The essential personality traits for a search and rescue volunteer include determination, problem solving, grit and perhaps most important is a sense of humor. There is plenty to laugh about in our trade from harmless training mishaps (yours truly has spent quite a bit of time strapped into a litter and pressed into a cliff
Click here to view the full PDF version of the Spring 2023 Meridian in magazine-style layout. To download, right click the image and select “Save Target As…” (or something similar, depending on your browser). On the Cover: A rescue system used to hoist stranded elevator passengers west of Flagstaff, Ariz. (Coconino County Sheriff’s Office) Sponsor Spotlight:
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – A mountain rescue team brought their skills deep into an elevator shaft to rescue stranded passengers. On the night of October 23, 2022, an elevator at Grand Canyon Caverns suffered a malfunction, stranding several people 21 stories below the surface. According to the Coconino
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief This year Apple introduced new features for its new smartphone and that caught the eyes of many. IPhone 14 series users could now use an Emergency SOS feature to call for emergency services even when outside of cell phone range. The system uses a satellite connection to
Letter from the Editor We’ve all been the “new guy” a few times in our lives. All of us were the newest members on the team when we joined and we had to learn a new set of skills with a new group of people. Every now and then, we get to be the
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: Yeti Meridian sponsors cover the range of the outdoor gear world. Some companies build the gear we depend on to
Rick Lindfors-Ackerman – Meridian Editor in Chief Mt. Hood, Ore. – Oregon’s Mt. Hood is one of the most popular peaks in the U.S., drawing climbers from across the world. But the mountain is a challenge for even experienced alpinists with its variable conditions and steep slopes. The teams that service the mountain, Portland
A couple things as we close out this edition of Meridian. First off, thank you for your continued reading and sharing of the publication. This marks two full years of Meridian under my editorial responsibilities, and the task has been quite fulfilling. I get to talk to MRA volunteers from across the U.S. and learn
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
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
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
“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
Click here to view the full PDF version of the Summer 2023 Meridian in magazine-style layout. To download for off-line viewing, right click the image and select “Save Target As…” (or something similar, depending on your browser). Sponsor Spotlight: PatagoniaBesides making high-end technical wear, Patagonia was the center of one of the most positive pieces of
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief GLENDALE, Calif. – Intelligence gathering and quick thinking enabled rescuers to safely bring home a teenager who had gone missing in a park in Los Angeles County. The teen, who was autistic and nonverbal, presented a challenge in communication that serves as a lesson for other SAR teams.
Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief The March 2022 Fourth Thursday session brought in Codey Gandy, an instructor with Echelon Front. Former Navy SEALs Jocko Willink and Leif Babin started Echelon Front to bring their lessons learned from combat and apply them to the private sector. Willink and Babin were commanders in Task
Situational awareness. Head on a swivel. There are plenty of phrases or keeping an eye out and pointing out anything out of the ordinary. As SAR people we’re pretty good at this; clue awareness, rigging inspection and kit preparation all require attention to detail and are things we train and maintain our skills in. It
