{"id":982,"date":"2011-03-31T07:39:49","date_gmt":"2011-03-31T14:39:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/?p=982"},"modified":"2011-03-31T22:33:33","modified_gmt":"2011-04-01T05:33:33","slug":"world-famous-smsr-passes-re-certification-with-flying-colors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/?p=982","title":{"rendered":"World Famous SMSR Passes Re-Certification With Flying Colors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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www.SMSR.org<\/p><\/div>\n

Each year, members of The Mountain Rescue Association teams are tested in one of three subjects and, if they pass, are certified in that area of rescue training.\u00a0\u00a0 This year, fifteen teams, among them the world famous Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team, participated in the certification process, which took place in the shadows of Mt. Whitney, at Alabama Hills, just west of Lone Pine off Hwy. 395.\u00a0 This year’s re-certification was in the “Technical Rock” area.\u00a0\u00a0Last year the subject was Search and Tracking, and next year will be Snow and Ice.\u00a0 The team arrived on Friday afternoon, and camped out at Turtle Creek campground that night.\u00a0 The following morning, they were briefed, and then set out on their assignment.<\/p>\n

The team had to locate their subject, who was in a rock formation about 600 ft. up from the floor of the valley. The preliminary bash crew,\u00a0 consisted of Jon Pedder, Susan McCreary\u00a0and\u00a0Rodger Gray, with McCreary carrying the master med pack, which has just about everything an EMT level provider could need, including an oxygen tank.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The victim was located after about a 20-minute scramble up. The victim had a knee injury, possible fractured proximal tibia and patelar fractures. According to Susan McCreary, “She was a good actress and made\u00a0us believe she was in agonizing pain!”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Team members were staged below and followed\u00a0the preliminary bash crew\u00a0up, bringing over 1000′ of rope, lots of hardware, a litter and more to get the job done.\u00a0Eric Triplett was crew chief and Mike Nalick was operations leader.\u00a0 Other members of the team participating in the re-certification were Barbara Fortini, Roberto Crespo, Ed Kang, Taison Tran, Chuck Stoughton, Tim Cadogan, Tommy Ingulfsen, Karl Domangue, Larry Smith,\u00a0Ron Hansen and Art Fortini.\u00a0\u00a0Additional team members remained in Sierra Madre in case they were needed here.<\/p>\n

The team hummed through the exercise in a very crisp and efficient way and Sierra Madre was the first team to complete\u00a0their “problem”.\u00a0 The prize for being first?\u00a0 They had first dibs at the tri-tip BBQ down at base camp.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There were\u00a0two evaluators, one from Bay Area Mountain Rescue Unit, and one from San Bernardino Cave Rescue Team.\u00a0The subject was also a BAMRU team member.\u00a0 McCreary was the primary medic, but part way through the problem\u00a0they switched out at the patient’s request, and McCreary became the new subject. “I got a smooth ride with great views in the litter for about an hour,” said McCreary. “We were on the rocks from 10 until about 1:15 and passed our test with flying colors. SMSR rocks! ”<\/p>\n

The accompanying photos were\u00a0taken by the two evaluators with SMSR member cameras. SMSR wears the khaki shirts and red helmets.\u00a0 Thanks to Susan McCreary for her help in putting this article together, and to Jon Pedder for sharing his photo album.<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE WORLD FAMOUS SIERRA MADRE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM<\/em><\/p>\n

Sierra Madre is proud to be the home of the world-renowned Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team, a wilderness and mountain rescue team that has been in operation for more than 60 years. The all-civilian group of volunteers is supported through voluntary donations, and has all the necessary\u00a0equipment to perform search and rescue\u00a0 missions throughout L.A. County\u2019s many\u00a0\u00a0 wilderness and mountainous areas. Its motto, \u201cAnywhere in the wilderness someone needs help,\u201d holds true, as the team has responded to calls from all over the world.<\/em><\/p>\n