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Cave Rescue in the Western Region
General | NCRC |
Training | Rescue Teams
General
Cave rescues are exceedingly difficult. Many complex rescues can
last for several days, sometimes weeks. The rescue team is faced with the
challenge of getting the injured caver out of the cave, not merely
off of a cliff or mountain. They must work in "confined space"
conditions, in the presence of cold, darkness, and water. In addition to all
these other challenges, the teams must also strive to preserve the cave and
keep it in pristine condition! Cavers will hesitate calling the rescue teams
that damage caves.
Each caver should make it a priority to receive proper
training, and maintain proficiency in safe techniques. Cavers in the
Western Region have an excellent safety record. This is due to the strong
safety and training programs that are available to the members of the western
grottos. In addition to the grottos, several groups are available to provide
instruction to cavers in the Western Region. The National Speleological Society
sponsers the National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC), which is a cave rescue
coordination and training organiztaion. The Self Rescue Group (SRG) provides
safety and self rescue research and education to cavers in the West.
Descriptions of these groups may be found below.
NCRC
The National Cave Rescue
Commission is a volunteer group developed to coordinate cave rescue
resources throughout the United States. The NCRC itself is not a
cave rescue unit, but a communications network used to locate the actual rescue
workers and equipment. Most NCRC cavers do perform rescues, but as members of
their local rescue squads, civil defense units, or cave rescue groups.
The NCRC is a component of the Department of the Administrative
Vice-President of the National Speleological Society. It is headed by a
national coordinator and divides the U.S. into ten regional networks, each with
a regional coordinator selected by a board of all regional coordinators on the
basis of recommendations from cavers and cave rescue groups in the region. The
boundaries of the NCRC regions are not the same as the NSS regions. The Western
Region is currently served by the
Western and
Northwest regions of the NCRC.
The NCRC sponsors a weeklong cave rescue seminar each year
which is held in various locations around the U.S. As in other types of rescue,
cave rescue is constantly evolving, and the most up to date techniques are
presented there each year. The NCRC utilizes the Incident Command System (ICS)
familiar to EMS, Fire and Rescue. In addition to the national weeklong seminar
the various regions also sponsor additional weeklong seminars and weekend basic
orientation courses.
Training
Cave rescue training is available to cavers from many sources
within the Western Region. The San Bernardino Cave Rescue Team has also
sponsored and taught several NCRC seminars. The Self Rescue Group is a separate
organization from the Western Region. Their focus is small party rescue, using
only the equipment that is available on a cave trip. They offer rescue training
to cavers at the grotto level. Many grottos in the region also teach some recue
techniques as part of their regular training programs.
Rescue Teams
Several rescue teams in the western region have members that are
cavers. Many of the teams also have individuals on them that have recieved
training from the NCRC. The following teams list cave rescue as one of their
functions:
-
San
Bernardino Cave Rescue Team
-
The Sheriff's Cave Rescue Team in San Bernardino County is
the only formally organized, trained and equipped, agency-affiliated rescue
team dedicated to cave rescue in the State of California. This is an
all-volunteer team which was formed originally to serve as a dedicated response
rescue team for Mitchell Caverns State Park in 1988. In 1995, they moved to
their current location at the Sheriff's Department Headquarters in San
Bernardino and changed their orientation to include more than just a purely
local response. This team can, when coordinated through the State Office of
Emergency Services, respond to cave rescue calls anywhere in the Western US.
They currently have 19 members, mostly cavers, who are at
various levels of training in cave rescue. (All members are required to attend
cave rescue training conducted by the National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC).)
They currently have two members who are instructors for the NCRC and seminars
are presented by the team as a unit fund-raiser in Southern California every
other year. They completed a combined Level 1 and Level 2 seminar in April,
1998 and in September of 2000. They are also taking applications for an
Orientation to Cave Rescue course for June 8-9, 2002 in San Diego County. (For
info, see the course web
brochure.
They are always looking for new members! If you're
interested, or if you just want to know more about them, check out their web
site .
- Siskiyou Search
and Rescue
- The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Search and Rescue consists of
full-time deputies and volunteers from local communities around Siskiyou
County. SAR is a well-trained department and is divided into two teams: a Field
Team and a Support Team. The Field Team members are proficient in searching for
lost people, rescuing injured people, evidence searches, recovering the
deceased , and assisting the county during natural disasters. The Support Team
assists the Field Team by providing communications and logistical support
during SAR missions. All members are required to attend a set number of
meetings, training sessions and exercises, and call-outs, and in addition, hold
a current basic First Aid and CPR card, as well as maintain required basic
equipment and meet physical requirements. SAR personnel are required to pass
periodic skills/abilities tests and demonstrate proficiency in a variety of
search/survival skills.
- Siskiyou County is loaded with topographies ranging from
swift-water rivers to high elevation mountains..i.e. 14,126' Mt. Shasta. The
climate offers 4 "real" seasons ranging from whiteout snow storms to extremely
hot summer days. Siskiyou is a visitor's and hiker's paradise offering diverse
terrain, seasons and environments for the outdoor enthusiast. Along with these
come the dangers and challenges that often result in Search and Rescue
missions. The working equipment and vehicles within SAR is comprised of several
snowcats, snowmobiles, 4x4 vehicles, and a variety of land and water craft.
Siskiyou County SAR often works with support agencies such as the California
Highway Patrol providing air search and rescue resources, Air National Guard,
Mercy Air and other agencies. High altitude rescues and recoveries are frequent
in Siskiyou County.
- Las Vegas Metropolitan
Police Department - SAR
- The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Search and
Rescue Unit has a countywide jurisdiction of over 8,000 square miles within the
boarders of Clark County, Nevada. The unit is responsible for all search and
rescue operations outside the urban environment. The unit is composed of a
search and rescue coordinator, four officers, and about thirty civilian
volunteers. The concept of the unit is to maintain a small number of motivated
individuals who are highly trained in many search and rescue disciplines. Our
specialties include high angle rope rescue, swiftwater rescue, lost or missing
person search, and cave rescue. The unit is a fully accredited member of the
Mountain Rescue Association. The unit conducts cave rescue training once a year
in one of the several popular caves in Clark County. Several members of the
unit have received NCRC training and are active members of the local NSS
Grotto. In addition, the unit maintains a mutual aid agreement with the San
Bernardino County Police Department to assist each other in the event of an
extended cave rescue operation.
- Corvallis Mountain
Rescue
- Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit (CMRU) is a volunteer SAR
organization which offers assistance, without charge, for search and rescue
(SAR) in difficult areas and high-angle terrain. While emphasizing mountain and
high-angle rescue, various CMRU members are cavers and have taken cave rescue
training instruction. In addition, some members have been involved in cave
searches and rescues in the past. CMRU was put on an alert status during the
1990 NSS Convention in Yreka, for possible cave rescues. Since that time, we
have agreed to have our names added to a list of available SAR assets which the
Siskiyou County Sheriff can call in the event of a major rescue in the area.
Skilled CMRU volunteers with mountaineering experience, trained in the many
facets of technical alpine search and rescue, are available around the clock.
CMRU is a member of the Mountain Rescue Association and the Oregon Mountain
Rescue Council. .
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