tracking session at Bean Patch Tank. Training is good for the experienced members as well as the new members. I encourage the more experienced members to attend the training sessions to help pass your knowledge and experience to the newer members. Roger Miotto has scheduled a Rope Certification for two weekends in October. First weekend is Oct 22 and 23. The Second weekend is Oct 29 and 30. These trainings are mandatory if you are considering being on the Rope Team. Current Rope Team members are welcome to help with the training. Stay active and stay healthy Commander Don’t forget; the meetings this month are October 11th for the Board and October 13th for the General Meeting.
Guest Article SO WHY DID YOU VOLUNTEER? When you joined our Search and Rescue Squad, the application asked the question why you wanted to join the Squad. This was just the start. At your interview with the senior members, this same question was posed. You talked about your desire to help your fellow man. You were informed of the training necessary and available to you to make you proficient. You were instructed on the chain of command, the Sheriff’s responsibility, the State responsibility to you and the subject in trouble, and you learned the importance of taking the training offered and the importance of reading and seeking out knowledge on your own. You learned of the importance of always being prepared as one never knows when or how disaster will strike. It is important to discuss with your employer and find out how he is going to feel if you request hours off to assist with a disaster. Most often they are agreeable and often the employer will donate funds or materials to the squad’s efforts. While we have no big industry in Gila County, there are employers in the valley who donate enough money on behalf of an employee to allow a Posse unit to function the whole year without having to do a fund raiser. As Gila County grows, these contributions will grow also. The past weeks disaster activities in the gulf have certainly showed the importance of being prepared and well trained to carry out your assigned task. We all can learn from the finger pointing that will go on as the Nation will seek to find out how and where the system failed. This is one area where the State of Arizona is far ahead of some other parts of the nation. The operation of the state’s Emergency Management Center is phenomenal. While Tonto Rim is not trained in Urban Search and Rescue, the basic knowledge is with you to be of professional assistance, where needed. There is a chain of command to be followed keeping an orderly operation. Our State Emergency Services Department is well organized and works extremely well with the National Guard, FEMA, Forest Service and other counties in a disaster. You will always see some organized version of the Incident Command System functioning. When State Emergency Services or the Sheriff calls on the team to respond to a disaster, be it one lost person, a rope rescue, or evacuation of an area in trouble, you are expected to respond and follow the orders of the authorities in charge. We know we can count on those authorities to keep our safety in mind and not put the volunteers in harms way. We will not be put in a situation of danger that cannot be managed. Nor will we be placed in a criminal situation where law enforcement personnel need to use their special skills. As you have noticed in New Orleans, when there was shooting and looting, the volunteers did not go in to rescue or perform other tasks. The volunteer’s safety came first. Only when the area was secured, were they allowed to enter and perform rescues, and care for those in need. Only those trained and certified will be allowed to do the technical activities, due to risk management policies. While Urban Search and Rescue needs in the Rim Country are minimal, it is possible to be called upon to assist other more metropolitan county areas. You may not be called to the core of the activity, but instead you might be used to replace well trained personnel on the perimeter of the scene so that they can perform their job somewhere else. Another area of concern that you have probably noticed in the TV coverage is fatigue. There will be times when you are given a break or a chance to get some sleep. Sanitary conditions goes without mention, it may not always be the best. Gloves and a mask in your gear might be just the ticket. A large incident can go on for days and as we have just witnessed—weeks. Did you see the troops sleeping on the baggage carousels at the airport? When you are tired you can sleep anywhere. You will never know what different challenges you might be called upon to undertake in a disaster situation. Even if you are a superior hiker, you might be asked to serve meals or deliver teams to a starting point in your vehicle. The Command center keeps an organized list of all available resources. If a call comes in for a specific need, the list is checked and the available resource is dispatched. So, if you have more then one skill, check in with your commander with that in mind. Just as a badge identifies law enforcement, wearing the official color readily set you apart from other teams and bystanders. You will never realize how important this is until the helicopter is looking for you or your leader is trying to pick his group out in a sea of colors. We have in the past been called upon to assist with flooding, mine disasters, accidents, plane crashes, forest fires and security. With the multi-agency agreement, we can be called to go anywhere in the state if we have the resource needed. Along with all this comes the boring but necessary tasks of keeping the squad running, building and ground maintenance, fund raising and holding an office. Tonto Rim is now fortunate to have to have an excellent training center. It is well lit, heated and air conditioned. It will not be necessary to hold training in someone’s home or other public building. The new training area came about with hard work by our volunteers. Every attempt should be made to utilize this building. We have some excellent instructors who have scheduled some much needed exercises. Each and every one of us has an obligation to attend these sessions. Did you expect glory when you signed on? Don’t count on it. If you expect to be interviewed by the press, that is the job of Command. Did you expect 3 squares and a shower at the end of the day? MRE’s are not so bad and we all will smell the same. Remember the first 24 hours are yours to be prepared for whatever comes down. Then the hot meals and hours off will come. It is a big adrenalin rush, and you will feel good about what you have done. Best of all you will be with the greatest people on earth—other well trained volunteers. Tonto Rim Search and Rescue has worked hard to improve its reputation within Gila County, other counties and the State of Arizona. We have earned the respect of everyone we work with. With your continued training and dedication to the squad, we will maintain that respect and can only get better. Remember it is all TEAMWORK; THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE. Johnny Boyles 510 ________________________________________________________________________ NASA Hurricane Web Page The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has created a new resource for hurricane data. The site includes a wide range of hurricane related topics, such as hurricane basics, classroom activities investigating hurricanes, satellite images, a multimedia gallery, and updates and links to other hurricane resources.
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/lookingatearth/hurricane_2005.html
October 2005 Training Schedule
Planned Training Sessions (after next general meeting)
Requested Training Sessions
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Navigation Route (self-practice) exercising GPS and magnetic bearing functions: From the starting point at the FR 194 sign: 1 – Go to 0449740E – 3803281N (stake L) 2 – Go 404 ft at bearing 124° (stake E) 3 – Go to 0449788E – 3803098N (stake N) 4 – Go 909 ft at bearing 109° (stake G) 5 – Go to 0450035E – 3803087N (stake J) 6 – Return to start The total walking length of this route is 3541 ft. (about 0.67 mile) measured from FR 194 marker. ______________________________________________________________
Interesting account of a rattlesnake bite
that eventually cost a total of
$700,000.00. The pictures take awhile to download and are gruesome,
but very interesting and informative. ______________________________________________________________ The House Behind The HouseOne of my fondest memories As I recall the days of yore was the little house, behind the house, With the crescent o'er the door. 'Twas a place to sit and ponder With your head all bowed down low; Knowing that you wouldn't be there, If you didn't have to go. Ours was a multi-holer, three, With a size for every one. You left there feeling better, After your job was done. You had to make those frequent trips In snow, rain, sleet, or fog-- To that little house where you usually Found the Sears-Roebuck catalog. Oft times in dead of winter, The seat was spread with snow. Twas then with much reluctance, To that little house you'd go. With a swish you'd clear that wooden seat, Bend low, with dreadful fear You'd shut your eyes and grit your teeth As you settled on your rear. I recall the day Ol' Granddad, Who stayed with us one summer, Made a trip out to that little house Which proved to be a bummer. 'Twas the same day that my Dad had Finished painting the kitchen green. He'd just cleaned up the mess he'd made With rags and gasoline. He tossed the rags down in the hole Went on his usual way Not knowing that by doing so He'd eventually rue the day. Now Granddad had an urgent call, I never will forget! This trip he made to the little house Stays in my memory yet. He sat down on the wooden seat, With both feet on the floor. He filled his pipe and tapped it down And struck a match on the outhouse door. He lit the pipe and sure enough, it soon began to glow. He slowly raised his rear a bit And tossed the flaming match below. The Blast that followed, I am told Was heard for miles around; And there was poor ol' Granddad Sprawled out there on the ground. The smoldering pipe still in his mouth, His eyes were shut real tight; The celebrated three-holer Was blown clear out of sight. We asked him what had happened, What he said I'll ne'er forget. He said he thought it must have been The pinto beans he et! Next day we had a new one Dad put it up with ease. But this one had a door sign that read: No Smoking, Please! Now that's the story's end my friend, Of memories long ago, When we went to the house behind the house, because we had to go. For those who never had to trot out in the Cold..... Just Give Thanks!!!( And thanks to Commander Pirtle for sharing this)
______________________________________________________________ TRSAR is going to have a social gathering Sunday OCT. 9th between Noon and 4PM. This will be at Ira Gibel's house. The squad will provide chicken and hamburgers. Members should bring their own table service, drinks and a dish; salads, veggies or desserts. Please RSVP to Sue Spinck at 476-4416 ASAP so we know how much meat to purchase. We had a great time the last time we met at Ira and Roz's house. Bring your bow and Arrows if you'd like. Ira has a place to shoot them ______________________________________________________________ SEARCH News from all over. There is a growing nationwide network providing information and referrals for health and human services, emergency and disaster response information and public health information. It's as simple as dialing the 2-1-1 number in a time of crisis, catastrophe or need. The 211 system is a proven winner. Just ask the up to 8,000 people who called the number in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The system is there for emergencies, providing help to those in need due to fire, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. People can find out where to go to get shelter and other assistance. But its usefulness isn't just for widespread disaster - it's there for personal disasters, too. Such as, where can a hungry family find food? Where can an abused person seek help? Where can a parent find counseling for his anorexic daughter? Where can a gambling addict go to stop the madness? Where can I learn to speak English? How can one line provide such disparate information? The 211 system is brought to you by the United Ways throughout the states, state agencies, local community action programs and individuals. That's how. Nationwide, the 2-1-1 system serves approximately 137 million people - more than 46 percent of the population. There are 169 systems covering all or part of 32 states. Fourteen states have complete coverage. A truly beautiful aspect of the system is that it works two ways. It's there for those in need. But just as important, a person can dial 2-1-1 and ask, "How can I help?" "How can I volunteer?" "Where are my services needed?" "How can I donate?" Specialists on the other end of the line will tell how you can help, just as they tell others how to get help. ______________________________________________________________
Alzheimer's Cause Uncovered By Kim Tae-gyu Staff Reporter A team of South Korean scientists has uncovered the mechanism of Alzheimers disease, brightening the outlook for overcoming the degenerative neural disorder. The team, headed by professor Kim Sang-uk at Pohang University of Science and Technology, on Sunday announced they pinpointed a substance that causes the senile dementia. ``We knew a protein called amyloid beta is outright responsible for Alzheimers disease, but we did not know the way to stop it because we had no idea of its mechanism, the 36-year-old said. ``Through intensive research, our team learned an amino acid named glycine zipper, which comprises amyloid beta, plays a crucial role in the forming of the dementia-causing protein. When Kim's team injected amyloid beta into the brains of mice, they suffered from dementia. In comparison, mice that were injected with glycine zipper-deprived amyloid beta remained healthy. ``Alzheimers disease occurs when amyloid beta kills brain cells, which cannot be regenerated, and glycine zipper plays like a glue that helps amyloid beta go lumpy. Without it, amyloid beta cannot form a mass and loses toxicity, which means they cannot kill brain cells", he said. Kim added that Alzheimers disease can be prevented or that development of the feared killer can be stopped by discovering a material that can remove glycine zipper. ``We are screening many matters that can destroy glycine zipper to create an anti-dementia drug. Because we already detected the culprit of Alzheimers disease, we are sure to be going in the right direction, Kim claimed. However, the envisioned drug would not revive already dead brain cells. Resurrecting moribund brain cells is necessary to truly heal Alzheimers disease. Kim said such a miracle therapy against dementia will be realized through stem cell research aimed at generating otherwise impossible-to-manufacture brain cells. The findings of Kim's team were featured in the latest edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed journal based in the United States. ______________________________________________________________ Fundraising To bring you up to date on the 2006 fundraising project: We have secured a booth for the International Sportsman Expo to be held March 10 - 12 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. It will be a 20 X 20 booth between the fishing pond and the Hunt Theater. We have secured a red trailer from Big Tex Trailers in Phoenix and looks like we will get an 06 Arctic Cat 400 4 X 4 auto QUAD from Rim Country Powersports. This event should be FUN, plan now to help out. Any questions contact Don Peters or Dave Pirtle .
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This newsletter will be issued once a month and will be posted on the website about the 1st of each month. Therefore, contributions must be sent in by midnight, 3 days prior to the last day of the month. In order for this to work, everyone needs to be involved, and contribute. Contributions are not limited to Tonto Rim SAR members. The more we communicate, the more we learn, the more effective SAR people we become. Surprise me - Send in something! Forward your contributions to E-Mail Mike 502 Please send contributions as soon as possible. ******************************************************************* Please feel free to forward this letter to any interested persons. People can subscribe by sending their email address to: Subscribe to the SAR COORDINATES To unsubscribe, contact the above email address.
_________________________________________________________________________ Thanks to those who contributed to this issue of the newsletter. Mike 502,
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