President’s message-
I’m writing this after a busy 4th of July weekend and reflecting on my new role as president of the MRA. It is quite an honor to be in the position and I appreciate the support I have had from all of you on my journey here. Yesterday I was sweating and working hard in 90-degree heat on a litter evac of an injured hiker. Poison ivy, loose rock and all the joys of Boulder County’s Flatirons were challenging me and my teammates including several that had literally been up all night performing a high-country rescue at 12,000’. Two more mission call outs occurred before we had finished, and I drove to the next one with my helmet and radio still on.
As the team wrapped up the third mission of the day our Sheriff’s Emergency Services Incident Commander cracked open a cooler to share Gatorade and ice cream sandwiches and the heat and sweat and soreness were gone. The patients, none of them critically injured, were on their way to get checked out and the team was able to get back to family and friends for the day’s celebrations. It is hard to describe to the rest of the world why we volunteer so much of our time, talents, and attention to helping strangers in need. It’s not for the glory because there really isn’t any glory. I’m pretty sure it’s not for the adrenaline rush because that is best left behind with good training. Maybe it’s for the views.
At the Estes Park MRA conference one of the keynote speakers thought SAR folks liked being in control, denying death and acting the hero. While some of that may be true and most of the rest of what they had to say was excellent, I think it is something else that keeps us going. I think SAR brings out our best selves. All the training, personal experience, equipment, leadership, teamwork, and horsepower comes together on any given day to some random cliff, snow slope or mountain top and demands our full attention. Politics, climate change, violence and Covid-19 are forgotten for a bit. The worst day in our patients’ lives is often one of our finest. It is a great privilege we have been given and we earn it every day and night and weekend and holiday.
As I look forward to how I can impact and enhance the MRA over the next two years I turn to you, the volunteer rescuers of the MRA. Amazing and hardworking folks who have the generosity and bandwidth to give so much are what makes this organization truly great. I am working for you. All of you are vital to the health of this organization and your voice is important and will be heard. I intend to let the world know what amazing work we do and that we are the experts in Mountain Rescue in the USA. I will work to keep the administrative wheels turning efficiently. And finally, I hope to empower all of you to be your best selves out there helping strangers. The ice cream sandwiches you will have to figure out on your own.
Alison Sheets
MRA President