By A.J. Wheeler, MRA MedCom, and Stephanie Thomas, Executive Director, Teton County Search and Rescue Foundation
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Benjamin Franklin As search and rescue members and medical providers, we are often faced with the reality that it will take us hours and sometimes days to reach those who need our help. Some will be beyond our ability to help. Those who are still treatable, will have the added insult of pro longed suffering and exposure to the elements. What if there was a way that these patients could be reached earlier and provided shelter and perhaps even basic medical care? This what-if scenario is not, as it would seem, a fairy tale, but is the reason for developing a robust preventive SAR program. Last winter, one of our members was out for a quick lunchtime ski when he came across a patient who was having chest pain and in serious need of medical care. Luckily, our member carried baby aspirin in his first-aid kit, having learned that it might help save a life one day. The patient was flown out of the backcountry by search and rescue and then airlifted to Eastern Idaho Medical Center, where he was treated for a heart attack. That fraction of an ounce of prevention may have helped saved his life. Backcountry Zero, a preventive SAR (P-SAR) program in Jackson, Wyo., was started in the Fall of 2015 with the vision of reducing backcountry injuries and fatalities through a number of different programs. This community-wide vision is implemented through educational classes, partnerships with other organizations and businesses, and outreach to outdoor recreational groups. The program stresses the importance of preparation, and being practiced and present for every adventure. Knowing that SAR help may not arrive for hours, if not days, we stress throughout our messaging the ability of the public to be first responders. With just a few key items in a pack and a few hours of practice on life-saving techniques, such as beacon searching or CPR, we’re teaching the community that they can make a difference in someone’s life. These patient stories are available on the Backcountry Zero podcast, The Fine Line, http://www.backcountryzero.com/podcast/.
This pod cast was produced to allow the community to hear stories of real rescue and survival, hoping to spread the message about lessons learned to backcountry recreationalists and to broaden the community’s discussion on backcountry preparedness.
Search and rescue teams could benefit from taking these steps to help their community members be first responders in the backcountry: Sponsoring educational programs; showing people how to make their own first-aid kits; teaching them how to use a smartphone GPS so that they can help SAR lo cate them in an emergency; encouraging people to carry headlamps and warm clothing; stressing the importance of bringing extra food and water. By taking the time to educate our community, we are doing ourselves a favor in making our rescues more efficient, making our patients more comfortable, and sometimes even saving a life that we would not have been able to save on our own. Backcountry Zero began in the Fall of 2015 with the vision of reducing backcountry injuries and fatalities in the Tetons. Since its inception, partnerships with Grand Teton National Park, the U.S. Forest Service, neighboring SAR teams and local businesses have created education and outreach opportunities that have reached thousands of backcountry travelers.
To learn more about Backcountry Zero and see how your team can develop an effective P-SAR program, please visit our web site at www.backcountryzero.org.
A.J. Wheeler, M.D., is a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) and holds a Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM). He is a member of Teton County Search and Rescue, and is an emergency physician in Jackson Hole and a member of MRA MedCom. Stephanie Thomas has been a volunteer for TCSAR since 2007 and has been the executive director of the TCSAR Foundation since 2010. For more information about Backcountry Zero or the TCSAR Foundation, please contact stephanie@tetoncountysar.org.
