Category: Article Categories

Compassion Fatigue: Signs and Meaning for Search and Rescue Volunteers

Rick Lindfors June 7, 2024 No Comments

Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief Stress can show itself in many forms in first responders. One sign of stress or burnout is known as compassion fatigue. This can show itself as cynicism towards patients or feelings of hopelessness. Compassion fatigue can show after repeated exposure to stressful or traumatic incidents. “Usually people who

Letter from the Editor Spring 2024

Rick Lindfors June 7, 2024 No Comments

“Self-selection” is a phrase I’ve heard every now and then in my SAR career. It has always meant that an individual needs to recognize if they are able to meet the demands of a mission whether it is physical readiness or technical capacity and if necessary, opt out of a mission to ensure they are

Meridian Winter 2023 PDF

Rick Lindfors December 21, 2023 No Comments

Click here to view the full PDF version of the Winter 2023 Meridian in a beautiful, magazine-style layout. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Email

President’s Message Winter 2023

Alison Sheets December 21, 2023 No Comments

I had the good fortune to recently be in the San Juan mountains of Colorado. It was at the height of the fall color season and the aspens were glorious against the dusting of first snow on the high peaks. The change of seasons made me reflect on the changes ahead for the MRA. As

Alaska Team Receives Award for Rescue Cluster

Rick Lindfors December 21, 2023 No Comments

This year, Juneau Mountain Rescue received the Mel Nading Search and Rescue Award after a series of missions in the summer of 2022. The award recognizes “exemplary service of ASARA member volunteers performing search and rescue operations either on an individual or team level in difficult, dangerous, or complex situations while going above and beyond

Battling Baldy: Frequent Missions on a Popular Mountain

Rick Lindfors December 21, 2023 No Comments

Rick Lindfors – Meridian Editor in Chief Los Angeles – Just outside the Los Angeles city limits shoots a more than ten-thousand foot peak. Mt. San Antonio, commonly known as Mt. Baldy, is within plain view of the second most populous city in the U.S. and draws hundreds of thousands to its trails in the

Letter from the Editor Winter 2023

Rick Lindfors December 21, 2023 No Comments

Another year down and many stories to look back on for MRA teams. I hope all of us are able to look back on the year with lessons learned in missions and training and be proud of what we’ve accomplished. One thing to look forward to this coming year is the continued distribution and event planning

Meridian Fall 2023 PDF version

Rick Lindfors September 23, 2023 No Comments

Click here to view the full PDF version of the Fall 2023 Meridian in a beautiful, magazine-style layout. Sponsor Spotlight: Black DiamondMRA team members are familiar with two types of black diamonds. The first is the ski slope we take on when we’re feeling brave and the second is a gear company that covers the

President’s Message Fall 2023

Alison Sheets September 23, 2023 No Comments

President’s Message I recently attended the Spring Conference and want to again thank Coconino County Sherriff’s Office Search and Rescue for the excellent event in Flagstaff. They were professional, organized, helpful and appeared to enjoy working together! There were lots of new faces at the conference and the pre-conference events were very well attended. For

Where the Rope Ends: Turning a Near-Death Experience into Support for SAR

Rick Lindfors September 23, 2023 No Comments

SEATTLE – Surviving an incident that could have killed her was just the beginning for Nichole Doane. The Seattle-area trauma nurse nearly died in a rappelling accident and found the road to recovery to be long and brutal. But in her path forward she also discovered a way to help guide other trauma survivors through

Taking care of yourself in Field: Hydration

Bill M Campbell MD September 23, 2023 No Comments

Bill M Campbell MD FAWM DiMMAs mountain rescuers, we get very focused on finding and rescuing individuals in austere conditions. Some teams even have the motto “So others may live.” But we must constantly remind ourselves of our priorities: self > team > subject. If we don’t take care of ourselves, then we let ourteam

Letter from the Editor Fall 2023

Rick Lindfors September 23, 2023 No Comments

Courage, Compassion, Commitment. Those are the words that surround the Mountain Rescue Association logo on the organization’s challenge coins. They represent the core of our volunteers; courageous people who have committed to saving lives in search and rescue through a sense of compassion for our subjects. The first two can be easier to gather within

Meridian Summer 2023 PDF

Rick Lindfors June 21, 2023 No Comments

Click here to view the full PDF version of the Summer 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: Members of North Shore Rescue hike through snow during the rescue of five hikers near Vancouver, B.C. (NSR) Sponsor

President’s Message Summer 2023

Alison Sheets June 21, 2023 No Comments

Saving lives is not easy work. And yes, mountain rescue is about saving lives. You all know the difficulties- the anxious call outs, the search before the rescue, the long approaches, operating technical systems in the dark, the blood, and sometimes worse. Then there is paperwork, training, recruitment, equipment maintenance, the budget and all the

A Cold Night: SAR Team Saves Stranded Group in Snow

Rick Lindfors June 21, 2023 No Comments

Vancouver, British Columbia – What was hoped to be a simple hike near the city of Vancouver turned into a race for rescue. On the evening of February 20th, North Shore Rescue received the call that a group of five hikers, unprepared for winter conditions, had become stranded on Lynn Peak near the south needle.

Outdoor Climbing Injuries: Patterns and Risks

CassieLowry June 21, 2023 No Comments

Cassie Lowry, DO FAWM MRA MedCOM Climbing, in its many forms, has grown in popularity across the country at an estimated 67% increase since 1998. As outdoor sports continued to grow in popularity during the COVID pandemic, the frequency of injuries is likely to have increased as well. Many of the largest data sets predate

Bringing Home the Brat: SAR Team Saves Wandering Wurst

Rick Lindfors June 21, 2023 No Comments

Tucson, Ariz. – In one of the strangest SAR incidents in recent memory, Arizona search and rescue teams found and assisted a hiker who got lost while dressed as a hot dog in Catalina State Park. The hiker, who was attempting a five-day, 100 mile hiking event for charity, found themselves in a pickle after

Letter from the Editor Summer 2023

Rick Lindfors June 21, 2023 No Comments

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

Meridian Spring 2023 PDF

Rick Lindfors March 21, 2023 No Comments

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:

President’s Message Spring 2023

Alison Sheets March 21, 2023 No Comments

President’s Message Saving lives is not easy work. And yes, mountain rescue is about saving lives. You all know the difficulties- the anxious call outs, the search before the rescue, the long approaches, operating technical systems in the dark, the blood, and sometimes worse. Then there is paperwork, training, recruitment, equipment maintenance, the budget