Professionalism within our community
What is professionalism and how does it apply to Mountain Rescue? This is a question that I’ve been pondering lately. I think we all would consider ourselves as experienced mountaineers, climbers and backcountry travelers. Likewise, I think we all consider ourselves skilled rescuers which is demonstrated and backed up by your MRA accreditation. What does it mean to be a professional and what opportunities do MRA teams have to learn from professional organizations? When I think of professionalism I think it is a combination of excellence in the what and the how a job or function is completed.
Wikipedia’s definition of professional is: "A professional is a member of a profession or any person who earns a living from a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skills necessary to perform their specific role within that profession. In addition, most professionals are subject to strict codes of conduct, enshrining rigorous ethical and moral obligations. [1] Professional standards of practice and ethics for a particular field are typically agreed upon and maintained through widely recognized professional associations, such as the IEEE. [2] Some definitions of "professional" limit this term to those professions that serve some important aspect of public interest [3] and the general good of society [4][5] (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional).”
Reviewing this definition I believe that Mountain Rescue members and teams align quite well with the exception of “earns a living.” We train rigorously for every aspect of Mountain Rescue and we hold ourselves to a high technical standards. Further, MRA teams have been on the leading edge driving new rescue techniques, equipment, and training. While I may quip that most of this development has been focused on finding gear and developing gear (or reduction of) to make us “light and fast,” the amount of thought and testing that goes into this development can not be trivialized. When it comes to “what” technical backcountry rescue there is no question that MRA teams are the most experienced, most capable, and most professional.
The Wikipedia definition also elaborates saying that, “most professionals are subject to strict codes of conduct, enshrining rigorous ethical and moral obligations.” While this makes sense, I didn’t really expect ethical and moral obligations to be part of the definition of a professional. When I hear the term professional an example I often think of is a carpenter or woodworker who takes exceptional care and pride in the fine details of their work. Rarely have I considered what that person’s ethical or moral character might be. However, the more I think about it, the person's ethical and moral character is very much reflected in their work product.
In fact, every aspect of the work product is reflected in how they conduct themselves, “on and off the field.” While ethical and moral character is more subjective than demonstrating technical capability, I believe MRA teams are constantly demonstrating these traits. By our very nature as volunteers, we are already giving back countless hours to our communities. We wear the MRA patch and logo with pride because we know that it represents the high standards we hold for ourselves as well as what it means to be part of a national organization that holds its members to a higher standard.
One aspect of professionalism that paid workers have access to is the continuing education training. Many businesses require specific training and certifications simply to reduce risk. The MRA has been working to provide education opportunities (leadership, diversity and inclusion and resiliency) with the focus of building even stronger teams. These help us build our skills, challenge old ways of thinking and help us grow as professionals. One of the strategic pillars that were identified in 2022 was further development of professionalism Mountain Rescue and I am glad that we will continue to provide education opportunities for any team or individual that wishes to participate.
Finally, as I approach the end of my term as president, I wanted to communicate how much of an honor it has been to serve in this capacity. I am so thankful for each MRA member, MRA team, the MRA committee chairs, MRA committee members and the MRA officer’s committee. I love this organization, its mission and everything it stands for and represents. Thank you for the opportunity to represent this organization. Thank you for all you do to bring family members home.
