ROUTT COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Colorado’s vast terrain and unique snowpack present a unique challenge for search and rescue teams. The state’s SAR teams have developed a strong culture of collaboration, working together across county lines and with various partners to ensure a swift and efficient response to emergencies.
One notable example of this cooperative effort is the collaborative efforts led by Harry Sandler, the Incident Commander for Routt County Search and Rescue. Sandler, who has been part of the team for years, described how the commitment to teamwork has evolved since 1968.
“The team was founded in 1968 by a group of local guys who helped get stuck friends out of the backcountry on snowmobiles,” Sandler said. “Pretty much since then, we’ve been using snowmobiles in the winter for rescues.”
Recently, RCSAR has taken its collaboration to new heights by organizing a snowmobile training event for different agencies across the state.
“Last month, we got 15 different local agencies together for snowmobile training on Rabbit Ears Pass,” Sandler said.
-
Members from 15 teams across Colorado came together for training at Rabbit Ears Pass (Credit: Routt County Search and Rescue). -
The extent of the collaborative efforts extend to Wyoming where last month, RCSAR snowmobiliers travelled to Alpine Wyoming to attend an advanced riding course (Credit: Routt County Search and Rescue). -
CSAR said their rescue teams and their collaboration efforts set them apart (Credit: Routt County Search and Rescue). -
Teams from all across Colorado train together in snow machine rescue (Credit: Routt County Search and Rescue).
This past training event on Rabbit Ears Pass, Sandler said, is a testament to how SAR teams work to hone their skills and foster relationships. These training events bring together teams from multiple counties, such as Jackson, Grand and Routt, who regularly collaborate in their rescue efforts.
“We work regularly with those teams on incidents up on the pass and so that’s how the training started, was just sort of getting those groups together outside of the, responding to an incident,” Sandler said. “The goal is to get to know everyone, but also build skills and you know really grow as, our capacity as rescuers.”
The culture of collaboration is not limited to training sessions but is evident in the everyday operations of SAR teams across the state. Dawn Wilson, the Public Information Officer for Colorado Search and Rescue, highlighted the organization’s role in uniting SAR teams from all over the state.
“We collaborate intensely. We have online documents we share with pertinent information, we do fireside chats online to talk about issues and how we can help each other out, we also do a lot of training together like search management classes,” Wilson said.
Sandler said the unique geography and challenging terrain of Colorado necessitate cross-county and cross-team cooperation.
“We really need to rely on our neighbors and other partners to effect some of these calls,” he said. “Whether it’s other SAR teams, whether it’s a K9 resource, maybe cellphone forensics or the Colorado Air National Guard to do a hoist. That’s really where CSAR can step in and help coordinate those different resources, getting them together.”
Wilson said these cross-county efforts are a fundamental part of CSAR’s success.
“We’re not competition,” she said. “If there’s a huge search or a huge rescue that needs additional search and rescue members, we cross county lines and we help each other out.”
This cooperation is essential when dealing with Colorado’s unpredictable snowpack, which varies significantly from year to year.
“Because our snowpack is so unique, we often experience a high number of snowmobile rescues in certain years,” Wilson explains. “But whether it’s one or 100 rescues, we’re ready to help when needed.”
The heart of Colorado’s search and rescue network is its volunteers, who put in countless hours to help save lives.
“Every backcountry SAR team in Colorado is made up of volunteers. We call ourselves non-paid professional mountaineers,” Wilson said. “We really strive to make sure people understand it’s free so they don’t delay calling for help. If you are stuck, if you are injured, if you are lost, call 911.”