Commander's Corner

October 1st temperatures in the 30's in town, and 20's on the Rim should be a good reminder to have a look at your packs and cold weather gear. Temperatures like that can be brutally cold if you are exposed to them without adequate protection for a number of hours. We will have a cold weather clothing presentation after our general meeting in the next couple of months, but as a reminder, it is time to change over from cotton clothing to synthetics or wool - something that is "warm when wet". Cotton clothing can be dangerous in cold, wet weather, because it retains moisture, adheres to your skin, and releases significant body heat to the air around you.

The AZ SAR 2009 Conference in Heber on Sept 18, 19, 20, was well attended by TRSAR, and I think we gained a lot of useful education and information.

Recent Mission Summaries:

09/06/09 - Missing 14 year old girl on quad on the 29 rd near Meades Ranch. Jeeps and quads search many quad trails in the area. We had assistance from local firefighters as well. After several hours of searching, the young lady was spotted by one of the quad teams (a local from the area). DPS Ranger arrived on scene about that time, and the searcher was able to direct the
helicopter crew to her location. DPS Ranger was able to find a place to land near her, and was able to lift her out and back to command.

09/12/09 - Pinal County requested our assistance in a search that was into day 3 in the Superstition Mountains. 5 of us responded and were at the command post at daybreak. We were lifted in by helicopter to a location on the back side of Superstition Mountain, and had several miles of intersecting trails to cover looking for sign. We covered about 6 miles in rough terrain in 105 degree heat, but we had adequate water and performed our mission well. The subject was located 2 days later, deceased from a possible heart problem, not too far from the trailhead. It was reported by witnesses later that he had hiked to the top of the mountain, and was on his way back to the trailhead. Dogs and searchers had found evidence that he had been up on the mountain, and a lot of the search was focused there because of the extreme terrain.

09/25/09 - Fossil Springs - a number of hikers were reported stressed with various ailments. It sounded like they were simply not prepared or in adequate shape for a fairly rugged and long trip into Fossil Springs. A helicopter was called in to fly out 3 of the worst cases, and the rest hiked out in the morning.

Stay safe and stay prepared. Bill Pitterle - Commander, #500
 

Vice Commander's Corner

 Wilderness First Aid at the SAR Conference

A number of squad members have taken Wilderness First Aid offered by Solo at the SAR Conference in Heber. I would recommend the course for any members who have not yet taken it.

The course is 16 hours long (2 days) and covers the most likely medical scenarios we would encounter while on a Rescue. The people teaching the course for SOLO are SAR members and able to teach the course using terms and experiences common to us all.

For subjects with broken bones we learned that a good splint will relieve pain and make the subject more comfortable during transport. During the Wilderness First Aid course we practiced making splints and bandages using equipment from our packs. Much of our gear can be used to splint a broken ankle or arm. In practice, we used socks, jackets and hats as padding and hiking sticks as stiffeners. Since we can't carry everything we might need for all medical situations, we learned to make do with what we have.

 

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

October 2009 Training & Events Schedule 

Planned Training Sessions ( Coming this Year)

 If you would like to volunteer to run a training session, or if you have a training session request contact any Board Member or Don Johnson
 

Italics = Sign-up required to attend this training                                          

See following notes:

To reserve use of squad ATV, contact Don Johnson at 928-474-5335. Jacket, gloves, boots, helmet, and eye protection required to operate Squad ATV

Active: Members wishing to remain on active status must attend at least three official Squad functions per quarter of the calendar year, as well as two training exercises per six months of the calendar year.

Reserve: Members who wish to remain on reserve status must attend at least one official Squad function per quarter of the calendar year as well as one training exercise per six months of the calendar year.

Laws that are still on the books

You can't serve beer( or any alcoholic beverage ) to a moose in Alaska.

It's against the law in North Dakota to serve beer with pretzels at any restaurant, bar, or club.

The Encyclopedia Britannica was banned in Texas because it disclosed the formula for making beer.
 

Business Cards for Active Members

All active members are permitted to have business cards with your SAR info on them. If you do not have them yet, or if you have used up the ones you had, contact Mike Taylor to place your order. They are nice to have when you are doing any Squad activities, and the best part is they are free. A common use for them is to hand out to family members of the search/rescue subject.

Email miket@trsar.org or call 978-8009.

Website

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

 Other SAR News

Warning: Don't get lost in New Hampshire

Eagle Scout hiker Scott Mason of Halifax, Mass., is rescued April 28 near Pinkham Notch, N.H.
He is seeking to reduce the $25,000 fine he incurred from New Hampshire for the three-day search for him.

By Martha T. Moore, USA TODAY

When New Hampshire lawmakers decided to bill negligent hikers for their rescues, they figured they would solve some budget problems and teach hapless tourists a lesson. Then a 17-year-old Eagle Scout got lost on Mount Washington and ended up with a bill for $25,000.

Now New Hampshire officials, facing possible litigation, are defending a law that hasn't solved their budget troubles and puts the state at odds with national search-and-rescue groups that say billing hikers is dangerous.

"It certainly has put us on the hot spot," says Lt. Todd Bogardus, head of search and rescue for the state Fish and Game Department.

Few other states bill those who are rescued — and most of the other laws target skiers who stray off marked slopes.

Oregon caps the amount that can be billed at $500. Hawaii requires there be an "intentional disregard" for safety, and Idaho limits reimbursement to rescues from lands that are closed to the public. A Maine law that permits the state to recover costs of a search and rescue is seldom enforced.

The National Association for Search and Rescue opposes billing for rescue, contending people won't seek help if they're afraid they'll have to pay for it. "The public needs to understand that there's going to be someone there to help them and you shouldn't worry about downstream consequences," spokesman Howard Paul says.

In April, Scott Mason, then a high school junior from Halifax, Mass., set out on a 17-mile day hike in the White Mountains. The popular hiking destination includes Mount Washington, where unpredictable conditions have earned it the title "home of the world's worst weather."

When he didn't return by nightfall, his parents called for help. Teams from four search-and-rescue groups searched for four days, assisted by helicopters rented from Maine and Vermont.

Mason had hurt his ankle and tried to take a shortcut, only to get stranded by melting snow and swollen streams that also hampered the searchers. During his three nights on the mountain, he had built a rock shelter and started a fire using hand sanitizer* as an accelerant.

Bogardus says Mason was negligent because he did not turn back on the trail after he was injured.

Mason, who declined comment, is in negotiations with the state Attorney General's office over the fee, his lawyer Jed Callen says.

Since the negligent hiker law took effect in June 2008, the state has billed 13 hikers other than Mason an average of $203 for their rescues.

"People (who) make poor judgments at some point in time have to be responsible for their actions," says Democratic state Rep. Dennis Abbott, who sponsored the law. "You don't rent helicopters for nothing."

National groups say billing for rescue is like a firefighter dousing the flames and then billing the homeowner.

Sometimes hikers are foolish, says Charley Shimanski, president of the Mountain Rescue
Association. "But at the same time, you also have people who don't know how to use a welding torch
… burning down their garage. And they still need the help of the fire department."

Bogardus and other New Hampshire officials point out that while everyone's taxes pay for the firefighters, search-and-rescue teams are funded by a $1 surcharge on snowmobile, boat and off-road vehicle licenses.

That covers only 84% of the annual cost of search-and-rescue missions, a department performance audit shows. The state averages 138 rescue missions a year and spent $258,000 on them in 2007.

Almost half of the missions are to help hikers, Bogardus says. And almost half of those hikers are from out of state, department records show.

An earlier New Hampshire law allowed the state to recoup expenses in rescuing "reckless" hikers. The new focus on negligence, Bogardus says, "is a much easier standard to prove."

Freddie Wilkinson, a climber and writer who was part of the search party that found Mason, calls the new standard a dangerous precedent because "the government assumes the authority to regulate personal decisions made in the wilderness."

Says Bogardus: "Take care of yourself and don't expect big brother."