You have all heard by now of the Indonesian earthquake last week that took over 5000 lives. And it was near the active volcano, Mt. Merapi, which has had the area on watch for weeks. It seems that everyday there is another major disaster somewhere in the world but they seem so far away and irrelevant to our little corner.

We must not be complacent, the entire world is having unusual natural occurrences and we are not immune. The most likely situation that we might experience here is a major forest fire, and it is a real concern. It’s also possible that we could have other events that no one can predict.
What might happen is not as critical as what will we do when it occurs. As members of the largest SAR group in Gila County, we will be expected to participate in the rescue and/or evacuation of community members when what we would most like to do is get ourselves and family out of harms way.

Now I don’t have to tell you that there is no concrete plan by anyone or any organization or government entity that will be the answer when the event occurs. Just recall the situations that occurred last year during several hurricanes in the south.

We are not pointing fingers here; the reality is we cannot expect anyone to have a finite plan to deal with a large catastrophe that is as yet unknown. What we can do though, as individuals and as a unit, is to prepare ourselves; emotional, psychologically and physically.
We must have a plan in our mind as to where we will take or send our family, how we will communicate if we are separated and where and when we will meet with them once we are out of harms way.

We need to always have our vehicles fully fueled, and food, clothing and emergency supplies in the vehicle so that we can move at a moments notice. If you are called to assist in an evacuation, your family needs to be able to go without you and know where you will meet with them afterwards.
We need to understand that the possibility of a major disaster is great but also to think it through before hand and not be caught unprepared. Only you can prepare yourself and your family. Do it now while you have time and don’t expect someone or a government agency to do it for you when the event occurs.

We are not talking paranoia, here. The Squad has always planned for incidents that might occur and this is the same situation. We cannot wait for a mission so we can learn what to do; we must be ready for any unforeseen event.


J. Mike Taylor 502L, Commander Emeritus
_________________________________________
 

Les Hulse 527, DJ Johnson 542 and Jim Duffy 520 at the recent TNB rescue.

For more photos of that mission, go to;
http://www.trsar.org/recent_missions/tonto_bridge_carry_out.htm

Also see the photos from the latest rope training at; http://www.trsar.org/photo_gallery/rope_5_20_06/rope_training_5_20_06.htm

Click for larger picture

Photo by Dave Pirtle

Don’t forget; the meetings this month are June 6th for the
Board and June 8th for the General Meeting.

BRUCE BRAMMER 515

Bruce is a displaced Chicagoan, where he and his wife, Linda, both graduated from the University of Illinois. Here is another one of our great members who retired from Motorola’s semiconductor business, having been in Sales and Marketing for 35 years.

Retirement brought the family to the Rim country where Bruce entered his second career in Real Estate.

Bruce has a very active family, which keeps Grandma and Grandpa busy attending activities in the valley from music to baseball. There are two kids and five grandchildren. Still living at home is Liza the dog. The past year has been extremely busy with Linda being diagnosed with cancer. The treatment is over and Linda is now in the recovery period. Having been through this period of time, I know how much it involves and know that with family and friends’ support and prayers, Linda is speeding down that recovery road. I understand Linda delights in finding wood projects in magazines for Bruce to make for the family.

Bruce, we welcome the time you spend helping the Squad do its job here in the Rim Country.

JEB 510L

BILL DAILY 573

Bill is another transplanted Midwesterner from Indiana. Maybe that is why I like to harass him. Or maybe it is because of his many years of past employment with the Highway Patrol. After graduating from high school, Bill joined the Air Force where his career in Law Enforcement began as an Air Policeman. His Dad was a Game Warden in Indiana so Bill was very familiar with Law Enforcement. While stationed in Alaska, Bill went through the same 1964 earthquake that I did. (Only I had a much tougher experience than he did). After discharge, he joined the FBI and went to Washington DC. He soon learned that city life was not for this country boy. His Dad had retired to Apache Junction so he landed on the parent’s doorstep in AJ and found work as a gas station attendant and mechanic for American Motors Corp. In 1969 Bill joined the Arizona Highway Patrol so it was back to Law Enforcement, which became his career. After two years as a dispatcher, he became a real Highway Patrolman doing taillight chasing in Apache Junction (the Arizona Winter Senior Capital). During this time he married Jackie who has put up with him for 35 years. This must be some kind of a miracle as it is only because she is such a powerhouse that rebellious Bill has stayed out of trouble. Father of two kids, Dallas and Tricia, and granddad to three charming grandchildren, Bill now spends time spoiling them.

Bill was an instructor with the Highway Patrol doing In-service Training until he was offered a prize position with CARNU (Central Arizona Regional Narcotics Unit) and then on to the Air Smuggling Division, tracking all narcotics being flown across our Southern Border. Exciting, Huh? Bill retired in 1992 from the Highway Patrol and worked at various jobs in the Valley including Swift Transportation. He and Jackie retired to Strawberry and he promptly went back to work as Dispatcher/911 operator for Gila County, where he got interested in Tonto Rim SAR. During his first tour of duty with Tonto Rim, Bill was one of our Certified Rope Instructors. A Medical Leave of Absence forced Bill to drop back his status for a while. After rejoining TRSAR he became our able- bodied knowledgeable radio/communications instructor.

Retired once again, we now see Bill on the road trying his best to be a senior “Biker” riding his new flamboyant blue/purple Honda trike. You know he is trying to be a “Senior” because he put training wheels on the back. He says Jackie is “more comfortable”, but we know the real reason.

Bill you have been a big asset to the Squad, training each of us to be more professional on the radio. Thanks so much for all your service both to the Squad and to our State making the highways safer. I know I harass you Bill, but I really do love ya, man! Thanks and be safe.

JEB 510L

SCOTT DAVIDSON 523

When I read Scott’s profile, I was again as impressed with this young fellow as I was when he joined our squad in December 2001. He is an Arizona Native, born in Tempe, educated at NAU and now a teacher Rim Country Middle School. His parents, also educators, have inspired in him a love of travel by taking him to Australia where he started school. Yet he came back to the Rim country to teach. Scott is an active member of our Certified Rope team.

Not only does Scott believe in education, he is very well trained in the Martial Arts. An avid hiker, he spends time out of doors every chance he gets. He loves hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and skiing.

Scott had just taken Ira’s CPR class, when he had a close encounter along Highway 87. He can tell the story better then me—“I had a close taste of death and mortality a couple years ago. I was driving to Phoenix when a motorcycle ahead of me went off the edge of the road. I stopped to help. His heart was beating, but he wasn’t breathing, I gave him two rescue breaths. He started to breathe raggedly so I held him in C-spine position until Advanced Life Support showed up. He never regained consciousness and his parents finally made the decision to pull the life support. They donated his organs and that allowed a number of others to survive.” Scott’s comments further show what he learned from this event. I thought there were so good, that I am including them also."

1. Training is worthwhile. You never know when you will need it.
2. Buy a CPR barrier and gloves. It is cheap compared to lab test fees and the chance of contacting a blood-borne disease.
3. Check the scene for safety BEFORE jumping in. A tractor-trailer rig carrying a piece of heavy equipment lost control and jackknifed into the same ditch where I was holding C-Spine on the motorcyclist. He pulled it out only 20 feet from me.
4. It is worth trying to save a life, no matter what the subject looks like.

As my wife often says, I may not have made much difference to Caleb, but Caleb sure made a difference to me. This experience made a major impact on my life. I rededicated my life to the things that matter: Christ, my family and friends, and the next generation.”

Scott, you truly have become an asset to the Squad and we are proud to have you as a member. I really would like to see you use your teaching skills as an instructor in the squad. I know how good you are, because my neighbor is one of your fellow teachers!

JEB 510L

BILL MARTIN 528

Bill Martin came to the squad in February of 2002. He is another person who grew up in Southern California and has lived in some of the most interesting places in the United States. After graduating from San Diego State and Cal State Northridge, Bill entered the Seminary and spent six years studying the priesthood. This was an experience that changed the rest of his life. Married to Cheryl, they have two daughters, Sharon and Seana.

Bill retired from 30 years with the Internal Revenue Service and is stilled enrolled to practice before them. He spent 23 years of this time in management and has been an instructor for 26 years. He has spent a term as our treasurer. He says he has no spare time, maybe because he takes the time to help the Seniors of Payson, volunteering at the Senior Center and as President of the Board of Directors. He also is active in his church, teaching, singing in the Choir, and playing the violin.

We are fortunate that he has chosen to give TRSAR some of his spare time. But then the caliber of this man shows us that he has the desire to help others as part of his Service to the Lord. Thanks Bill, for the time you give. Gila County is blessed with your presence.

JEB 510L
 

I Miss You Jim…


I watched a movie the other night and one of the main characters referred many times to her mother’s nature of constantly pushing her to strive for excellence…for perfection. “The voice inside my head,” she stated, “to question, to do my best, to go beyond average,” is my mother’s. Well, the voice inside my (TRSAR) head is Jim Martin’s. He was the first to commend me on a job well done, but he was also first to call me on my mistakes. His presence made me “be on my toes”, strive to do my best, be prepared, train constantly, train hard, and laugh.

I miss you Jim, but you will continue to be the voice inside my head critiquing my work - pushing me towards excellence. For this, I will always be grateful.

Margaret Bullard #545
 

All night search finds boy safe

BY LARRY WINGET - Valley Courier, Alamosa CO

May 21, 2006
SANFORD — An 8-year-old Sanford boy spent Friday night alone in the wild with no ill effects.
Ryan Jackson, the son of Robyn and Clay Jackson, who live just north of Sanford, spent the night alone in the Elk Creek area of Conejos County, near the old La Manga campground. This was after becoming separated from a group on a church-sponsored father and son outing.
Members of the Conejos County Sheriff’s department and the county’s search and rescue team, on foot and using ATVs, spent the night searching for the boy,
just after dawn on Saturday; Ryan was found walking a quarter-mile from the trailhead. Search and rescue co-coordinator Patrick Montoya said the child was “tired and a little dehydrated” but otherwise was fine.
Ryan’s mother said her son found a place under some boulders near the Conejos River and spent the night there, asleep. Searchers called his name, but the sleeping boy, exhausted from a hike, did not hear them.
It was reported that some 50 searchers from the sheriff’s office, including Sheriff Joe Taylor, Conejos County Search and Rescue, led by Patrick Montoya, and community volunteers, looked for Ryan throughout the night.
Robyn said her son was checked out by an ambulance crew immediately after he was found. She said he was given a “clean bill of health and sent home.”
Ryan’s parents said they wanted to thank everyone who volunteered their time to search for him. The family said, “We are touched by your quick response and genuine concern.”
 

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

We are promoted and you’ll also find our newsletter on the Rim Country Volunteer site;
http://www.inpayson.com/TRSAR-Payson-Rim-Country-Area.htm