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Search & Rescue Snow Training
updated: Mar 06, 2013, 11:28 AM
Source: Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department
Sheriff's Search and Rescue Re-certified for Snow Rescue
June Lake -The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team has successfully recertified in
snow and ice rescue. The team traveled to June Lake, near Mammoth Lakes, this past weekend to
participate in training required for membership in the elite Mountain Rescue Association (MRA). The
training provides valuable techniques on how to handle back country winter rescues and mutual aid.
Only about one hundred Search and Rescue teams across the country qualify for membership in the
MRA. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team President Ben Stefanski said he is
proud his team is one of them. He said, "Not a lot of teams have the honor of being a Mountain Rescue
Association team, and we're honored to have met their strict qualifications to recertify."
Over the past two months, team members have traveled to Mt. Pinos and participated in four winter
rescue classrooms and three field trainings. "Older members honed their expert alpine rescue skills
while ushering in a new generation of alpine rescuers," said Mr. Stefanski. During the testing period,
Sheriff's Search and Rescue team members responded to a scenario in which a snowshoer was caught in
an avalanche. Team members needed to travel safely to the subject's location, search and probe for the
subject's beacon, begin medical care of the patient, and build sophisticated rope systems to raise and
lower the patient to safety.
Santa Barbara County regularly receives winter snow, particularly on back country mountains such as
Figueroa Mountain, Zaca Peak, and McKinley Mountain. Sheriff's Search and Rescue Teams may also be
called out to serve as mutual aid to neighboring counties. In the past, the Sheriff's Search and Rescue
Team has been called out to assist with searches in Sequoia National Forest, Yosemite National Park,
and Colorado.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Search Rescue team is made up of 28 volunteers including 25
licensed Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) who are on call 24/7.
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