Click here to view the full PDF version of the Winter 2024 Meridian in a beautiful, magazine-style layout. (Right click and select something like “Save Target As” to download the PDF for off-line viewing.) SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT Meridian generates revenue for the Mountain Rescue Association by way of the sponsors you see in this publication. One of
Professionalism within our community What is professionalism and how does it apply to Mountain Rescue? This is a question that I’ve been pondering lately. I think we all would consider ourselves as experienced mountaineers, climbers and backcountry travelers. Likewise, I think we all consider ourselves skilled rescuers which is demonstrated and backed up by your
By Steve Larese – Meridian Editor Albuquerque, N.M. – At 0400 on January 1, 2022, Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Council members were awakened by their callout tones and blinked blearily at their phones: “MSN #1. TRAM STUCK AT TOWER 2. 21 PATIENTS NEED SUPPLIES…NEED RESPONDERS ASAP.” “I assumed there was a typo in the
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief At the start of the year 2022, my dog and I tested and received our certifications for search and rescue in Oregon. Training a search and rescue K9 was a unique, demanding and ultimately formative challenge for the both of us that brought us closer together and
As I’m writing this letter (mid April) there was just a healthy dose of snow on the Oregon Cascades, which made for an enjoyable weekend of snowboarding, my first since the 2020 closures. It was much needed. However, before going into the snowy weekend I had just finished reading over a series of briefings
Click here to view the full PDF version of the Winter 2023 Meridian in a beautiful, magazine-style layout. Tell us About Your Team Have an idea for a story or a noteworthy mission? Reach out to the Meridian Editor in Chief or your MRA region chair to submit an idea or report. You’ll receive guidelines on how
In the Spring of 2021, we created a Leadership and Relationship Development committee. This committee was created because leadership and relationship development are skills and like all skills they require development, training and practice in order to maintain and improve. In the corporate world I have had the opportunity to experience both good and bad
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief Calabsas, Calif – David Katz knew something was up when a teammate on Malibu SAR called him. It was January 9th, 2020, and his teammate told him there was a call for a possible aircraft down near Malibu Creek State Park. Katz made a series of phone
This is a tool that was piloted in the Washington MRA region last winter; a gear and resource decision tree to support our operations both at command and in the field. The concept is a loose algorithm to guide gear and resources in prep and during the mission, so it’s a dynamic scheme to apply to conditions
The MRA DEI Committee is proud to introduce Jack Mitchell, a member of Atalaya Search and Rescue in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jack has been a member since September 2016. He attends the University of New Mexico, majoring in Emergency Medical Services. Jack doesn’t remember a time where he wasn’t outdoors. He has been
“Yeah, we’re getting OT for this.” “Oy! What’s one and a half times… zero?” Such is a common joke shared among rescuers during missions. I usually hear this one when the mud reaches a certain depth, a hill takes a certain incline or if our team has been out past zero dark thirty. Occasionally I’ll
