Superstition Search and Rescue (SSAR)

[SuperstitionGuy]

While it is official, SSAR will not be joining the Pinal County Sheriff's office as a Posse.

SSAR Will Not Join Sheriff’s Posse
Friday, 16 October 2009
Last Updated Friday, 16 October 2009

For Immediate Release from Superstition Search and Rescue:

Superstition Search and Rescue (SAR) would like the citizens of Pinal County, whom we have served for the past 15
years, to know that SSAR will not be joining Sheriff Paul Babeu’s newly proposed search and rescue posse
program.A decision was made by open team vote on Tuesday, October 13, 2009, with 95 percent of our membership in
attendance, that SSAR can better serve the citizens of Pinal County by continuing to operate as a separate resource,
rather than to become a part of a posse program.

SSAR has our own command structure which has a proven track record and which follows the highest standards in the
industry. Our members are professionally trained in all wilderness search and rescue techniques including wilderness
first response. Because of this we have successfully assisted and saved over 2,000 lives in this decade alone.
We do not believe we should require members of our highly trained group to become posse members if they do not wish
to do so. We feel this decision should be left to the personal choice of each and every member.

We also believe that operating as a posse search and rescue unit would further burden tax payers and limited county
funds. Our team, through its affiliation with the sheriff’s office, received liability insurance through that association.
Going forward we will be covered through provisions in Arizona State Statues for volunteers and volunteer organizations,
in addition to having the option of obtaining liability insurance through the National Association of Search and Rescue,
thereby saving the county additional expense.

Over the last 15-years SSAR, a 501c3 organization has been fortunate to be supported and equipped through private
donations and fundraisers for which we are extremely grateful. We intend to continue to provide quality, highly skilled and
professional search and rescue services under this model. It is our hope that we will continue to receive the support of
the community as we move forward in our decision to provide independent skilled search and rescue services to you; our
citizens, visitors and friends.

For additional information on SSAR, to make a donation, to become a member or to volunteer, please visit our website at
http://www.superstition-sar.org or call 480-350-3993.
From the - GoldCanyonToday online news

[Jeffshadows]

It's black and gold and says SHERIFF in 2 foot high letters, I didn't see his actual name on it, but it could be there?

That's worse than the Marines...

[SuperstitionGuy]

Following is a link to an article from NASAR regarding billing for rescues. It is an interesting read and you might want to read it.

http://www.nasar.org/nasar/news.php?id=316

Billing for Searches and Rescues Endangers the Public and Rescuers
Posted Monday - July 13th, 2009
For further information:
Howard M. Paul, Denver
(303) 829-5678 (MDT)
hmpaul@ecentral.com

The following is the press release regarding NASAR's position on billing for SAR:

Washington, DC April 30, 2009 The National Association for Search and Rescue has joined the Mountain Rescue Association, the Colorado Search and Rescue Board, the International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists, the United States Coast Guard and the National Park Service – all of which either oppose billing, or do not bill, people after a search and rescue (SAR) operation. “Although it remains a local decision, billing for search and rescue operations is a dangerous practice that should be avoided,” said NASAR President Dan Hourihan.

NASAR takes the position, “To eliminate the fear of being unable to pay for having one’s life saved, SAR services should be rendered to persons in danger or distress without subsequent cost-recovery from the person(s) assisted unless prior arrangements have been made. The mission of SAR organizations is to save lives, not just the lives of those who can afford to pay the bill. As such, methods and means should be developed and used that diffuse the cost of humanitarian SAR operations among the many, allowing anyone to reasonably expect emergency aid without regard to their circumstances.”

The idea of not billing for SAR services confuses many people. However, SAR professionals across the nation know of many instances in which someone – after an unforeseen accident, or spending hours searching for their missing companion – delayed calling for help. Each “remembered” hearing, seeing or reading, “somewhere” that rescues and searches cost “thousands of dollars – which they could not afford. Some have even chosen not to call for help, or refused emergency help.

In 2006, a young hiker became stranded on Colorado’s 14,270’ Quandary Peak. She called 9-1-1, but asked the SAR team leader just to “talk her out of the area.” The sun had already set and cold weather surrounded her in a dangerous area of the mountain. She repeatedly said the SAR team should not come to help her. After going back and forth with her on her cell phone, the SAR team leader finally asked why she didn't want help. She replied, “I can't afford it.” He explained that there would be no charge and she then relented.

“A delay can place SAR personnel in danger and can unnecessarily compound and lengthen a SAR mission,” said Hourihan. “Not calling for emergency SAR help could be as catastrophic as not calling the fire department when a small stove-top fire jumps to the ceiling and instantly fills the kitchen with flames, because the home owner’s first thought was ‘how in the world will I pay the fire department?’”

Then-U.S.C.G. Commandant James Loy explained it best, in 1999, in the Coast Guard’s very similar position. “If the specter of financial reimbursement hung over the decision to report maritime distress, we could get fewer calls, we would get calls during later stages of emergencies, and more people would die at sea. This factor alone outweighs any consideration of how much money we might recoup,” said Admiral Loy.
# # #
Founded in 1973, the National Association for Search and Rescue comprises more than 10,000 volunteer and paid search and rescue professionals who work at the local, state and national level in land, aviation and water SAR. NASAR conducts hundreds of training courses and thousands of certification exams each year. More than 11,000 people hold any of 11 NASAR certifications in SAR operations.

[Jeffshadows]

They are making the same arguments made to pass the EMTALA act years back. I would have no problem considering SAR and extension of EMS and, therefore, covered under EMTALA as long as the groups themselves then become beholden to AZ BEMS and regulated.

[azdesertfather]

Agreed. But do you think there are some "Darwin Award" cases where they should be subject to charges? Not sure how those decisions would get made, but having SAR or EMT or any other lifesaving agencies risking their lives for stupid people who aren't thinking of themselves or others at all doesn't seem right, either. If a man is getting ready to commit suicide and calls emergency personnel, for example, should it matter if he is on top of a cliff in the wilderness or on a freeway overpass?

[Nighthiker]

Most people lack common sense, thats why we have fire departments.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Search & Rescue - free or chargeable? :

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... e1121.html

Hikers rescued for free in Arizona

20 comments by Ron Dungan - Nov. 21, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

In Tucson, a trail runner got lost, then tried to hide while searchers looked for him in the night.

In Washington, a woman tried to walk down a mountain on a broken leg.

They feared that being rescued would cost them thousands of dollars.

In New Hampshire recently, a hiker with a sprained ankle was evacuated and later handed a bill for more than $25,000.

These cases and others like them may be sending the wrong message to hikers nationwide, but Arizona search-and-rescue teams have a more important message: They do not charge for rescues. Most states don't.

"I firmly believe that search and rescue should be free," said David Bremson of the Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association, which handles calls from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. "If you asked anyone involved with mountain rescue or search and rescue, they'd agree."

Rescue workers are familiar with the outdoors and the role that changing weather, bad luck and unforeseen circumstances can play in the backcountry.

They have seen their share of misfortune and are not as quick to judge people as others might be.

Delays in seeking help can put hikers and rescuers at greater risk. The sooner a rescue starts, the better.

"Bad things happen to good people," Bremson said. "That's why they're called accidents and not on-purposes."

How rescues happen

Most search-and-rescue teams are staffed by volunteers. The volunteers are hikers, climbers, outdoors enthusiasts with a wide range of skills, men and women who devote hours to training and some of their own money to buy supplies.

These teams typically are coordinated by the local sheriff's office, which takes calls about lost or stranded hikers. This is true nationwide, with a handful of exceptions.

New Hampshire adjusted its laws last year to allow the state to charge for rescues of hikers deemed to be negligent.

Rescues usually happen quickly. Searches can take longer. Some operations are technical, even dangerous. Most never make the papers.

"We're invisible," Bremson said. "People don't really see what goes on out there."

Every now and then, however, the media pick up a story about stranded mountain climbers or a missing hiker. Some people suggest hikers ought to pay for their rescues if they took undue risks.

"There are those among the public, who do not spend time in the backcountry, that tend to look at those who do as kind of thrill-seekers," said Charley Shimanski of the Mountain Rescue Association, a coalition of 90 mountain-rescue teams in North America. "So, there's some percentage, a vocal minority, who feel that they as a taxpayer shouldn't have to foot the bill."

But searchers say that those in need are no different from a car-accident victim or a homeowner in a house fire.

"We don't charge people extra to extract them from a crumpled vehicle because they were drunk or they made a mistake," said Tim Kovacs, a rescue worker with the Phoenix Fire Department.

That's not to say that hikers won't have medical bills or face consequences.

After being rescued, a hiker may be charged for an ambulance, helicopter transportation, doctor's services and other medical costs.

That would be just as true for someone involved in a car accident or who fell and hit his head at the mall. The job of a search-and-rescue team is to get a person out of the backcountry and closer to medical care.

In extreme cases, people who are rescued can be cited for negligence. People who drive around barricades to cross flooded washes can be prosecuted under the Stupid Motorist Law, for instance.

What it costs

Although search-and-rescue volunteers don't charge for their services, there are other costs involved in a rescue. A helicopter search can cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars an hour.

There may be overtime for sheriff's deputies. How these costs are covered depends on a variety of factors.

The National Park Service includes rescue charges in user fees, and it has calculated that rescues cost less than one penny per visitor per year, Bremson said. Colorado adds a small charge to hunting, fishing, ATV and snowmobile licenses.

In Arizona, the state helps counties recover the cost of rescues through the Governor's Emergency Fund.

The fund, financed with tax dollars, was established to help counties cope with emergencies such as fires, floods, hazardous materials, even flu outbreaks.

The fund is about $4 million a year, said James Langston of the Arizona Division of Emergency Management's search-and-rescue unit. Of that, about $200,000 is authorized to reimburse counties for the 600 or so search-and-rescue operations that take place each year.

The fund helped with one of last year's largest rescue missions, the evacuation of Havasu Canyon on the Havasupai Reservation by the Grand Canyon.

On Aug. 16-17, 2008, monsoon storms created flash floods that ravaged the scenic canyon. About 250 hikers were in the campground when the floodwater swept through. The state's cost to evacuate several hundred tourists and tribal members came to about $170,000. But no lives were lost.

The easy out

Bremson and others worry about the number of people who go into the wilderness without a map, enough water or adequate knowledge of what they're doing.

"It's becoming more commonplace to carry a cellphone instead of another quart of water or to carry a cellphone instead of a flashlight," said Rick Kunz of the Southern Arizona Rescue Association.

Some hikers assume they can call for help if they get into trouble, rather than making adequate preparations.

Bremson said new GPS-messenger devices add to that problem. The handheld units use satellite-based navigation and messaging services and can send automatic distress calls. People buy the devices and subscribe to the locating service, and they intend to use it, he said.

"We're seeing this easy-button mentality," he said.

No price tag

A pair of hikers considered the value of a rescue as they prepared for a hike at South Mountain Park in Phoenix recently.

"You shouldn't have to put a price tag on your own life," said Matt Dowd, 35, of Scottsdale.

He and his friend, Pete Prough, 41, of Queen Creek, have hiked Arizona for about five years. They are aware that snakes strike, people run out of water, trails can unravel, directions blur.

They have been lost for a bit but never had to be rescued, and they have learned through experience.

They know that hiking with a friend is a good idea. They usually carry a map. They said that charging thousands of dollars for a rescue is excessive.

"I think that's kind of wrong," Prough said. "But a lot of people do go out unprepared . . . because they don't know what they're dealing with."

Unprepared hikers can test the patience of their rescuers. Still, a flooded canyon and a broken ankle aren't anybody's fault, said Kunz, and hikers should be saved.

"There are enough volunteers that are happy to go look for them. It's easy out there to sort of lose track of time," he said. "That's why they go hiking. Should people be charged for that? No."

[SuperstitionGuy]

Injured Woman Rescued From Cliff - Wednesday, 25 November 2009 - Pinal County Today

Superstition Search and Rescue (SSAR) assisted in rescuing Lisa Alexander, 34, of Chandler from the face of a cliff north of Superior where Ms. Alexander and some friends were rock climbing and rapelling on Sunday, November 22, 2009.

SSAR was asked to assist PCSO* and Superior Fire with the intricate technical rescue just north of the Superior tunnel in a location known as “the ponds.” This particular area is popular with hikers and rapellers and is known for the waterfalls that appear in times of heavy rain.

Ms. Alexander had reportedly shattered her knee cap while climbing, and according to SSAR Commander Robert Cooper “was extreme pain.” Superior Fire moved her to a safe location on some cliffs in order to treat her injuries and then looked to SSAR to assist in transporting her off the cliff. While SSAR would normally employ a technical rope rescue; they chose not to in this particular situation due to the possibility of falling rocks, which could cause a hazard to cars on the road below and thereby necessitate closing down U.S. 60 for approximately two hours.

It was determined that a “short haul” helicopter rescue was called for, which required the assistance of DPS Rangers. In a short haul rescue, a trained rescuer accompanies the patient who is loaded into a nylon bag that is attached to a 100 to 200 foot rope. Then, both the patient and rescuer are attached to the helicopter and ride beneath the chopper to a safe area in which they can be put down.

Ms. Alexander was lifted off the cliff and flown to the safety of the Oak Flats campgrounds where an ambulance then took her to an area hospital.

SSAR trains regularly in this highly critical skill,” explains Cooper, who added, “DPS maintains currency with 40 rescuers throughout the state for quick response and SSAR has the honor to hold eight of these positions.

“We received an update on Lisa and her knee,” said Cooper. “It did shatter and they were only able to put back together 2/3rds of it. Ouch!”

Ms. Alexander will most likely be including her rescuers in noting what she is thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Superstition Search and Rescue (SSAR) is a volunteer service organization affiliated with, but not funded by, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office that assists individuals who experience wilderness-related problems in the Superstition Wilderness Area. SSAR is made up of approximately 25 volunteers who are highly skilled in wilderness first-aid, technical rescue, orienteering and tracking who sacrifice their time and personal resources to assist those in need.

SSAR relies on donations from individuals and/or corporations and fund-raising activities to support the training and equipment needed to continue serving individuals who find themselves in a situation in which they require assistance. All donations are tax deductible and no matter what the amount, provide the group with valuable equipment and resources necessary to do their job - saving lives.

If you would like to donate to the unsung heroes of Superstition Search and Rescue, please send a check or money order payable to SSAR, P.O. Box 1123, Apache Junction, AZ 85217. For more information on SSAR or to make on online donation visit SSAR at http://www.superstition-sar.org.

* Apparently the Pinal County Sheriff's office is having second thoughts about not using SSAR.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Second Rescue in SSAR’s Final Days with Pinal County - Sunday, 29 November 2009 - Gold Canyon Today

Superstition Search and Rescue (SSAR) has been busy in their final days associated with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) with yet another rescue on Saturday, November 28, 2009; their second rescue in a week.

SSAR received a call around 4 p.m. Saturday to assist a 53-year-old woman who was injured while hiking with her husband in the Superstition Mountains. Bob and Linda McLaughlin of Peoria, AZ set out for a day hike around at 11:00 a.m. and were about four-and-a-half miles in when the injury occurred.

The couple was working their way down the North side of Minor’s Summit when Linda slipped and fell. It was later determined that she had broken her ankle. With the help of her husband the woman managed to hobble her way back up the summit where they were able to get a cell phone signal to call for help.

SSAR immediately sent their “hasty team” into the Minor’s Summit area to locate the couple. A hasty team is the “first responders” for SSAR. “They are our eyes and ears in the field to get the ball rolling,” explained SSAR Commander Robert Cooper.

A hasty team normally goes in to locate victims with just a radio and minimal equipment and then radios back to other team members to bring whatever additional supplies are determined to be needed once the situation has been assessed. In this situation however, SSAR already knew they would be dealing with an ankle injury so they were prepared with the supplies they would need in order to provide initial treatment for the hiker’s injured ankle.

After the hasty team located the couple and provided initial treatment of the woman’s injuries, they then radioed for a ground team to bring a “stokes basket” so the patient could be packaged for safe, manual transportation down the mountain.

The stokes extraction required the SSAR team to maneuver up, and then down, four miles of rocky terrain and narrow paths with trail-edge drop offs in the cold and rain, while carrying the stokes basket. The stokes basket is a metal, wire or plastic litter with sides designed to safely transport a patient.

Carrying a victim or patient in a stokes basket requires a team of six individuals who have to be able to carry the basket while walking forwards, sideways and backwards and simultaneously bushwhacking though vegetation, including cactus – a very tricky and prickly situation. Since the patient is carried over the trail, rescuers are relegated to having to maneuver the rough terrain on the edges of the trail while carrying the patient.

“This is what we train for and this is what we do best, assisting those in need so they can return home to their families,” said Cooper.

While these may be the final days of SSAR’s 30 years of working in conjunction with PCSO; SSAR will still be active in the area and can be called directly for assistance 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week beginning December 1, 2009 at 480-620-0299.

Going forward, SSAR will be working in conjunction with the Apache Junction Police Department in developing an Urban Search and Rescue Team in addition to continuing to provide their award-winning wilderness search and rescue services.

Superstition Search and Rescue (SSAR) is a volunteer service organization that assists individuals who experience wilderness-related problems in the Superstition Wilderness Area. The members are highly skilled in wilderness first-aid, technical rescue and orienteering who do not charge for these life-saving services. They sacrifice their personal time and resources to assist those in need.

SSAR relies on donations from individuals and/or corporations and fund-raising activities to support the training and equipment they need to continue serving individuals who find themselves in a situation in which they require assistance. They need these all-important donations now, more than ever. All donations are tax deductible and no matter what the amount, provide the group with valuable equipment and resources necessary to do their job - saving lives.

If you would like to donate to the unsung heroes of Superstition Search & Rescue, please send a check or money order payable to SSAR, P.O. Box 1123, Apache Junction, AZ 85217. For more information on SSAR or to make on online donation visit SSAR at http://www.superstition-sar.org .

[Teebor]

Hi SuperstitionGuy, I'm wondering how someone would go about joining SSAR. Their site says that you just need to show up for the meeting and then pass a background check to start training. Will I need to have the SAR skillset under my belt before applying? I'm an EMT currently, though I don't work as one anymore, and SAR seems like it's right up my alley.

[SuperstitionGuy]

Go ahead and attend the meeting, introduce yourself as a potential member and after the meeting meet with who ever is currently in charge of training and they will help you. They are a great group of guys and gals, come from various backgrounds but all share the common goal of assisting those in need. They will share with you what you need to know and what the requirements are for joining as well as the various levels of training available and where to obtain that training. Tell them that I, Superstitionguy from HAZ recommended you.

[Teebor]

In response to SuperstitionGuy:
Cool. I will try to get out there for the meeting this month. I wasn't sure if they did all of their training in-house or what.

[Pathfinder Aaron]

My opinion on the issue is that if you do something stupid that endangers rescue workers/emergency personnel, then maybe you should be charged. I don't think that you should get charged for the actual cost of the rescue ie. thousands of dollars, but I do think that if you are irresponsible and risk the lives of others foolishly, then you should pay some kind of fine just so that there are consequences for doing dumb things.