“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 chime in. “We pull this off, we’re eligible for dental!”
SAR for many people becomes a commitment reaching that of their day job. Some would call SAR a lifestyle since we’re at a state of readiness at all times and we bring our expertise and lessons into other sectors of our life. I’ve known some retirees who stack up responsibilities in SAR because it’s something they enjoy and they treat it as if it were a job. Many of us think about our volunteer commitments several times a week and do some sort of task around it whether that’s checking a radio battery, refilling and cleaning a hydration reservoir, making sure our K9 bag has enough treats in it or wondering whether or not to retire a prusik.
It certainly is a job/lifestyle. We train for it, condition for it and budget for it so we can be ready for that middle-of-the-night hasty mission or that right-after-work standby call. But unlike most day jobs, would we tell stories or laugh about that time we got called in to work just before going to bed and got back home the next afternoon? Most of us probably wouldn’t.
But like our day jobs, there’s a point where we need a vacation. Eventually, we need to recharge and realign ourselves after taking in our share of work. This is often signaled by a change in how we view what we do; is it something we enjoy and hope to do or something we just have to do? That’s the point where stepping back and calibration is needed whether that comes in the form of taking time off, or changing how we fulfill our commitment. Remember, taking care of yourself is one of the best ways to take care of your team and subjects.
Cheers,
Rick Lindfors
Meridian Editor in Chief
Eugene Mountain Rescue
Pacific Northwest Search Dogs
