“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 not placing themselves in a situation they cannot handle.. For example, someone could self-select if they are a novice climber being paged for a multi-pitch vertical rescue effort. This is not to say don’t respond, but rather only take on what you are capable of.
Selection is a continuous process for an individual in SAR, or at least it should be. Mountain rescue teams regularly assess physical fitness of members and maintain benchmarks to keep track of progress through the trainee, support and rescue level members. It is through training and repetition that MRA teams are able to keep their skills sharp and always at the ready for a callout.
The individual should assess themselves just as often as someone else who is grading them on their training. We always need to take a look at what we are and are not capable of, what we do and don’t know and then search for ways to improve. This applies to skills, systems and fitness. We need to live like someone else’s life depends on it. We do not get to choose when the time comes, the time chooses us and when it does we, our teammates and our patients deserve the best we can deliver.
Cheers,
Rick Lindfors
Meridian Editor in Chief
Northstar Search and Rescue
