WELCOME TO THE

PowellRiverSAR NEWS

****** September 2003 Issue ******

Chief Editor: Doug Logan

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This is issue No. 14 of The Powell River Search and Rescue News.

This newsletter belongs to the membership of Powell River SAR.

(Everyone is Welcome!)

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"QUOTE OF THE DAY"

Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

Vince Lombardi

(quotelady.com)

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Recent Events

August 2003

Aug 28 – Two overdue hikers – Emma Lake

PRSAR was called out on Aug 28th for two overdue hikers on the Central Lakes/Emma Lake trail, on the South Powell Divide. The initial serch was done by RCMP helicopter with a PRSAR member aboard. We then dispatched a crew of three PRSAR members on an Oceanview helicopter. After an aerial search of the Triple Peaks area and the Central Lakes/Emma Lake trail, the crew was placed on the ridgetop trail about 3 km east of the Emma Lake cabin. The trail was searched to the cabin, and darkness.

A complete search of the entire trail was planned for the next morning. With six teams set up to be placed around the route by helicopter, and more aerial searches planned, this operation was escalating. Anyone that has seen this area can appreciate teh complexity and risks involved in searching over 108 square kilometers of alpine ridges and drainages of the initial search area.

The next morning the subjects were camped on the ridge above the cabin. They had been trapped by darkness on their way to the cabin, the night before. Having lost one day to sickness, one day to poor visibility in fog, and a third day to poor route-finding, the two were in fine health and quite able to complete the trail to their vehicle that day.

Lesson learned, plan your trip, set your time out to include problems, and be able to communicate out for emergencies and delays.

 

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Current Events

Mobile Command Post Trailer:

- Presently parked at Andy Infinti’s for radio installation and wiring. Almost complete and soon to be ready for operational testing.

 

First Aid Courses:

- Members are requested to contact Karen Whyard (487-4406) first for details

 

PRSAR Photo ID cards:

- Those members without cards, contact Karen Whyard (487-4406)

 

PRSAR Base:

            - There have been several changes to the SAR hall. The municipality has sublet the long bay to the school board for the school bus maintenance, and the lot for school bus parking. This has isolated the SAR Truck to it’s own area on the other side of the hall with it’s own entrance, and removed the access to the long bay for indoor training.

 

Rope Rescue equipment:

            - The rope rescue equipment budgeted for this year from the municipality has arrived. It will add to our basic supply of gear. It will be brought to the next SAR meeting for viewing.

- The rope rescue equipment donated by NorskeCanada has been ordered.

- While budgets are tight, it is good to see people are still supporting essential purchases.

 

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Links and stuff

 

SARNEWS.com – Aug 28, 2003

  • Search and Rescue Canada - Introduction
    * FEMA to Retain Name/Identity
    * Sweep Width Report - Objective POD Estimation
    * Phone In for a Complimentary NASAR Renewal on
    8/29/03
    * NASAR Black Tie Gala Postponed
    * Vote for your NASAR Board Members Online!
    * SAR Computer Updates
    * RescueRigger - Construct Rope Rescue Systems on Your PC
    * Search Planning Interface
    * SAR Team Online
    * Virginia Search Management Software Project
    * IMan - Incident Management
    * Bayesian Models for Search and Rescue --
    Australia
    * Rounds Search Calculator
    * Search Manager
    * CASIE
    * Maritime SAR Software
  • www.SARNEWS.com

Click on: 8/28/03

 

High-altitude research targets mountain sickness
 
Tests being carried out in the Margherita hut (swissinfo)
An international team of researchers has spent the past month in Switzerland's highest mountain hut investigating new treatments for altitude s! ickness.
The group's common interest is high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) - a life threatening condition that can occur when people ascend a mountain too
quickly.

Here's the URL to the complete story with pictures, links to other resources
on AMS, etc from the Swissinfo website:
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=4152649

 

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Coming Events

Sept 9/03         Regular Meeting/Training - 7 p.m.

          (USUALLY FIRST TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH - PRSAR HALL)

 

Sept 11/03       Rope Team Meeting/Training – (Thurs) 7 p.m.

 

Sept 14/03       Rope Team Training Day – (Sun) 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

 

Sept 16/03       Rope Team Training night – (Tues) 7 p.m.

 

Sept 24/03       Rope Team Training night – (Weds) 7 p.m.

 

Sept 26, 27 + 28/03 (Fri – Sun)

                        Rope Rescue Team member and Team Leader Evaluations

                        Duncan, B.C.

 

Oct 7/03          Regular Meeting/Training - 7 p.m.

          (USUALLY FIRST TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH - PRSAR HALL)

 

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This newsletter will be issued once a month, except for July. The monthly issue will be sent out in the morning of the Friday before our regular meeting night. Therefore, contributions must be sent in by midnight, the Wednesday night before the meeting.

In order for this to work, everyone needs to be involved, and contribute. Contributions are not limited to PowellRiverSAR members. The more we communicate, the more we learn, the more effective SAR people we become. Dare to be a part of good things  - Send in something!

Forward your contributions to duglogan@hotmail.com. Or call Doug Logan - 604-485-4834

The next issue will be October 2003. It will be sent out on October 3/03.

Please send contributions as soon as possible. (deadline – October 1/03)

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Please feel free to forward this letter to any interested persons.

People can subscribe by sending their email address to

duglogan@hotmail.com

To unsubscribe, contact the above email address.

If there is any trouble with the 'rich text' version,

a 'plain text' version can be sent out.

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"Thought for Tomorrow"

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal--a commitment to excellence--that will enable you to attain the success you seek."

-Mario Andretti

(quotelady.com)

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BE RESPONSE READY!

take care,

Doug Logan

Chief Editor

duglogan@hotmail.com

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is strictly the opinion of the editors or its staff.

It in no way represents the opinion of PowellRiverSAR or its staff.

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